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Quotes of the week
President Trump illegally bombed Iran, totally disregarding the Constitution, putting American troops in harm’s way, and starting another war in the Middle East with no end in sight. The Constitution is clear: if the President wants to start a war, Congress, elected by the people, needs to sign off on it.
– U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, on Saturday condemning the United States’ attack on Iran.
If you’re going to try and make the case that Congress needs to vote before the executive branch takes action militarily, I don’t believe that. I don’t think it would put this country in a much different position than we’ve been in the past.
– U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, dismissing arguments that Trump needed congressional approval before the attacks.
This week’s news
— U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson split in a procedural vote on a bipartisan resolution to block the Trump administration from continued hostilities against Iran.
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The vote to advance the resolution failed 47-53 with Baldwin, D-Madison, voting to move it forward, and Johnson, R-Oshkosh, voting against advancing the measure. The House is set to vote on its own bipartisan resolution to halt the administration’s military actions in Iran today. The United States and Israel launched air attacks against Iran over the weekend.
Democrats have questioned the administration’s rationale for acting without seeking congressional approval. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress sole authority to declare war. Republicans have largely rallied behind the president, though some have expressed concern about the possibility of an ongoing war without a clear resolution in sight.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., co-authored the resolution with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
Baldwin in a floor speech Monday called the war, which has led to the death of six American servicemembers in Kuwait, “reckless and illegal.”
“We are here to represent the people of our state and their desires, and Wisconsinites have been unequivocal that they do not want another foreign war,” Baldwin said. “I agree with them, and for a while it seemed Donald Trump did, too.”
She said the Iranian regime is “dangerous and murderous” and can’t be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, but argued negotiation is the answer, not war.
Johnson in a post on X before the vote said to “ignore the Democrat distortions” about the war.
“@POTUS and his team have made their war goals very clear: destroy Iran’s navy, ballistic missiles, launchers, and missile manufacturing, and NEVER allow them to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Johnson said. “It will be up to the Iranian people to seize the opportunity and overthrow the theocracy. I hope they do.”
U.S. and Israeli forces began their attack on Iran on Saturday, striking the nation’s capital, Tehran, as well as sites across the country. Israel also struck targets in Lebanon. According to Iranian state media, the death toll from the war exceeds 1,000 people. Iran has struck several countries in the region in retaliation, plus U.S. bases, embassies and consulates.
The initial attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and much of the country’s top political and military leadership. The administration has offered conflicting explanations for the assault and Israel’s role in drawing the U.S. into the conflict.
Trump initially said he expected the war to last for “four or five weeks” but signaled an open-ended timeframe on Monday, saying “whatever the time is, it’s OK.”
— Baldwin said she’s opposed to former GOP state AG Brad Schimel continuing in his role as the interim U.S. attorney in Milwaukee, calling him a “clearly partisan actor.”
Schimel told WisPolitics in a phone interview he was taken aback by Baldwin’s comments and was working to secure support from judges in the Eastern District, who will decide if he remains in the role.
“I don’t know where this vitriol is coming from,” Schimel said. “I’ve always had a pleasant relationship with Sen. Baldwin.”
U.S. AG Pam Pondi last fall appointed Schimel to the post. That came after the commission Baldwin and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, have used to identify candidates for federal appointments failed to agree on any for the open U.S. attorney positions in Milwaukee or Madison.
Baldwin said in a statement President Donald Trump “installed” Schimel as interim U.S. attorney. That appointment lasts 120 days and expires later this month. It will then be up to the judges on the Eastern District bench to decide if Schimel remains in the post or to appoint someone else.
See more in Wednesday’s PM Update.
— Vice President JD Vance at a stop in Plover last week repeatedly praised U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden and urged Wisconsinites to reelect the Prairie du Chien Republican to a third term in November.
Vance spoke at Pointe Precision, a machining facility in Van Orden’s 3rd CD, to tout Trump administration policies following the State of the Union.
During his remarks, Vance said Van Orden is “one of those guys you can trust to always fight for the people who are in this room” and repeated his name more than 20 times. Vance said policies eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security happened “because of Derrick” and that voters will have him to thank when they receive “a big tax refund check” in the coming months.
“The question in November is do we give power to the people who fight for corruption, who fight for fraud, who fight for illegal aliens, or do we give the government to the American citizens for whom it was designed and for whom it was created,” Vance said. “I think I know the answer—let’s vote for our people. Let’s vote for Derrick Van Orden next November.”
— U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany says he has to “introduce myself to a lot more people in the state” after the latest Marquette Law School poll showed roughly two-thirds of GOP voters were undecided despite the congressman being the only major Republican candidate.
Poll Director Charles Franklin told “UpFront” he thinks “that’s right.”
“All of these candidates have to introduce themselves to a lot more voters,” Franklin said. “You think of Tiffany as a congressman. You would think he’d be well-known, but the truth is, in all of our polling back to 2012 when we asked about individual members of the House of Representatives, they’re pretty well-known in their home districts, but they’re not well-known outside the district.
“Mandela Barnes has a bit of an advantage for having run statewide before,” Franklin said. “But all the rest of the Democrats have at least as big of a problem.”
Waupun Mayor Rohn Bishop has said he’s considering joining the GOP primary for governor.
— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Tony Wied joined to tout $5 million in federal funding they helped secure for the Green Bay Metro Fire Department to build a new fire station.
Baldwin, D-Madison, and Wied, R-De Pere, joined Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Green Bay Metro Fire Department Interim Co-chief Eric Jeltema at the station on Friday.
“I have always said I will work with anyone to get things done for Wisconsin. And today, I’m excited to be celebrating with @RepTonyWied our work to bring home $5 million for a new fire station for Green Bay so they have what they need to keep Wisconsin families safe,” Baldwin said in a post on X.
Posts of the week
ICYMI
The Hill: Some Republicans increasingly frustrated stock trading ban touted by Trump is stalled
Fox 6 Milwaukee: US strikes Iran: Wisconsin political figures react to attack
Spectrum News: Wisconsin lawmakers react to president’s decision to attack Iran
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Evers says federal hemp law will hurt Wisconsin
WKBT: Van Orden, La Crosse teacher & activist respond after D.C. interaction posted online
WXPR: Forum held in Rhinelander for Democratic candidates seeking 7th Congressional District seat
Wisconsin Public Radio: JD Vance stumps for Derrick Van Orden, Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin campaign event