Ron Johnson’s wealth boosted by China.

[spin_dry]

GOP’ers here now suddenly love paying taxes. 

[Doug]

11 minutes ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

I used to work with one of his Rush Limbaugh loving cousins, he can't stand the guy. 

Term limits, by the voters.

And a friend of mine is an electrical contractor that has done work fort the Johnson family and says they're great to work for.  They've taken eye sore properties in town and refurbished them so the community and businesses can rent them out for weddings, community functions and seminars.      

[Doug]

4 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

GOP’ers here now suddenly love paying taxes. 

Do you pay yours?

[Crnr2Crnr]

15 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

So, you believe in a guy like Barnes who pays his property taxes late and then makes an excuse but yet loves to suck the taxpayer tit.........typical bottom feeding Democrat.

 

“In just the first two months of 2019, the state patrol has racked up nearly 898 hours shuffling Barnes back and forth to official, personal and political events at a cost to the taxpayers of $36,622,” Wispolitics reported. “This puts the state on pace to spend nearly $220,000 this year alone on Barnes’ detail. That’s more than 50x what was spent in 2018 to cover Kleefisch, who received just 95.5 hours of coverage throughout the entire year at a cost of $4,370. Unlike Kleefisch, Lt. Governor Barnes is using state patrol to drive him to personal events such as church and going ice fishing.”

 

no, don't care for Barnes

care even less for Johnson 

 

5 minutes ago, racer254 said:

 

I just really question the logic of letting emotion get in the way of a vote.  Barnes is by far the worst of the 2, yet you want to vote against Johnson, because he said he would only serve 2 terms?  That is just a bunch of flawed logic and the left loves the fact that conservatives have morals and will abide by those same morals that they have no part of.  FFS, Johnson lives by the same rules, pays his taxes etc, yet barnes feels he doesn't have to pay taxes or do anything like a normal taxpayer.  And you feel johnson is the "bad" guy. 

that's a shame 

Trump voters, very pragmatic and unemotional... 

 

[spin_dry]

Just now, Doug said:

Do you pay yours?

This isn’t about me. 

[Crnr2Crnr]

3 minutes ago, Doug said:

And a friend of mine is an electrical contractor that has done work fort the Johnson family and says they're great to work for.  They've taken eye sore properties in town and refurbished them so the community and businesses can rent them out for weddings, community functions and seminars.      

great Doug, you and I can cancel each other's votes.  no skin off my back.  as stated, he's likely going to win the more rural areas, big cities and college towns will be the decider. 

[Doug]

1 minute ago, spin_dry said:

This isn’t about me. 

Just the guy that's running for the Senate that doesn't.  Got it 

[spin_dry]

1 minute ago, Doug said:

Just the guy that's running for the Senate that doesn't.  Got it 

This is about the bullshit of Ron Johnson. 

[snoughnut]

17 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

GOP’ers here now suddenly love paying taxes. 

Big swing and a miss. Let me explain the hypocrisy for you since it's obvious you need the help. Democrats love other peoples money but alot of them don't like spending their own money. Barnes is a perfect example, can't remember to pay his own taxes but yet didn't forget about the perk of having the state patrol truck his ass every where he wanted to go on the taxpayer dime.

[Crnr2Crnr]

12 minutes ago, Doug said:

Just the guy that's running for the Senate that doesn't.  Got it 

 

Clearly what this country needs is MORE IRS agents.  Right @racer254?

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/tax-delinquent-dem-backs-plan-to-hire-army-of-new-irs-agents/

let's round up all these elected officials and sentence them to a lifetime of servitude in Washington DC  💡

[racer254]

44 minutes ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

no, don't care for Barnes

care even less for Johnson 

 

 

Why?  You have yet to give a logical reason as to why you like Johnson less than Barnes.

[Badger**]

Ron's got my vote, keep up the great work. 

Enhancing border security

• Established quantifiable, objective metrics for DHS to use to measure border security (Border Security Metrics Act of 2015, included in the NDAA).
• Held more than 30 hearings and released two staff reports examining the factors that have led to our failure to secure our borders, including one examining lessons we can learn from Israel’s approach to border security, aviation security, and cybersecurity.
• During the humanitarian crisis at the border in 2018, the committee held more than 20 bipartisan staff briefings, several member briefings, and also took staff delegation trips to the border, culminating in a majority staff report in 2018 examining the staggering increase in family unit illegal border crossings from 2015-2019, and providing recommendations to address the problem.
• Developed a proposal in 2019 for a streamlined process called Operation Safe Return that became the basis for two DHS expedited processing programs at our border that have helped reduce holding time for illegal crossings and make the process more effective and efficient.
• Authorized DHS to enter into preclearance negotiations with other countries to enable more secure, efficient travel for Americans (Preclearance Authorization Act of 2015).
• Authorized and strengthened DHS’ program to combat human trafficking (DHS Blue Campaign Authorization Act), and sparked action by DHS to address loopholes in federal immigration law that could be used to force child marriages.
• Examined the rise of MS-13 and other transnational gangs and worked to ensure that the government considers self-disclosure of gang involvement as part of its placement process for unaccompanied alien children.

Improving cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection

• Created the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within DHS and worked to strengthen the office, including by providing authority for CISA to identify and then warn owners of critical infrastructure of potential vulnerabilities (Cybersecurity Vulnerability Identification and Notification Act of 2019, included in the NDAA).
• Created the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Council to ensure the federal government is taking a unified approach to protect against national security threats posed by products in the federal supply chain like Kaspersky, Huawei, and ZTE. 
• Required the administration to coordinate and evaluate the potentially catastrophic effects of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and geomagnetic disturbances (GMD), and develop plans to address them.
• Worked with the bipartisan Cyberspace Solarium Commission to pass into law several of the key recommendations from its 2020 report.
• Passed first-step legislation for the federal government to develop standards and protocol for using Internet of Things devices and artificial intelligence.

Countering Terrorism

• Held nearly 20 hearings to explore terrorism threats to the homeland and how the threat is constantly evolving.
• Investigated numerous terrorist attacks, including San Bernardino; Orlando, Florida; and Garland, Texas and examined the use of encryption and social media by terrorists.
• Created new authorities for DHS and DOJ to protect certain assets and facilities from drones that would pose an unacceptable security risk (DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act, included in the FAA Reauthorization).
• Authorized the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office within DHS to better confront those threats.
• Investigated the government’s disparate understanding, tracking, and reporting on domestic terrorism across federal agencies and passed legislation to address the problem.
• Investigated the Federal Air Marshal Service following reports of potential misconduct and waste and worked with DHS to identify opportunities for improvements.

DHS Management and Emergency Preparedness

• Focused in 2020 on oversight of DHS and the rest of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with nine hearings and five pieces of committee-passed legislation that can provide a foundation for future years as we work to ensure the U.S. is better prepared for the next pandemic.
• Enacted the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which better prepares the nation for disasters by focusing on local, state, and then federal support for the most serious emergencies and providing important authorities for FEMA to help supplement its workforce in times of need.

Regulatory reform

• Solicited and received more than 50 responses from stakeholder groups, including organizations representing industry, labor unions, and environmental advocates, to better determine how the regulatory process affects their businesses and used the responses to inform legislation.
• Improved federal agencies’ efficiency and coordination of federal permitting for major infrastructure construction projects by passing the Federal Permitting Improvement Act.
• Approved the Guidance out of Darkness Act in Committee to help the public and businesses more easily view regulations and guidance put out by agencies so they know what they need to follow. It was later adopted by executive order.
• Passed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act overturning the “Blacklisting Rule,” an Obama-era regulation aimed at giving unions more leverage in negotiations with government contractors. 

 

Promoted more efficient, effective, and accountable government

• Inspired by patients like Trickett Wendler, who passed away in 2015 from ALS, enacted the Right to Try Act to ensure patients have the chance to access new, experimental medication that could prolong their lives.
• Continued the authority for the first and only Federally-funded school voucher program located in the District of Columbia through fiscal year 2023.
• Enacted legislation that will help reduce federal improper payments.
• Enacted to bills to reform the presidential transition process (Presidential Transition Improvements Act of 2015 and Presidential Transition Enhancements Act of 2019) based on lessons learned from 2012 and 2016, including providing more legal clarity regarding ownership of records during a transition.
• Provided authorities to strengthen federal watchdogs’ independence, effectiveness, and access to documents.
• Ensured formerly incarcerated individuals have a fair chance to compete for federal jobs by requiring that agencies inquire about criminal history later in the hiring process through the Fair Chance Act.
• Provided additional protections for whistleblowers, strengthened penalties for agency retaliation, and provided additional protections for veterans’ medical files through passage of the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act.
• Confirmed the first quorum to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors since 2014, which had been operating under a temporary emergency committee leaving USPS unable to devise long-term strategies.

Other Oversight Highlights

• FBI and the 2016 Presidential Transition. The Committee began conducting oversight of the FBI in 2016 in the wake of news reports that FBI officials exhibited political bias while assigned to high-profile, politically-oriented cases, specifically the FBI’s investigation into the mishandling of classified information by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and later the FBI’s investigation of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Between 2018 and 2020, the Committee obtained tens of thousands of pages of responsive records and made many of those public, including text messages between FBI officials indicating political bias and a host of declassified materials. 

The Committee issued five subpoenas, held a hearing to examine the DOJ Inspector General’s report of FBI misconduct, and published a comprehensive timeline synthesizing the FBI’s investigation and other relevant events.   

In October 2020, the Committee issued a majority staff report describing how the General Services Administration, FBI, and Special Counsel improperly and secretly sought and received access to Trump transition team records. 

The Committee also issued a majority staff report in 2017 detailing 125 leaks in the Trump administration’s first 126 days, 62 of which could harm our national security as defined by the Obama administration. Those leaks drove and sustained the false Russian collusion with the Trump campaign narrative.

• Conflicts of interest. The Committee investigated actual or apparent conflicts of interest related to the Biden family’s financial transactions and arrangements, with a particular focus on U.S. policymaking in Ukraine. As part of that investigation, the Committee received and reviewed tens of thousands of records, including records produced in response to a committee subpoena; interviewed over a dozen witnesses; and, in September 2020, issued a majority staff report detailing its findings.
• Personal email use in the State Department. The Committee investigated the national security and federal records implications of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email account and server for official business. 
• Tragedies at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin. Following the tragic suicide of Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick, a VA employee at the Tomah, Wisconsin Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, the Committee investigated allegations of over prescription of opioids, quality of care deficiencies, abuse of authority, whistleblower retaliation, and other veterans’ deaths at the facility. The Committee exposed this and other misconduct in a report issued in 2016 and passed legislation to help prevent future tragedies. 
• Health care spending. Convened several hearings and examined potential fraud and overpayments in the Medicaid program. In 2018 the Committee issued a majority staff report detailing how CMS must better police the Medicaid program. The report concluded that Medicaid is plagued by waste, fraud and abuse, including $37 billion per year in Medicaid overpayments to providers – a 157 percent increase since 2013. Also in 2018, the Committee released a majority staff report examining how the Medicaid program may contribute to the opioid epidemic. The report concluded that Medicaid has inadvertently fueled the epidemic by establishing a series of incentives that make it enormously profitable for beneficiaries and others to abuse and sell dangerous drugs.

 

By the Numbers:

Approximately 300 bills approved by the Committee

164 bills passed by the Senate

132 bills signed into law

Nearly 200 committee hearings and roundtables

96 nominees confirmed by the Senate

17 majority reports issued

More than 1,500 oversight letters sent

 

 

Priorities:

1. Border Security & Enforcement
2. Cybersecurity
3. Critical Infrastructure Protection
4. Countering Terrorism
5. Department of Homeland Security Management & Accountability
6. Waste, Fraud & Abuse
7. Regulatory Reform
8. Government Oversight 

[spin_dry]

39 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

Big swing and a miss. Let me explain the hypocrisy for you since it's obvious you need the help. Democrats love other peoples money but alot of them don't like spending their own money. Barnes is a perfect example, can't remember to pay his own taxes but yet didn't forget about the perk of having the state patrol truck his ass every where he wanted to go on the taxpayer dime.

Why do insist on explaining to me the failures of democrats. I just don’t get it. 

[Doug]

50 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

Why do insist on explaining to me the failures of democrats. I just don’t get it. 

It's easy to do

[snoughnut]

5 hours ago, spin_dry said:

Why do insist on explaining to me the failures of democrats. I just don’t get it. 

Because you are a Democrat and you/they need to be reminded of Democrat hypocrisy and  I’m here to help. 

[Badger**]

5 hours ago, spin_dry said:

Why do insist on explaining to me the failures of democrats. I just don’t get it. 

You walked right into that wall. 

[spin_dry]

1 hour ago, snoughnut said:

Because you are a Democrat and you/they need to be reminded of Democrat hypocrisy and  I’m here to help. 

I’m a democrat.  

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, spin_dry said:

I’m a democrat.  

Just take the position you're assigned and don't ask