Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly.
Quotes of the week
It’s very clear that the Trump administration has no authority to violate the law, and we have laws that set up the Department of Education. The problem is we have an administration that’s flouting the law and is doing a lot of things that appear to be dismantling agencies without congressional authorization. We need to mount an opposition to that lawlessness.
– U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, on President Donald Trump’s plan to shut down the U.S. Department of Education.
Education is primarily a state and local function. The federal government should have no role. In federalizing student loans, we’ve encouraged our young people to incur a collective $1.7 trillion debt with no improved outcomes. I’m with @POTUS, shut it down.
– U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, on Trump’s plan.
This week’s news
— Wisconsin lawmakers were split on a bill to prevent a government shutdown that narrowly passed the House Tuesday 217-213 along party lines.
One Republican voted against the bill and one Democrat for it. The bill now goes to the Senate.
The vote will continue government funding through the next six months. The bill mostly extends 2024 spending, but includes a $7 billion spending decrease, with $13 billion cut across departments, and a $6 billion increase in defense spending.
The GOP-run Senate needs at least 60 votes to pass the bill by Friday to avoid a government shutdown.
Democrats have criticized the bill, arguing it will cut necessary government programs like support for veterans, K-12 education, medical research, clean energy and disaster relief, among other services.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, said in a statement following the vote the bill “cuts critical programs” and that he hopes the Senate rejects the bill.
“This bill gives Trump and Musk a blank check to continue gutting congressionally appropriated funds and dismantling essential government services – removing all guard rails on where American taxpayers’ money goes,” Pocan said.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, also claimed the bill is giving Musk and DOGE too much power.
“I simply cannot support legislation which will greenlight DOGE’s illegitimate efforts, further undermine IRS enforcement and the Social Security administration with reckless cuts, and throw veterans, hungry children, seniors, and hardworking Americans under the bus,” Moore said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, praised House Republicans for passing the bill.
“Today’s Continuing Resolution not only prevents a government shutdown but also reaffirms our commitment to the values and priorities the American people sent us here to accomplish,” Van Orden said in a statement on X. “Despite what the 212 Democrats who voted against the bill want you to believe, every American who is legally entitled to these programs – whether it’s Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or VA benefits – will continue to receive them.”
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, called the vote a “win for the American people.”
“This bipartisan government funding bill avoids a shutdown, ensures funding for veterans’ healthcare, reduces overall spending, and has no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security,” Grothman said on X.
— U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says the Dem pushback on a GOP House-approved measure to prevent a government shutdown is “ridiculous,” adding he’ll vote for the bill when it’s before the Senate.
At a WisPolitics DC breakfast Wednesday morning, Johnson also praised Elon Musk’s cost-cutting measures through DOGE.
“We should not be wasting taxpayer money the way we do. We shouldn’t be wasting the borrowed money that’s mortgaging all of your future the way we do. And I don’t know how …anybody could take a look at what he’s uncovering and not just be, as I said, just outrage and demand that we keep looking.”
Johnson said the federal government is deeply in debt and overspending, arguing that there is “no justification” for current levels of spending.
“We have to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending,” Johnson said. He added the government can go back to 2019 spending levels without needing to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.
Johnson again expressed concerns with President Donald Trump’s tariffs, pointing to Wisconsin’s status as a manufacturing state. He said Wisconsin companies will not be able to compete as effectively.
Still, Johnson said Trump has used tariffs effectively to close the Mexico border and to stop the flow of fentanyl.
“Trump is dealing with a real problem,” Johnson said. “He’s doing it in a pretty blunt way, but maybe that’s what it’s going to take. So again, he’s been right on so many other things. I do give him the benefit of doubt right now, but I express my concern.”
Johnson said in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Brad Schimel would apply the law, but Susan Crawford would work with the rest of the state Supreme Court’s liberals to gerrymander the congressional maps. Schimel is the former GOP attorney general who now is a Waukesha County judge; Crawford is a Dane County judge. The election is April 1.
“What it should be a referendum on, do we want justices that will apply the law, as opposed to secret legislators that will alter the law and just legislate from the bench,” Johnson said.
Johnson also:
- Said the American people “should be outraged” by the lack of transparency about COVID-19 and in the FBI. He promised to seek accountability as chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
- Said no one should be worried about potential Veterans Affairs layoffs or losing support for veterans: “The VA is highly funded and that’s not going to change.”
- Told students not to be concerned about potential research funding cuts; instead Johnson expressed concerns about corruption in research.
- Claimed Dems want it to be “easy to cheat,” while Republicans support election integrity and security. He added that no one is denying Trump’s recent victory, but opponents are looking for other ways to undermine the president.
Hear the audio.
– U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a new WisPolitics “Capitol Chats” podcast defended Dems’ efforts to counter the Trump administration.
The Madison Dem weighed in as Democrats face criticism from within their party that they aren’t doing enough to push back in the first months of Trump’s term. She noted Republicans have a trifecta of control in the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, saying, “ We are seeing the consequences of the elections from last year.”
Still, she said: “ I believe that we all do have power and we have lots of different levers we can use despite the fact that they own both houses of Congress and the presidency.”
“ When they act in a way that’s unconstitutional or unlawful, we can go to court. There are certain things that require bipartisan cooperation, particularly in the Senate, in order to advance, and there we can use Congress,” she said.
Baldwin also said it’s important to remember that the last time Trump was in power, he sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but she said Democrats prevented that from happening.
“ And we’re going to have to do that again when it comes to their efforts to wipe out Medicaid or have huge cuts to Medicaid, which pays for a lot of elderly people’s long term care and nursing home care, which pays for almost a third of all children’s health care, and pays for the health care needed by adults with disabilities. We are going to have to fight back and we’re going to have to do it together, and that involves organizing, and we’re going to be doing just that,” Baldwin said.
Tune in to the full “Capitol Chats” interview here.
— U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, is asking Elon Musk to remove federal agency offices from Dane County considering county law enforcement’s lack of cooperation with immigration officers.
The Trump administration has announced plans to relocate Small Business Administration offices from “sanctuary cities,” which don’t cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tiffany in a letter to Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, said federal agencies should also be removed from Dane County, noting ICE classifies the county as “non-cooperative,” meaning it doesn’t accept immigration retainers.
“You may also be interested to know that among Wisconsin’s 72 counties, Dane was the only county to reject a 2024 ballot measure designed to prohibit non-citizen voting. This statewide referendum was approved by a more than 2-to-1 margin, 70.5% to 29.5%,” Tiffany wrote.
Tiffany added Musk would have “little difficulty identifying other jurisdictions in our state committed to complying with federal immigration law that would be happy to host these agencies, including many in my congressional district.”
— Eau Claire Dem Rebecca Cooke announced she’s running for a third time to represent the 3rd CD currently held by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
Cooke’s latest bid comes after she narrowly lost to Van Orden in the November general election. Van Orden won with 51.4% of the vote while running behind President Donald Trump in the district.
Cooke in a statement said she’s running “because Wisconsin families deserve a fair shot and a seat at the table.”
“While Derrick Van Orden cowers and hides from the people of western Wisconsin, big drug companies are jacking up our medicine prices, out-of-touch elites are blocking pathways to homeownership and good jobs, and chaos continues to dominate Washington,” she said. “It’s clear we need more working-class voices in Congress who have lived failed policy and will actually fight like hell to build back the middle class.”
Cooke raised $250,000 in the first 24 hours after announcing her bid, according to her campaign.
Cooke first ran for the 3rd in 2022, when she lost the Dem primary to state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska. Pfaff lost the general election to Van Orden, who succeeded longtime U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse.
State GOP Chair Brian Schimming knocked Cooke in a statement noting her past losses.
“Two-time loser Rebecca Cooke is making a third attempt at running for Congress after losing to Derrick Van Orden. 2026 will be no different — Western Wisconsin voters will reject two-faced Cooke’s radical far-left views,” Schimming said.
— U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, criticized the Trump administration during a constituent town hall this week, arguing the president is cutting government to pave the way for his tax cut bill.
About 200 people attended a town hall Pocan hosted in Belmont, on the edge of Pocan’s district close to the 3rd Congressional District represented by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien.
Pocan said ahead of the event the location was intentional because Van Orden “refuses” to host town halls.
At the event, Pocan again criticized Van Orden, claiming he is not speaking with constituents: “the third district, I feel bad for you.”
Van Orden in a post on X ahead of the town hall blasted the event as a “political play.”
“Your refusal to acknowledge a 13 year old cancer survivor during the SOTU was as disgusting as your indifference to my daughter dying of cancer,” Van Orden said. “You could not give a rat’s ass about our farmers and I will not justify your political play.”
Van Orden’s comments reference 13-year-old DJ Daniel, honored by Trump at a joint address before Congress last week, and his daughter Sydney, who died after a battle with cancer in 2023.
Pocan encouraged attendees to stand up against what he called Trump’s potential cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, farmers and public education. He criticized the Republican budget, saying it would increase taxes for Wisconsinites.
“We’ve gotta fight like hell to protect Medicaid,” Pocan said.
Pocan also criticized Musk for having no experience in the federal government and not “playing by the rules.” Pocan highlighted his Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy that would terminate contracts with special government employees like Musk.
Constituents who attended the meeting jeered at mentions of Musk and Trump and laughed at Pocan’s comments against Van Orden. And several attendees asked about what can be done to fight Trump’s policies.
— Dem U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan and Gwen Moore were two of 14 members of Congress to sign a letter calling for the release of a former student activist in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.
The letter, addressed to Secretary Kristi Noem, asked DHS to release Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student who led Palestine protests last spring.
DHS detained Khalil earlier this week. Khalil is a lawful permanent resident, but the Trump administration claims he engaged in protests that support terrorists, so should be deported. The letter from the members of Congress said Khalil has not been charged with any crimes, and this arrest is an “assault” on free speech in America.
“Mahmoud Khalil must be freed from DHS custody immediately,” the letter read. “He is a political prisoner, wrongfully and unlawfully detained, who deserves to be at home in New York preparing for the birth of his first child. Universities throughout the country must protect their students from this vile assault on free thought and expression, and DHS must immediately refrain from any further illegal arrests targeting constitutionally protected speech and activity.”
— Trump has appointed Van Orden to the Naval Academy Board of Visitors.
The former Navy SEAL is one of several picks Trump announced over the weekend, including his former press secretary Sean Spicer, GOP U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson and Walt Nauta. The Navy veteran has served as Trump’s body man and was indicted in the classified documents case alongside the now-president. The charges against Nauta were dropped after Trump took office.
Last month, Trump fired the boards of visitors for the military academies. They serve as advisory panels on student life.
Van Orden thanked Trump in a social media post, adding they’re going to “bring the Warrior Ethos back to the USNA!”
Posts of the week
ICYMI
The Hill: Wisconsin Democrats look to harness anger with Musk in court race
Green Bay Press-Gazette: Rep. Tony Wied holds first town hall, draws criticism for its call-in format
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bernie Sanders energizes thousands at UW-Parkside rally ahead of state Supreme Court race
WPR: Trump administration warns UW-Madison it could lose federal funding
