Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation is back in the Badger state now, after Thursday’s vote to end the federal government shut down and raise the debt ceiling.
When asked about the new bipartisan budget committee to come up with a long term budget, Democratic Congressman Kind says it’s about time Congress returned to the proper process for forming a budget. “You know, we’re back to regular order. This is how the process is supposed to work … both sides passing budget, get together, hammer out the differences.” He says, “That is a lot better than shutting down the government.”
The 3rd district congressman says neither party can celebrate victory at this point. “This was not democracy’s finest hour. We have to stop committing self-inflicted wounds on the U.S. and global economy and instead, as an institution, partner with the private sector, get this economy going, creating good paying jobs. The growing economy could solve a lot of problems, but the dysfunction coming out of Washington these days is a hindrance to that rather than helping it.”
AUDIO: Congressman Kind says making progress in Washington is difficult right now, much of the problem is in the split Republican party. :15
Republican Senator Ron Johnson is very disappointed in the agreement, because it doesn’t address spending issues, entitlement reform, and it did nothing to change, stop, or defund Obamacare.
When asked if the new bipartisan committee to work on the budget will be more successful than last year’s super committee, Johnson hopes they succeed and identify their areas of agreement right away. “I was in one of the small groups of Republican senators working with the White House in the last few months in trying to find some common ground — trying to find some things we agree on.”
Johnson is back in Wisconsin working now, but says the new bipartisan budget committee, on which he serves, could call him back to the capitol at any time. Senator Johnson says Washington is dysfunctional and has grown too large, and would like to see control return to local units of government.
“The federal government is dysfunctional; it is broken. It’s just not really capable of doing all the things it has taken on. So really the best solution is, let’s limit it. Let’s not grow it any more. Let’s start dissolving the power back to the states and our communities, back to our families, back to individuals where that power really properly resides.”
Larry Lee, WSAU