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Quotes of the week
“[This ceremony] was just a great example of a small gathering of people still finding a way to come together on Memorial Day to pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
-U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher on the Memorial Day ceremony in Allouez.
“We have product on farms that is being plowed under, dumped, and disposed of at the same time we have grocery stores that are emptying out and food banks in desperate need. That should never be the case.”
-U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin on WSAW 7 discussing her new bill that would give aid to farmers and help surpluses find people in need.
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This week’s news
— U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher tells WisPolitics.com he believes the coronavirus pandemic exposed the reality that the United States is “in the early stages of a new Cold War” with China.
“It’s a matter of our day-to-day economy, because we’re going to have to find a way to decouple parts of our economy from China and bring a lot of that manufacturing, which we are dangerously dependent on China for, back to the United States,” he said in the second installment of WisPolitics.com’s chat with the congressional delegation.
The Green Bay Republican also slammed the House’s proxy voting system, which was used for the first time yesterday as lawmakers voted 413-1 to impose sanctions against Chinese officials for the country’s treatment of Uighur Muslims.
— Donald Trump’s standing against Joe Biden slipped again this month as support for his handling of COVID-19 dropped significantly, according to polling conducted for the conservative Restoration PAC.
The poll found 50.8 percent of likely voters in Wisconsin backed Biden this month, while 41.7 percent supported Trump.
The polling showed a 49.3-45.3 advantage for Biden in April and a 48.7-45.3 edge for Trump in March.
This month’s poll found 35.7 percent of likely voters said the country is headed in the right direction, while 55.7 percent said it’s on the wrong track.
See more here.
— Thirteen candidates have filed to run at next month’s virtual state convention for Wisconsin’s four slots on the Democratic National Committee.
The four candidates include the incumbents: Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, D-Mason; Khary Penebaker, a businessman who ran for the 5th CD in 2016; Martha Love, a former state chair; and Andrew Werthmann, an Eau Claire alderman.
The other candidates are: Micah Ariel-Rohr, Gregory Geboski, Peter German, Brandon Kuhl, Essie Lenchne, Christine McDonough, Richard McGowan, Timothy Nunan, Charlie Ryan and Luis Varela.
The party plans to conduct the election for four-year terms through an online ballot.
See more here.
— Dems in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and Gov. Tony Evers are separately calling on President Trump to extend funding for the National Guard as troops aid in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to national media, the administration plans to end the deployments of some 40,000 National Guard members on June 24, which will leave many one day shy of qualifying for federal benefits such as retirement and education under the Post-9/11 GI bill.
See more here.
See the congressional delegations release here.
— U.S. Rep. Ron Kind says farmers and agricultural workers are eligible for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans, including a $10,000 grant that does not need to be repaid.
See the release here.
— U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan helped introduce the COVID-19 Emergency Production Act. The bill would allow, by a vote of Congress, to force the president to use the Defense Production Act to designate PPE, and all testing supplies and any future COVID-19 vaccine as critical material essential to the national defense.
See the release here.
— U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman has changed all scheduled in-person town halls to be conducted by telephone.
See the release here.
— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin helped introduce the National Guard COVID-19 Response Stability Act, which aims to ensure federal funding is in place for the National Guard to continue to assist with the response to COVID-19 and for National Guard troops activated to continue to receive full federal benefits.
See the release here.
— U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore is cosponsoring a bill that would expand access to health care for former foster youth across the country.
See the release here.
Posts of the week
A police officer kneels on his throat as another officer looks on and ignores his pleas. As a society, we can no longer just voice outrage.
His calls for air, for life were ignored, so justice can and must be served following his death. https://t.co/lI4xh1CIQN
— Rep. Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) May 27, 2020
George Floyd should be alive.
Firing cops isn't enough.
This sort of police brutality is tolerated long before it is called out, & the Minneapolis Police Department must be investigated & held accountable.
We owe it to every George Floyd. https://t.co/96B5cpJj8V
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) May 27, 2020
Thank you to Elcho Post 377 for inviting Rep Felzkowski and me to their Memorial Day ceremony. Past commander Richard Schuh joined us for a picture after the event. pic.twitter.com/BrxDuvkZra
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) May 25, 2020
At American Legion Post 11’s Memorial Day ceremony, I was reminded of Private Francis P. Sullivan, the first GB resident killed in WWI. Today we honor his service & that of so many others who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this nation. We are forever in their debt. pic.twitter.com/HY7zUPWDAl
— Rep. Gallagher Press Office (@RepGallagher) May 25, 2020
Before he was an icon, he was an organizer. He spoke out so that others wouldn’t feel compelled to live in silence. Thank you, Harvey, for giving us all hope. #HarveyMilkDay pic.twitter.com/q5Vibjd9F8
— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) May 22, 2020
ICYMI
Johnson says Dem ‘hissy fit’ over subpoena of Burisma-linked firm has him ‘somewhat suspicious’
Baldwin Requests Funding to Study Opioid Crisis
Rep. Mike Gallagher: Is Congress nonessential? It’s acting that way — but here’s how we can fix that
MILK Act Presents New Ways To Support Americans During Pandemic
The parade still goes on; as does modified version of Rochester Memorial Day ceremony
Biden, Kind discuss how rural Wisconsin is at core to economic recovery in wake of COVID-19