GOP U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil says “the administration is in a very difficult position” when asked if he backs efforts to potentially fire up to 10,000 federal employees during the government shutdown.
“I don’t know that there’s anything unusual in a shutdown; there’s been very few of them over the years,” the Janesville Republican told WISN 12’s “UpFront,” produced in partnership with WisPolitics-State Affairs. “It’s frustrating that we’re in this position to begin with. Of course, there’s well over a million federal employees outside of the military. I think there’s opportunities for efficiencies to be created inside our federal government workforce. That said, the best way to do this is through a thoughtful, structured process while the government is open.”
Democrats demand that subsidies for the Affordable Care Act be preserved as part of an overall deal to reopen the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week he would guarantee Democrats a vote on subsidies if they first voted for the continuing resolution that passed the U.S. House.
“I think there is an absolute willingness to discuss the policy changes that are needed to make sure that we’re getting this country back on track,” Steil said. ” I don’t want to speak for the Speaker or the Senate Majority Leader, but I think all of us are open to making sure that once we have the government open and operational by passing this clean CR, that everyone will be forced to come to the table to finalize negotiations on fiscal year ’26 appropriations and other policy priorities.
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“We know that those enhanced subsidies that go to the insurance companies are rife with waste, fraud and abuse as they were extended,” Steil added. “At a minimum, there needs to be significant changes to that program to root out waste, fraud and abuse.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore scoffed at Republicans’ proposal to pass a clean funding resolution followed by a vote on Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“Oh, excuse me,” Moore said. “I just had to take a sip of water to keep from choking on their word. Rep. Johnson, the Speaker of the House, has already said that he is going to do another rescissions package. They have cut money for health care funding, research, NIH funding, for ‘Sesame Street,’ public broadcasting. They’ve destroyed the State Department, and they have promised that it’s just as soon as we pass this continuing resolution, they’re going to put through yet another rescissions package. And so this is, what do you call it, a three-card monte game with their word? We need it on paper.”
Wisconsin health officials have also said federal funding for FoodShare will run out in November if the shutdown continues.
“I think that Republicans have deliberately placed the things that we care most about — health care, FoodShare at the center of this debate because they are determined. Why isn’t the question, ‘When are Republicans going to give up transferring huge amounts of wealth to billionaires in lieu of feeding people through SNAP and taking care of people on healthcare?’ That’s the question to ask.”
Moore said Democrats will remain steadfast in their opposition to Republicans’ continuing resolution.
“This is what we’re willing to do,” Moore said. “There aren’t Democrats calling for slashing public services, slashing NIH research, slashing SNAP. This is not something that Democrats are calling for, so I think if Republicans want to use the shutdown as an excuse to bring the chainsaw, it will become crystal clear to Americans who’s doing this.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Judge Maria Lazar says she isn’t seeking out President Trump’s endorsement ahead of next April’s election.
Trump endorsed Brad Schimel in the last Supreme Court race. The former GOP attorney general lost to Susan Crawford.
“I’m not looking for any endorsement from President Trump,” Lazar said. “I would love if everyone in the country, on both sides of the political aisle, said that I was the better candidate, and if they wanted to do that, it would be great. I’m not out there campaigning for anything like that, and I think that was part of the problem with the race last year was that it did get down to a race that was political. It was about endorsements from major politicians. Now, I am talking to politicians in the state of Wisconsin and individuals who are here who I think have ties to our state, our values, our Midwestern views, and I will talk to them. But all this outside money and all these outside influences are what’s damaging our races, and we need to pull back on that.”
Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley decided not to seek reelection. Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, a former Democratic state lawmaker, is running in an attempt to expand the court’s 4-3 liberal majority. Lazar entered the race earlier this month after Bradley’s decision.
“I think labels are somewhat amusing,” Lazar said. “I’m first and foremost an independent, impartial judge. Personally, I have conservative viewpoints, but on the bench, I consider myself more independent. You have to have the integrity to issue decisions that don’t depend upon a point of view or political persuasion, and that’s what I’ve always done.”
Lazar, currently serving on the District Two Court of Appeals, previously served as an assistant attorney general while Republican Scott Walker was governor, and was elected in 2015 as a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge.
During her time at the DOJ, Lazar argued opposite now-Justice Susan Crawford on a case involving Planned Parenthood, and she also represented the state in a lawsuit involving Act 10. A separate case involving Act 10 is before the Madison-based 4th District Court of Appeals and is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court.
“My case of Act 10 was purely: was it law? Did it get passed the right way?” Lazar said. “Never touched the merits, so any case involving the merits, I would have no basis whatsoever to recuse. Have I recused in the past? Yes. I recuse when I’ve been asked. I’ve denied requests for recusal. I’ve also recused on my own.
“So there are areas that I think judges have to do that,” Lazar added. “Act 10? No. The Planned Parenthood case was a very specific rule, so I would have to look at anything that came about. My opponent worked for Planned Parenthood, not just represented them.”
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