Reps in the News: Walker Orders State of Emergency for 17 Counties

Governor Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker issued Executive Order #249 declaring a State of Emergency for 17 counties after torrential rains have fallen throughout western Wisconsin in late July. Several counties have been dealing with floods. Many homes and businesses have been impacted by flooding. Sandbagging efforts continue throughout the region. So far, there have been no reports of fatalities. The counties in the declaration include Buffalo, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Monroe, Pepin, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Trempealeau and Vernon.

Source:  Walker press release

Congressman Mike Gallagher

Rep. Gallagher filed an amendment with the House Rules Committee to require that no taxpayer dollars be used toward travel reimbursements for members of Congress until they pass a budget. “In less than one week, Congress will adjourn for a month-long break without fulfilling its most basic responsibility of passing a budget,” Gallagher said. “It’s time we change business as usual and force Congress to do its job. And if Congress is unwilling to do so, then they should pay the price to fly home – not the American People.” Under current law, members’ official travel expenses are paid via a federal fund allotted to each congressional office. Gallagher’s amendment would make it so that members cannot be reimbursed for travel through this fund until Congress has passed a budget.

Source:  Gallagher press release

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Sen. Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked to reverse deep cuts to rural development programs proposed by the Trump Administration. President Trump issued a budget proposal in May that called for drastic cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. Baldwin sent a letter to President Trump that month expressing strong concerns with these damaging cuts. Baldwin then worked across party lines in the Senate Appropriations Committee and successfully fought to reverse these cuts and include strong investments for rural America in the FY2018 Agriculture Appropriations bill. “Across Wisconsin, our rural communities have put these investments to work on small business job creation, rebuilding water infrastructure, and strengthening health care, education and public safety,” said Senator Baldwin. “I fought against these drastic cuts because we can’t leave our rural communities behind, we need to help them get ahead. I’m proud that our bipartisan effort has saved investments that help rural communities in Wisconsin.” In Wisconsin, USDA Rural Development program invested $556,267,665 in more than 8,500 projects in 2016. This includes strong investments for clean drinking water and water infrastructure; job creation investments in rural small businesses; and health care, education, and public safety in rural Wisconsin.

Source: Baldwin press release

Senator Ron Johnson

Not long ago, Sen. Johnson seemed an unlikely antagonist in a Republican effort to repeal former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Johnson is among the harshest critics of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Wisconsinites twice elected Johnson on pledges to repeal what he called the “greatest assault on freedom in our lifetime.” Now that congressional Republicans have their chance, Johnson has emerged as an enigmatic, often contrarian voice in the Senate health care debate. His hardline conservative stance and objections to what he called “an insane process” to craft a GOP health care bill have helped stymie Senate repeal efforts to date. Johnson also has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Senate’s top Republican, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Johnson appears undeterred by criticisms from the right, left or center. He said he’ll keep pushing hard for Obamacare repeal done right. “I’m not giving up,” Johnson said. “This isn’t going away, so I’m going to do everything I can to move this process forward.”

Source:  Wisconsin State Journal

President Donald Trump

The Boy Scouts of America issued a statement distancing itself from partisan politics after President Donald Trump used his speech at the National Scout Jamboree to criticize former President Barack Obama, his former campaign rival Hillary Clinton, fake news and pundits. “The Boy Scouts of America is wholly nonpartisan and does not promote any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy,” the group said in a statement Monday night, according to news reports. “The invitation to visit the National Jamboree is a longstanding tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies.” Trump broke with eight decades of tradition Monday when he criticized rivals and others at the National Jamboree, which gathers tens of thousands of young people from across the world to discuss values such as serving your country and exchanging ideas. During the speech, Trump attacked Obama, slammed “fake media” and trashed Clinton for not campaigning enough in Michigan. He also told a rambling story about a home builder, William Levitt, who “went personally bankrupt, and he was now much older. And I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party.”

Source:  Politico.com