Our Representatives in the News

Gov. Scott Walker

Walker issued this statement on his Nov. 4 election victory:  “Wisconsin is back on the right track, and we are better off than we were four years ago, but we are not done yet. In a second term, we will move forward with policies aimed at helping people keep more of their paychecks through continued property and income tax relief, helping people learn more to earn more through worker training, and helping move people from government dependence to true independence through work.

“Our number one goal over this next term is to ensure that everyone who wants a job, can find a job. I thank you, the voters of Wisconsin, for the honor of allowing me to serve as your governor for another four years.

Wisconsin is back on!”

Source:  Fox News

Representative Reid Ribble

The day after defeating Democratic challenger Ron Gruett by more than 80,000 votes (Ribble had 65.1 percent of the vote and Gruett 34.9), Ribble talked about what’s next for him.

“I hope to make a move in one of my committees, to try to go to foreign affairs. That’s an area I have a lot of interest in. I’ve mentioned to the speaker and majority leader that I’d like to make that move. I would stay on agriculture and transportation and drop off of budget. For me personally, the same thing that led me to run for Congress four years ago are the same passions I have today, working to get to a balanced budget, to some kind of reasonable tax reform policy and a regulatory environment that would remove some of the friction points in the economy are all things I am going to continue to keep focused on.”

Asked if he learned anything on the campaign trail, Ribble said, “This campaign was so much different. It ended up being reflected in the numbers. I had a lot of encouragement when I went out campaigning from a lot of constituencies I didn’t necessarily identify as being pro-conservative or pro-liberal, per se. They were really open to listening to what I had to say, particularly the construction industry. The construction unions were particularly interested in sitting down and talking with me. Because of my own construction background, being able to speak to the members in their language was really helpful and something new for me.”

Ribble has also been a leader in the Congressional “No Labels” movement, which attempts to tone down the rhetoric and approach issues as problem solvers rather than partisans. Will that remain a focus?

“Yeah, it’s going to remain a concern. Some of my colleagues are going to view this as a straight-up mandate as opposed to issues with the overall way government is running. I view it as American people are fed up with how government is running and last night they blamed the president. That’s part of being the head guy, right? What I’m trying to do is take the temperature down so that the discussions between left and right can happen in a real pragmatic and adult fashion. Because then we can get to understanding, and once we get to understanding, we can get to solutions that all of us can agree on. I continue to do that because I think it’s the best way to deal with any human relationship. It’s not easy to do.

“It’s really important. Still 35 percent of the people voted for somebody other than me. I need to make sure they don’t feel disenfranchised just because they voted for somebody else. I believe deeply in a representative republic, to the degree that I can continue to maintain that, a lot of the tone will improve here in the 8th District.”

Source: Telephone interview

President Barack Obama

Pushing to confront Ebola at its West African source, President Barack Obama said the United States was not immune to the disease but cautioned against discouraging American health care workers with restrictive measures that confine them upon their return from the afflicted region. “We can’t hermetically seal ourselves off,” he declared. Obama said doctors and nurses from the United States who have volunteered to fight Ebola in West Africa are American heroes who must be treated with dignity and respect. His remarks came amid debate between the federal government and several states about how returning health care workers should be monitored. The White House has pushed back against overly restrictive measures, including proposals for travel bans or isolation measures adopted by some states.

Source:  The Associated Press