Reps in the News: Sen. Johnson Staff Visit Ephraim May 16

Governor Scott Walker

On May 9, Gov. Walker presented pet food maker Carnivore Meat Co. of Green Bay, Gehl Foods of Germantown and Optimum Vehicle Logistics of Milwaukee with the 2018 Governor’s Export Achievement Award in recognition of their success in global business development. “Wisconsin exports increased by 6.1 percent in 2017 and are off to a strong start again this year due in large part to the efforts of companies like these, which have developed strategies for reaching new international markets,” Walker said. “Congratulations to this year’s winners for their success in exporting. They are each helping grow Wisconsin’s economy.”

The awards, which were presented at the 54th Annual Wisconsin International Trade Conference in Milwaukee, honor businesses that have achieved significant growth or implemented innovative strategies in exporting. Nominees were evaluated on measurable export growth, innovation and contributions to the state’s overall economy, and trade development.

Source:  Walker press release

Congressman Mike Gallagher

Rep. Gallagher announced his support for a bipartisan resolution that designates the week of Memorial Day as “Great Lakes Week.” The resolution is a bipartisan effort in the House to promote practices that protect the health and water quality of all five of the Great Lakes. It also highlights their importance to the environment, economy, and heritage of our region. “Establishing a ‘Great Lakes Week’ demonstrates that the health of these waters – the largest surface freshwater system on earth – should not be ignored, but rather celebrated,” Gallagher said. “A healthy Green Bay and Lake Michigan is vital to our way of life in Northeast Wisconsin, and so we must continue taking steps, whether big or small, to make sure they remain one of our most treasured assets for generations to come.”

Source:  Gallagher press release

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Sen. Baldwin, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, joined her colleagues in pressing President Trump to sign an executive order protecting American call center jobs. “Shipping call center jobs overseas is not just an economic problem it is a threat to the security of consumers’ personal data,” the Senators wrote.“There have been numerous troubling reports of fraud and the theft of sensitive personal information at foreign call centers. The lack of adequate security measures is another important reason to move call center jobs back to the U.S.”

The letter, led by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), also urges the President to support the bipartisan U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act that Senator Baldwin co-sponsored to offer new accountability and guard against additional offshoring in Wisconsin. The bipartisan legislation would require that U.S. callers be told the location of the call center to which they are speaking; offer callers the opportunity to be connected to a U.S. based center if preferred; and make U.S. companies that off-shore their call center jobs from the U.S. ineligible for certain federal grants and taxpayer-funded loans.

In Wisconsin, Wells Fargo closed a call center in Milwaukee and outsourced 1,000 jobs to the Philippines in 2015. A December 2017 CNN article titled, “Why Wells Fargo could be one of tax reform’s big winners,” highlighted that Wells Fargo was not planning on rehiring American workers or revamping its offshoring practices, despite the windfall the company stands to gain due to the Republican tax bill. Since the Republican tax bill passed, Wells Fargo has announced $22.6 billion in stock buybacks, which largely benefit wealthy shareholders and corporate executives.

Source:  Baldwin press release

Senator Ron Johnson

Sen. Johnson has announced that his staff will hold mobile office hours May 16 at the Village of Ephraim administrative offices, 10005 N. Norway St., Ephraim from 11 am to noon.

Source:  Johnson press release

President Donald Trump

President Trump early Wednesday suggested taking away news networks’ press credentials over “negative” coverage.

“The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake),” Trump wrote on Twitter.

“Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?”

Trump’s latest threat to take away press credentials comes after The Washington Post and other outlets confirmed some of the claims made by adult-film star Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti on Tuesday about Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen.

According to Avenatti, Cohen received $500,000 in the months after the 2016 election from a company run by a Russian oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Avenatti said the funding may have been used to reimburse the $130,000 payment Cohen made to Daniels to stay quiet about her alleged affair with Trump.

Source:  thehill.com