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

Socialism has no place in the United States of America. Hard work and merit are the backbone of the American dream, not socialized outcomes or government control.
– U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, on a House resolution condemning socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America and calling for the passage of the SAVE America Act. 

This is just stupid, and it’s insulting to Americans trying to get by while this Congress lets tariffs increase the cost of groceries and other goods, lets an illegal war in Iran raise gas prices and the Big Beautiful Bill raise the cost of healthcare and utilities. But here today in the U.S. Congress we’re dealing with none of that. 
– U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, on the House floor Tuesday

This week’s news

– Wisconsin’s members of Congress voted to pass a bill averting a government shutdown in October.

All eight of Wisconsin’s House members voted yea on a stopgap measure funding the government at current levels through Dec. 11.

U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, in a statement called the resolution “the responsible thing to do.”

I voted to keep the government open and avoid another reckless shutdown while we work to complete the appropriations process here in the House,” Fitzgerald said.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, wrote on X that she voted for the bill because it maintains funding for “crucial priorities” like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, saying the Trump administration had “weaponized SNAP” during the last shutdown. 

“This temporary funding measure or Continuing Resolution (CR) is needed only because House and Senate Republicans have failed to pass any of the annual funding bills, refusing to negotiate any commonsense and reasonable agreements with Democrats,” Moore said.

– The House passed a bill authored by U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald aiming to curb the use of secret federal subpoenas.

The NDO Fairness Act would limit prosecutors’ use of non-disclosure orders to conceal subpoenas from individuals subject to searches.

House members passed the bill, coauthored by New York U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, by voice vote Monday. 

A statement from Fitzgerald’s office presented the bill as a curb on alleged abuses by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who subpoenaed several members of Congress as part of his investigation into President Donald Trump. 

“The government should not be able to secretly search Americans’ private information and then prevent them from ever knowing it happened,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.  “The NDO Fairness Act restores fundamental safeguards against government overreach by ensuring Americans have the opportunity to learn when their information has been searched.

Similar Fitzgerald-authored legislation passed the House in 2022 but did not advance in the Senate.

— U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbulah, at a subcommittee hearing said immigration laws aren’t just for “people who are committing a crime.”

“We enforce it to prevent America from changing and not being the freedom-loving republic we’re supposed to be with regard to the number of people illegally here,” Grothman said of immigration laws at a Tuesday hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement.

The hearing focused on “tragic consequences” of sanctuary policies throughout the U.S. Grothman questioned witnesses about the exact number of people in the country who have entered illegally.

“Immigration laws don’t mean we only kick out people who are committing a crime. That would be no immigration law at all. And anybody who says that is just just in a dreamland,” Grothman said.

Grothman went on to say part of the goals of enforcing immigration law is “to keep housing costs down” and “our wages up.”

“It appears to be the goal of the Democrat Party is to let as many people from other countries here, regardless of the consequences. They want to change America. And if you want to have America look more like other countries around the globe, few of which we would want to live in, that’s the way you do it,” Grothman said.

— U.S. Reps. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, and Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, will attend next week’s GOP midterm convention in Dallas. Meanwhile, other members of the state’s delegation are staying home.

Spokespeople for Grothman and Steil told WisPolitics today that they plan to attend the event, but not as delegates.

See more in Wednesday’s PM Update.

— U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, and his Dem challenger Rebecca Cooke have continued to clash over a potential debate after the two failed to participate in one two years ago.

Cooke is calling for a debate with “an objective nonpartisan host” while Van Orden has been accusing her of “dodging a debate” following an invitation from a state-level affiliate of the NRA.

Representatives for Van Orden and Cooke’s campaign confirmed to WisPolitics that Wisconsin Firearm Owners, a state-level NRA affiliate, is the only debate invitation the campaigns have received.

Van Orden, who first challenged Cooke to meet in July, has accepted the invitation to the proposed one-hour debate that would take place Oct. 29 in Adams, both the Republican’s campaign and the group’s president Rob Kovach confirmed.

The debate questions would be asked exclusively by a moderator, who has yet to be finalized. Cooke’s campaign confirmed receipt of the invitation though Kovach told WisPolitics the campaign has yet to respond.

— Van Orden has also suggested on X that Cooke could “very well be in jail” because of her financial disclosure report.

Cooke fired back on social media, “Derrick Van Orden wants me arrested because he’s scared he’ll lose his job. Not that he’s doing anything to end the war in Iran or stop big tech companies from putting data centers in our communities anyway.”

In her financial disclosure report, Cooke listed income from waitressing, rental properties and two fellowships with left-leaning political organizations. Cooke received an extension on the report that allowed her to file it after the primary, which has been repeatedly criticized by Van Orden.

Van Orden has repeatedly called Cooke a “faketress” and accused the former political consultant and nonprofit founder of misleading voters about her work history. 

He has also called on Cooke to release her tax returns since the financial disclosure report just requires Cooke to list receiving over $5,000 instead of the exact dollar amount received from each of the two fellowships she reported.

Posts of the week

Begin this line

ICYMI

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin governor debate between Tom Tiffany, David Crowley confirmed

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What’s on the ballot in Wisconsin for the Nov. 3 midterms election?

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram: Sen. Baldwin shares sports viewing access vision with EC businesses

WXOW: Rep. Van Orden campaigns at West Salem diner and addresses data center concerns

Appleton Post-Crescent: In town hall, Rep. Tony Wied backs tariffs, end to Iran war, gold standard

Bloomberg Government: Key Republican readies slate of party-line election changes

WSAW: Senator Baldwin tours Wausau Head Start, opposes program deregulation