Republicans must regain control of Congress and the presidency to overthrow President Joe Biden and the Democrat’s perilous agenda, declares Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). He seems to labor under the belief that the current administration is responsible for tearing the nation apart rather than the healing and unification as Biden promised, according to an op-ed written by the senator and published by The Wall Street Journal.
“I believe America is in peril,” he wrote.”I am not the only one with grave concerns.” Johnson used former President Ronald Reagan’s warning from his inaugural address to support his position:
Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.
Johnson, a Tea Party-Republican and staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, argues that this fight for freedom is “a fight we absolutely must win.” Winning back the Senate in 2022 will enable the GOP to end President Biden’s agenda that is “destroying America,” reports The New York Times.
While the senator does not state precisely how the president’s agenda is destructive, he may be simply repeating soundbites. Johnson is well known as a proponent of conspiracy theories and frequently quotes questionable sources, according to a CNN report. For example, he contends that the sole reason Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) impeached Trump over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was to cover her impropriety. Johnson has never publicly disclosed what he thinks she did wrong.
Moreover, Johnson maintains his belief that what happened was nothing more than a largely peaceful gathering. He cites J. Michael Waller, whose supposed first-hand observations indicate the attack was staged by people who were not Trump supporters and are the culprits behind the storming of the United States Capitol.
Johnson said the GOP needs to get its “act together” and resurrect the fight against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by former President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Republicans must replace and repeal Obamacare.
He stressed the importance of the GOP gaining the majority in both Congressional chambers during an interview with Breitbart News Daily Podcast. Once the Republicans take over, they must have created an alternative plan for Obamacare that can be implemented immediately. The party should not “knock it around like we did last time and fail.”
Notably, Republicans have tried to repeal the health care law numerous times. However, the last time they held the White House and Congress, they could not achieve this goal.
Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA on June 17, 2021. Perhaps, Johnson is primarily concerned with the long-contested law’s popularity and success.
Nearly one in six Americans or about 50 million Americans had no health insurance before the ACA was enacted, according to Statista. Eleven years later, “roughly 31 million individuals now benefit from ACA-related enrollment in health care programs such as Medicaid or purchased from the Marketplace.”
These declarations come as Johnson seeks reelection for a third term on November 8, despite vowing to be a two-term senator. Currently, three Independents, four Republicans, and 12 Democrats have announced their intent to unseat the incumbent.
Johnson barely retained his seat the 2016 election against Democrat Russ Feingold, 50.2 to 48.6%. Thus far, Feingold has not joined the unprecedented onslaught against Johnson, but he has time since the Wisconsin candidate filing deadline is June 1, 2022.
The senator has served the United States for the past 12 years. During his tenure, the bills he has sponsored primarily fall under these categories: Government Operations and Politics, 26%; Emergency Management, 20%; Internal Affairs, 14%; Health, 14%; Crime and Law Enforcement, 11%; Education, 8%; Immigration, 5%; and Science, Technology, Communications, 5%, according to GovTrack — a non-government website dedicated to helping the public learn about and track the activities of the United States Congress.
He was one of the Republican legislators who participated in events leading up to and the day of the attempted coup. Johnson announced his intent to challenge the certification of the election outcome. Even though he ultimately did the right thing to fulfill his Constitutional duty, his loyalty to former President Trump remains.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The Hill: GOP braces for nail-biter with Ron Johnson reelection bid; by Tal Axelrod
The Washington Post: Sen. Ron Johnson says Obamacare should be repealed if GOP wins power back; by Amy B Wang and Amy Goldstein
The U.S. Sun: ‘UNLAWFUL FAILURE’ Why do Republicans oppose Obamacare? By Patrizia Rizzo
The Commonwealth Fund: The Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act: What It Means and What’s Next; by Sara R. Collins and Gabriella N. Aboulafia
The Wall Street Journal: Why I’m Seeking a Third Senate Term; Op-Ed by Ron Johnson
Ballotpedia: United States Congress elections, 2022
Statista: Affordable Care Act – Statistics & Facts; by Jenny Yang
GovTrack: Sen. Ron Johnson
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