GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The year 2021 turned out to be a very divided political year, and Wisconsin’s senators highlight that partisan divide.
Wisconsin is one of a just six states that has a split delegation in the U.S. Senate. And the views and votes on Capitol Hill of Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin often differs from her Republican counterpart, Ron Johnson. After a very turbulent 2021, with a change of leadership in the White House, the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and the passage of a massive infrastructure bill– both senators weighed in on their view of the greatest accomplishments coming out of Washington.
“Well, unfortunately, under Democratic control,” said Johnson, “the only thing that’s really come out of Washington is more out-of-control spending and debt, embarrassing and dangerous surrender in Afghanistan, open borders, a flood of illegal immigrants coming across our country, lack of security, a weakening of America that’s made our adversaries more aggressive so there’s not a lot of good news to report out of Washington D.C.”
Baldwin recognizes the struggles of the pandemic, but says Washington worked over the past year to respond.
“As a response to that early on this year we passed the American Rescue Plan,” said Baldwin. “And that bill resulted in so much forward movement: helping small businesses, helping manufacturers, helping individuals get ahead when the pandemic was impacting so much, was a huge step.”
“I think the other story we have to tell is the passage of the infrastructure measures,” added Baldwin. “The infrastructure measure is going to address years if not decades of neglect in our surface transportation infrastructure but also tackle roads, bridges, broadband, water supplies. And already we’re seeing that investment flow to communities who are going to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.”
Baldwin has three years left on her second term, while Johnson’s second term is heading into its final year. He’s suggesting President Joe Biden could be the reason he’d run again after earlier indicating he’d be done after two terms.
“I wish President Biden would have fulfilled that goal of unifying and healing this nation it would certainly make my decision a whole lot easier,” explained Johnson.
Baldwin says Democrats are stepping up to take on Johnson. But she also points out Republicans have worked to weaken the election system and discredit the fair election win of Joe Biden. She hopes to change that in the New Year.
“I very much believe in Washington we need to enact the Freedom to Vote Act to make, rebuild, the trust people should have in their election systems,” said Baldwin. “And to stop this sort of ongoing assault on free and fair elections that we see from the state legislative Republicans.”
Johnson has a different focus heading into 2022.
“We need to stop spending money,” explained Johnson. “We need to actually put appropriate bills on the floor of the Senate and offer amendments and go through the regular order of process to fund the government as opposed to doing what’s all too common, on a bipartisan basis, of not going through regular order. All of the sudden we have these massive omnibus spending packages or continuing resolutions. This place is so dysfunctional, we ought to try and bring a little more function to it.”
The one thing both Johnson and Baldwin can agree on is hope for the future.
“I just hope the pandemic is over,” said Johnson. “I hope, hope, with this current surge — and we have a surge in Wisconsin — I do urge everybody to take it seriously. it’s deadly disease.”
“Well, I certainly want to get beyond this pandemic and so I wish for all Wisconsinites and everyone everywhere a healthy and peaceful New Year,” said Baldwin.
