U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson at a WisPolitics DC breakfast March 12 praised Elon Musk’s cost-cutting measures through DOGE.
“We should not be wasting taxpayer money the way we do. We shouldn’t be wasting the borrowed money that’s mortgaging all of your future the way we do,” the Oshkosh Republican said. “And I don’t know how …anybody could take a look at what he’s uncovering and not just be, as I said, just outrage and demand that we keep looking.”
>> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop.
Johnson said the federal government is deeply in debt and overspending, arguing that there is “no justification” for current levels of spending.
“We have to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending,” Johnson said. He added the government can go back to 2019 spending levels without needing to cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.
Johnson again expressed concerns with President Donald Trump’s tariffs, pointing to Wisconsin’s status as a manufacturing state. He said Wisconsin companies will not be able to compete as effectively.
Still, Johnson said Trump has used tariffs effectively to close the Mexico border and to stop the flow of fentanyl.
“Trump is dealing with a real problem,” Johnson said. “He’s doing it in a pretty blunt way, but maybe that’s what it’s going to take. So again, he’s been right on so many other things. I do give him the benefit of doubt right now, but I express my concern.”
Johnson said in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Brad Schimel would apply the law, but Susan Crawford would work with the rest of the state Supreme Court’s liberals to gerrymander the congressional maps. Schimel is the former GOP attorney general who now is a Waukesha County judge; Crawford is a Dane County judge. The election is April 1.
“What it should be a referendum on, do we want justices that will apply the law, as opposed to secret legislators that will alter the law and just legislate from the bench,” Johnson said.
Johnson also:
- Said the American people “should be outraged” by the lack of transparency about COVID-19 and in the FBI. He promised to seek accountability as chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
- Said no one should be worried about potential Veterans Affairs layoffs or losing support for veterans: “The VA is highly funded and that’s not going to change.”
- Told students not to be concerned about potential research funding cuts; instead Johnson expressed concerns about corruption in research.
- Claimed Dems want it to be “easy to cheat,” while Republicans support election integrity and security. He added that no one is denying Trump’s recent victory, but opponents are looking for other ways to undermine the president.
