In The Spotlight Blog

In the News: Blog 02/14/2013
Washington Examiner: No debt crisis in Obama's State of the Union
From President Obama's State of the Union address, one might have come away with the impression that the nation's finances are hunky-dory. Obama suggested that most of the heavy lifting on deficit reduction is already done, and that the rest can be accomplished by making minor adjustments to spending and closing tax loopholes on wealthier Americans. Obama said he's already signed $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the last several years and argued that's more than halfway to the $4 trillion needed to address the deficit problem. A Congressional Budget Office report released last week assumes that the automatic spending cuts under sequestration provide an additional $1.2 trillion in 10-year deficit reduction. In other words, the CBO already assumes deficit reduction roughly in line with what Obama claimed was the goal.
In the News: Blog 02/13/2013
Wisconsin Public Radio: Sen. Johnson Foresees Consensus on Immigration Reform; Gulf in Debt Reduction Plans
In the News: Blog 02/13/2013
WTMJ: Sen. Johnson explains why he voted no on Violence Against Women Act
In the News: Blog 02/12/2013
National Review: Will Johnson and Warren Pair Up to End 'Too Big to Fail'?
Before the State of the Union, one unlikely pair of senators was engaged in lively conversation: Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Johnson. According to Johnson, the two were discussing “too big to fail,” and what could be done. “We were talking about what we need to do to get the taxpayers off the hook for these large financial institutions,” Johnson says. “I’m interested in ending ‘too big to fail.’ I think she is too.” “The only people who should care whether J. P. Morgan loses $5 billion on the trading desk in London is J. P. Morgan management and their shareholders,” Johnson elaborated. “American taxpayers shouldn’t.”
In the News: Blog 02/2/2013
Appleton Post Cresent: Johnson seeks answers on mishandled Milwaukee 'sting'
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has joined the push for more information about a federal “sting” operation in Milwaukee. In a letter to the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Johnson said he was troubled by some of the details in a report on the operation and requested a full briefing. Johnson, R-Oshkosh, was referring to a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story on Wednesday about the ATF undercover operation from a storefront dubbed Fearless Distributing. Ostensibly, the operation targeted illegal drugs and guns. “Reports indicate that the operation did not lead to the apprehension of any major drug dealers, infiltrate any criminal gangs and resulted in criminal charges against only 30 individuals, primarily for relatively minor offenses,” Johnson wrote.
In the News: Blog 02/1/2013
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Letter to ATF demands answers on flawed Milwaukee storefront sting
A bipartisan push intensified Thursday for answers from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about a flawed storefront sting in Milwaukee. A Journal Sentinel investigation this week exposed a 10-month federal operation marred by a series of mistakes and failures, including an agent's machine gun being stolen and burglars ripping off $35,000 in merchandise from the agency's phony store. Milwaukee police and ATF are still looking for that stolen machine gun, officials said Thursday. "Suffice to say, ATF and the police department both have a keen interest in trying to get that firearm back," said Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn.
In the News: Blog 01/22/2013
Superior Telegram: Senator Johnson favors short debt ceiling postponement
Congressional Republicans are indicating they may favor a short term solution to the nation's debt ceiling. Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson says a temporary deal could buy the nation time, and allow for debate on a long term agreement, but the issue is still highly partisan. The nation hit its debt limit on New Year's Eve. In order to pay its creditors, the Treasury Department is borrowing from Social Security and federal pension funds. Meeting with reporters in Green Bay, first term senator Ron Johnson , R-Wis., says he supports a short-term agreement.
In the News: Blog 01/21/2013
Green Bay Press Gazette: Johnson sees small deals for budget, deficit issues
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson anticipates the approach to dealing with the nation’s financial problems will continue to be a series of small deals instead of a grand bargain. “I’d like to do it with a grand bargain, with a large deal that we actually solve the financial situation in this country. I don’t see the desire on the other side of the aisle there to actually do that,” the Oshkosh Republican said Friday after a presentation at a Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce board meeting. Johnson’s day included visits to a handful of Northeastern Wisconsin businesses, where he planned to talk more about the budget, deficits and legislative deadlines.
In the News: Blog 01/14/2013
New Richmond News: Senator’s staff holds ‘mobile office hours’
Scott Bolstad, regional director for U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) held “mobile office hours” in Somerset on Jan. 4 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Jan. 4. “Sen. Johnson has permanent offices in Milwaukee and Oshkosh, but he also wanted to make his office more readily available to constituents outside those cities,” said Melinda Schnell, Johnson’s communications advisor. Johnson’s staff visits each county at least once each quarter, Schnell said.
In the News: Blog 01/6/2013
Daily Caller: Sen. Ron Johnson on federal budgets: ‘I’m happy to start cutting agencies’
As the debate over raising the country’s debt ceiling starts to heat up, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is calling for new budget cuts in all federal agencies as a way to rein in spending. “I’m happy to start cutting agencies,” Johnson said in a phone interview with The Daily Caller last week. “I think pretty much across the board is how you do it,” the Republican lawmaker said. “I truly believe that any of these agencies could easily withstand a 10 or 20 percent across the board cut and still be able to perform their function.” Johnson said that “an awful lot of these” agencies “probably have a harmful effect on the economy anyways, so I don’t necessarily want to maintain their function.”