{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"WI\" and year = 2014 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398181", "Chairman Ryan Names Ways and Means Communications Staff", "2014-12-31", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC - Incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means Paul Ryan (R-WI) today named the Committee's full communications staff for the 114th Congress. \u00a0The group will join a team headed up by previously-announced Communications Director Brendan Buck.\r\n\r\nDoug Andres, Press Secretary - Andres comes to Ways and Means from the House Rules Committee, where he currently serves as Communications Director. Before joining the Rules Committee, he served in various roles for then-House Republican Whip Eric Cantor. Andres will begin his appointment at the Ways and Means Committee on February 1st. \r\nBrian Bolduc, Senior Communications Advisor - Bolduc, Chairman Ryan's chief speechwriter, is moving from the House Budget Committee to join the Ways and Means staff. Before coming to Capitol Hill, Bolduc was a writer at National Review, the Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Crimson. He was also a member of the speechwriting staff on the Romney for President campaign in 2012. \u00a0\r\nVanessa Day, Digital Director - Day, a long-time aide to Chairman Ryan, has led his digital efforts for\u00a0eight years.\u00a0 A Wisconsin native, she will be joining Ways and Means from the House Budget Committee, where she played an important role advancing the Path to Prosperity. Day also served on the Romney for President campaign in 2012. \r\nMolly Edwards, Press Assistant - Edwards has been a member of the communications staff at the Ways and Means Committee since July 2014. In 2012, she was part of the Romney for President campaign, working\u00a0out of\u00a0the Virginia field office.\u00a0Edwards got her start on Capitol Hill in the office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1bf9411a-ef10-4504-8063-50d4d5904cfd", "Johnson Announces Staff Mobile Office Hours", "2014-12-29", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson announced today that his staff would be available for mobile office hours at the dates and locations listed below. These office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff led mobile office hours are closed to press.\u00a0 Recording devices of any kind are not allowed.\u00a0 These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\nTuesday, Dec. 30, 10 a.m. \u2013 11 a.m.  E. Troy Village Hall, Meeting Room B  2015 Energy Drive, E. Troy\r\nTuesday, Dec. 30, 12:30 p.m. \u2013 1:30 p.m.  Germantown Village Hall  N112 W17001 Mequon Road, Germantown\r\nTuesday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m. \u2013 3 p.m.  Menomonee Falls Village Hall, Board Room  W156N8480 Pilgrim Road, Menomonee Falls\r\nTuesday, Jan. 6, 3 p.m. \u2013 4 p.m.  Fond du Lac Municipal Building  160 S. Macy St., Fond du Lac\r\nWednesday, Jan. 7, 9 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m.  Ashwaubenon Village Offices  2155 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon\r\nWednesday, Jan. 7, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.  Door County Government Center, Peninsula Room C112  421 Nebraska St., Sturgeon Bay\r\nWednesday, Jan. 7, 2 p.m. \u2013 3 p.m.  Marinette Municipal Building  1905 Hall Ave., Marinette\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1208", "Gwen Moore Calls for Justice Department Review of Milwaukee Police Procedures", "2014-12-23", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By MCJStaff\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe Young Democrats of America released the following statement after learning of President Nelson Mandela\u2019s death yesterday.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cToday, the Young Democrats of America pause to remember a leader whose message of freedom and equality transcends race, age or national borders,\u201d said Atima Omara, president of the Young Democrats of America. \u201cWe are greatly saddened by his passing but he lived a tremendous life to the benefit of others and to the great sacrifice of himself. But he continued to fight with the belief that a nation stands at its greatest height when it stands for equality, fairness, justice and opportunity for all.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tOmara is a first generation African immigrant and the first African American president of the Young Democrats of America.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cMandela began his political activism as a young man and stands as an example for all that one person, regardless of age or status can do to change the arc of history,\u201d added Omara.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u2013\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tJames Lewis\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tIssue Advocacy Director\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe Young Democrats of America\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAs we mourn the loss of Nelson Mandela and celebrate his life, Race Forward President Rinku Sen writes: \u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s death constitutes the enormous loss of a great man who deserves his rest. We were lucky to have him on this earth at this time, and his lessons of struggle, confrontation and love will never leave us.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tRinku is available for interview, and is publishing an article this afternoon for Colorlines which will be available for reprint. Colorlines coverage of Mandela\u2019s Legacy is available here: http://colorlines.com/mandelas-legacy/\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tJon Richards statement on the passing of Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMILWAUKEE \u2013 Representative Jon Richards released the following statement on the passing of Nelson Mandela.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s legacy lives on in all public servants who try to emulate his courage, leadership, and compassion. He inspired generations of people to work together to achieve solutions to problems people thought were unsolvable only a short time ago. I pray for him and offer my sincerest condolences to his family and those who had the privilege of knowing him.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tSTATEMENT FROM REV. AL SHARPTON ON THE PASSING OF NELSON MANDELA\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI am honored to have encountered Nelson Mandela on several occasions. He changed human history and taught activists around the world that in order to legitimately further what is noble, you must actually be a noble person. Nelson Mandela personified someone that non-violently changed the course of world history with the democratization of South Africa. Everything humanly possible that could be done to someone other than killing them was done to him, yet he maintained his dignity and his determination. It is almost unthinkable what he endured and yet forgave. He taught us that you have to keep your eye on the prize, and that nothing you suffer is as important as the goals that you are fighting for. He showed us that you can change the course of human history without lowering yourself to human depravity.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cEducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.\u201d \u201cIt always seems impossible until it\u2019s done.\u201d Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) celebrates the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, a true warrior and freedom fighter for the liberation of African people. His commitment to change was unwavering.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBAEO will strive to honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela by fighting harder to enable our children to engage in the practice of freedom. As we think about Nelson Mandela\u2019s life, we reaffirm that we have no right NOT to fight harder every day for our children!\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tOn this day and forever more, we honor the unyielding and never compromising Nelson Mandela.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAFT\u2019s Weingarten and Johnson on the Passing of Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWASHINGTON\u2014 Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten and Secretary-Treasurer Lorretta Johnson on the passing of Nelson Mandela.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe lesson of Nelson Mandela\u2019s life is that we do not have to accept the world as it is\u2014we can remake it as it should be. We stand in awe of his long walk to freedom and the liberation struggle he led even from the Robben Island cell where he spent 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned. The grand change in the history of his nation and the world that came when he vanquished apartheid has benefited millions of his fellow South Africans and others around the globe. His insistence on reconciliation rather than recrimination stands as an enduring gift of grace and courage to us all. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s life and historic achievements continue to instruct us in today\u2019s struggles for equity, civil rights and opportunity for all. His moral compass still provides direction to those efforts and will guide us for as long as we honor his memory and celebrate his legacy.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe American Federation of Teachers has a long and special connection with South Africa and its path to freedom and democracy. These range from AFT President Albert Shanker\u2019s efforts to assist that nation\u2019s multiracial teachers\u2019 unions, to our HIV/AIDS programs in South African schools, to Share My Lesson\u2019s partnership with The Weinstein Company in promoting lessons associated with the film \u201cMandela: Long Walk to Freedom.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tConyers Honors the Life of Nelson Mandela, Champion of Peace & Equality\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t(WASHINGTON) \u2013 Today, following news of the passing of former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) delivered the following message to his family:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cWith the passing of Nelson Mandela, we have lost an individual who not only freed his home of South Africa from racial hatred, but inspired the world to peacefully resist injustice and intolerance. We will forever remember Nelson Mandela as the wonderful man and courageous leader who ended apartheid at home and changed the course of human history for all. Unbowed by racial animosity and decades behind bars, Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary force for nonviolence and justice,\u201d said Conyers.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI still remember the humble man that visited Detroit, just months following his release from prison, to organize for his political movement in South Africa and speak with Rosa Parks. And I will always treasure the memories I have, just four short years later, of the voyage I made with President Clinton and Harry Belafonte to attend Nelson Mandela\u2019s installation as President of South Africa.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cWhile we mourn his passage, we know that Madiba\u2019s legacy of fighting for freedom and independence will live on.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tRep. Mandela Barnes\u2019 statement passing of Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMADISON\u2014Representative Barnes released the following statement today in recognition of the passing of Nelson Mandela:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cToday the world lost a hero, and a champion for equality and justice. His message of peace has not only forever changed South Africa, but enhanced world diplomacy, and been an inspiration for millions around the planet, including myself.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI want to extend my deepest condolences to Mandela\u2019s family, friends, and to the entire South African community. Though we\u2019ve known for some time that his health was fragile, nothing could have prepared us for the enormous loss the world has suffered today. The spirit of Nelson Mandela will live throughout the world for an eternity.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until I was a young adult that I truly realized the significance of the namesake that my parents had given me. To this day, a particular quote of Mandela\u2019s continues gives me inspiration; \u2018It always seems impossible until it\u2019s done.\u2019\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tGwen Moore Mourns Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWashington, DC (LINK) \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released this statement after learning that Nelson Mandela had passed.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cToday we have lost a visionary leader and hero for human rights. Nelson Mandela broke the chains of oppression in South Africa and opened the hearts and minds of millions. His life\u2019s journey serves as an inspiration to all those who strive to create a more just world. He reaffirmed to all that hope and a steadfast dream of freedom will prevail over hatred and fear. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cHis courage and strength freed a nation and reshaped our history. In 2005, I had the honor and blessing of meeting this remarkable man. It was a powerful moment that left an indelible mark.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThough no words can wholly console those who mourn, my thoughts and prayers go out to every person touched by his kind spirit and resolve. May his legacy live on today and always.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tCongresswoman Lee on Nelson Mandela\u2019s Passing\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWashington, D.C.\u2014 Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) issued the following statement on the passing of former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela:\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI am deeply saddened by the passing of Nelson Mandela, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his friends, family, and the people of South Africa. His legacy will live on forever in how we live our lives and fight for freedom and justice in a multi-racial society. We must pause and remember Madiba in his greatness; he used his life not for himself, but for the good of his country and the good of the world, and his spirit will live on.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cEven throughout his 27 years of incarceration and brutal treatment, his spirit was never broken and this stands as a testament to the power of reconciliation. Not only is Nelson Mandela the father of the liberation movement in South Africa, but he also laid the framework for modern liberation movements throughout the world. With a dignified defiance, Nelson Mandela never compromised his political principles or the mission of the anti-apartheid movement, fighting the global AIDS pandemic, ending poverty and preserving human rights. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cDuring Mr. Mandela\u2019s trip to the United States in 1990, it was a great honor to be a member of the host committee that welcomed him to my district of Oakland, California. \u00a0One of my proudest moments as a member of Congress was when I led the effort to remove Mr. Mandela and the ANC from the U.S. Terrorist Watch list in time for his 90th birthday. \u00a0I served as an official election observer for the 1994 South African elections when President Mandela was first elected, and it was a magnificent reminder that perhaps one day my own country would elect an African American president.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cMr. Mandela exuded a larger-than-life presence and a humble spirit that was remarkable; he is my hero and an inspiration to us all. While this earth will miss the physical presence of Nelson Mandela, his indomitable nature, his gentle spirit, and overwhelming smile will remain with us all. My heart is heavy as we mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this great warrior.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tNAACP Statement on Nelson Mandela\u2019s Passing\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t(Baltimore, MD) \u2013 The NAACP released the following statements following the death of Nelson Mandela:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tRoslyn Brock, Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe Honorable Nelson Mandela embodied the hopes, dreams, aspirations and values of all who seek justice against tremendous odds. He responded to unfathomable violence with peace and courage, and in doing so he forever changed the world.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tDr. David Emmanuel Goatley, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the NAACP Board of Directors:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s legacy remains an inspiration for the work of the NAACP. In Mandela\u2019s name we must continue to bring attention to all aspects of global apartheid characterized by poverty, inequality, discrimination, and prejudice of all kind.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBill Lucy, member of the NAACP National Board of Directors and labor leader:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe world has lost one of the great statesmen of our time \u2013 a man who spent 27 years in prison because he believed in the cause of equality. His loss should set an example for political leaders still here, that there is a need to lead and govern in a manner that is equitable to all people.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tLorraine Miller, Interim NAACP President and CEO:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cPresident Mandela was humanity\u2019s greatest living hero. His unwavering sense of justice and peace transformed a nation and inspired the world.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tLoss of Nelson Mandela felt in Milwaukee, worldwide\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tStatement of Alderman Joe Davis, Sr.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tDecember 5, 2013\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAs Honorary Consul to the Republic of South Africa from the State of Wisconsin, I am deeply saddened to hear of President Nelson Mandela\u2019s passing today. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, and I send my deepest regrets to the people of South Africa, who today lost their greatest leader.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tPresident Mandela was a man whose convictions were tested beyond the bounds of comprehension, and he emerged from his trials more resolute where lesser men\u2014many men\u2014would have given up hope. He was a shining example to us all, not only as an inspiring beacon of courage, but as a lesson in forgiveness as well. His like will not be seen again for some time, and he will be sorely missed.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0Rest in peace, Madiba.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBy Donna Brazile, DNC Vice Chair\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tToday, as we mourn the loss of of one of history\u2019s most transformational leaders, let us also pay tribute to his life and legacy. Let us dedicate ourselves to remembering his lessons and continue his efforts to spread Democracy, freedom and equality across the globe. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tNelson Mandela was a civil rights activist, teacher, freedom fighter, \u201cFather of the Nation,\u201d political prisoner, father, husband and an inspiration to the entire global community. He fought for Democracy, not only in his own home of South Africa, but across the world. He explained: \u201cTo be free is not merely to cast off one\u2019s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tYears after organizing against Apartheid in front of the South African Embassy in Washington, I first had the honor of meeting Mr. Mandela in 1993 when I escorted him to President Clinton\u2019s Inaugural event at the D.C. Armory. A year later, I went to South Africa to help train election workers and had the privilege of meeting him again. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tLike so many others fighting for progress, I have drawn inspiration from Nelson Mandela. He showed us that it was possible to create lasting change, peace and stability even in the most formidable circumstances. He was an advocate for the downtrodden and believed that, \u201cEducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tPresident Obama and the First Lady said it best, \u201cNelson Mandela\u2019s personal story is one of unbreakable will, unwavering integrity and abiding humility.\u201d He has, \u201cchanged the arc of history, transforming his country, continent and the world.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMadiba, today and forever, we will remember you \u2014 and your legacy will live on.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tHoyer Statement on the Passing of\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tFormer President Nelson Mandela\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement on the passing of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa:\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThroughout his life, Nelson Rolihlahla \u00a0Mandela met the purveyors of injustice, intolerance, and racism with an unyielding determination to forge a better and fairer future for his beloved nation. \u00a0From joining the anti-apartheid movement, the African National Congress, and serving 27 years behind the bars of Robben Island as a political prisoner to his groundbreaking tenure in office and later advocacy on behalf of victims of HIV/AIDS, President Mandela stood ever firm for the principles of justice, democracy, equal rights, and peaceful co-existence. \u00a0Embracing a strategy of non-violent mass resistance, he helped ushered South Africa out from the shadows of apartheid into a new day of freedom, democracy, and hope.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cHe will be missed not only by the people of South Africa, with whom I join in mourning their beloved Madiba, but by Americans of every color and faith, including the many who worked tirelessly from afar to call attention to the injustice and brutality of apartheid, to protest his unjust imprisonment, and to boycott the evil system he struggled to overturn. \u00a0President Mandela\u2019s legacy will be not only one of toppling apartheid but ensuring that it was replaced not by bitterness and division but by reconciliation and a shared commitment to the rights of all South Africans. \u00a0Our world will surely be a lesser one without President Mandela walking among us, but our future has been made ever greater by the legacy he leaves indelibly printed in our hearts.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2041", "Gwen Moore Calls for Justice Department Review of Milwaukee Police Procedures", "2014-12-23", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A thorough investigation of the Milwaukee Police Department would serve justice by ensuring that public faith is restored. I continue to speak to my constituents who are fearful and distrustful of the police and the criminal justice system following local, high profile cases, like the death of Derek Williams and the use of body cavity searches by Milwaukee police officers. Unfortunately, Milwaukee continues to see these incidents, which, along with national trends and incidents, are feeding the collective distrust between officers and citizens in Milwaukee. The implementation of policing best practices in Milwaukee would better protect both police and citizens.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to concerns over Milwaukee Police procedures in the wake of the officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of Dontre Hamilton, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) sent the following letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division:  The Honorable James Santelle United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney's Office 530 Federal Building, 517 East Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53202-4500  Re: U.S. Justice Department Review of Milwaukee Police Procedures  Dear Mr. Santelle,  I write to thank you for your decision to conduct an investigation of the officer-involved shooting death of Dontre Hamilton to determine if violations of federal civil rights law occurred. I would also urge the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division to simultaneously conduct a pattern and practice investigation of the Milwaukee Police Department.  A thorough investigation of the Milwaukee Police Department would serve justice by ensuring that public faith is restored. I continue to speak to my constituents who are fearful and distrustful of the police and the criminal justice system following local, high profile cases, like the death of Derek Williams and the use of body cavity searches by Milwaukee police officers. Unfortunately, Milwaukee continues to see these incidents, which, along with national trends and incidents, are feeding the collective distrust between officers and citizens in Milwaukee. The implementation of policing best practices in Milwaukee would better protect both police and citizens.  Police have a difficult responsibility, and I think that they deserve the best, most modern training. It is my hope that a review would help the process of community healing, so that citizens and police can build a constructive relationship going forward to address crime collectively. Thank you again for your assistance in this matter, and I look forward to working with you going forward.  Sincerely,  Gwen S. Moore (WI-4) MEMBER OF CONGRESS", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/blog/madeinwi-gift-guide", "#MadeInWI Gift Guide", "2014-12-23", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, December 23, 2014\n\t\t\t\t#MadeInWI Gift Guide\n\t\t\t\t\n                 \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t            \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t  \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOur #MadeInWI economy is home to small businesses that are creating jobs, driving growth and making some great gifts for this holiday season.\r\nCheck out the highlights of some great #MadeInWI gift ideas to spread holiday cheer and drive our economy forward.\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\n                    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n                    \n                    \n                 \t\n                    \n                    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//media-center/enewsletters/a-few-things-worth-writing-home-about", "A few things worth writing home about", "2014-12-22", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friends,\nAs the year draws to a close, I am glad to report that, despite constant\u00a0obstruction from the Democrat controlled Senate, we were still able to pass\u00a0principled, Conservative legislation this year. In January, when Republican majorities are sworn-in in both the House and the Senate, Congress will be in\u00a0the strongest possible position to block and defund the President\u2019s Executive\u00a0Order on immigration (a.k.a. \u2013 \u201cExecutive Amnesty\u201d). We will also finally have\u00a0the ability to make meaningful headway on the issues the American people\u00a0sent us here to focus on, specifically to pass a budget AND appropriations bills, make sure\u00a0our Veterans and military are taken care of\u2026even allow Paul Ryan and the Ways & Means\u00a0Committee to get true tax reform in place.\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Here\u2019s a few things we accomplished that are worth writing home about: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n\u00a0\nWishing our elected leaders a productive, principled and fiscally responsible\u00a02015. And, to the constituents of Wisconsin\u2019s 7thCongressional District:\u00a0Rachel, the kids and I wish you and your families a very blessed holiday season and a safe new year.\u00a0\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Merry Christmas!\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sean", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1207", "Gwen Moore on Decision to Not File Charges in Dontre Hamilton Shooting", "2014-12-22", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Chuck Quirmbach\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAfrican-American leaders in Wisconsin are lamenting the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tRep. Gwen Moore, Wisconsin's only African-American member of Congress, met Nelson Mandela in 2005. Rep. Moore says Mandela reaffirmed to all that hope and a steadfast dream of freedom will prevail over hatred and fear. She says the world has lost a visionary leader and hero for human rights.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMilwaukee Alderman Joe Davis is an honorary consul to the Republic of South Africa. Davis says Mandela emerged from a political prison more resolute where lesser men \u2014 many men \u2014 would have given up hope.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tState Rep. Mandela Barnes, whose father named him after the late South African leader, also says Mandela's attitude coming out of prison was inspiring. \u201cHad he come out with anger and reacted in a different way, he wouldn't be the world-renowned figure he came to be.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBarnes says he's also been inspired by Mandela's commitment to human rights and social justice.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article and listen to the broadcast online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2022", "Gwen Moore on Decision to Not File Charges in Dontre Hamilton Shooting", "2014-12-22", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Gwen Moore on Decision to Not File Charges in Dontre Hamilton Shooting \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington, DC,\r\n        December 22, 2014\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        I am deeply disappointed in District Attorney John Chisholm's decision to not press charges against Officer Christopher Manney in the shooting death of Dontre Hamilton. This decision is just one of many in recent weeks that continue to perpetuate a disheartening notion that there is a significant lapse in accountability for reckless officers and the behavior they employ in our communities.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm's decision to not file charges in the shooting death of Dontre Hamilton, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) issued the following statement: I am deeply disappointed in District Attorney John Chisholm's decision to not press charges against Officer Christopher Manney in the shooting death of Dontre Hamilton. This decision is just one of many in recent weeks that continue to perpetuate a disheartening notion that there is a significant lapse in accountability for reckless officers and the behavior they employ in our communities.  \"For those who see this decision as a miscarriage of justice, I assure you that our efforts to pursue a fair and equitable outcome for the Hamilton family are far from over. In the coming days, I will be asking the Department of Justice to conduct their own investigation into this matter to ensure that Dontre's death will not be in vain.  \"It is paramount that we channel our collective grief and frustration in a constructive manner. We must rigorously pursue justice, including changes to police procedure and training regarding the appropriate use of force. This, not violence, will honor Dontre's memory. As a mother and grandmother, I can't imagine the anguish and disappointment the Hamilton family must be feeling right now. My heart goes out to them during this painful time.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1206", "Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Policing to Strengthen Public Trust", "2014-12-19", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wisconsinites are joining the rest of the world in mourning the death of Nelson Mandela. \u00a0The South African president who brought an end to racial apartheid in his home country died yesterday at age 95. \u00a0UW-Milwaukee provost and vice-chancellor Johannes Britz is a native of South Africa, and said Mandela's legacy will go far beyond his vision and political agenda. \u00a0Britz said the moral compass he gave his people, and the imperative to forgive and reconcile, was nothing short of a miracle. \u00a0Wisconsin United Methodist Church Bishop Hee-Soo Jung said his fellow bishops were in \"awe\" when they met Mandela at a meeting in Mozambique in 2006. \u00a0Jung called Mandela a servant leader who led an \"extraordinary life.\" \u00a0Jung said the entire world would miss his powerful presence and solidarity of spirit. \u00a0U.S. House Democrat Gwen Moore of Milwaukee said the world has lost a visionary leader, and a hero for human rights. \u00a0Milwaukee Alderman Joe Davis serves as a Wisconsin honorary consul to South Africa. \u00a0He called Mandela \"a shining example to us all.\" \u00a0Davis said Mandela's convictions quote, \"were tested beyond the bounds of comprehension, and he emerged from his trials more resolute where lesser men -- many men -- would have given up hope.\" \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-requests-federal-review-of-wisconsin-s-parental-choice-voucher", "Pocan Requests Federal Review of Wisconsins Parental Choice Voucher Program", "2014-12-19", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) has asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for a review of Wisconsin\u2019s Parental Choice voucher program, specifically examining how this program has lacked accountability standards and transparency. A GAO review will provide a thorough examination and shed light on the program\u2019s shortcomings. This non-partisan review will help to better inform the national discussion on the importance of supporting public schools.\u00a0 Full text of the letter is available here.\u00a0\n\u201cEvery child in Wisconsin and across the United States deserves the right to a high-quality education,\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan. \u201cBefore Governor Walker tries to expand the state\u2019s voucher program, Wisconsin taxpayers deserve to know more about the widespread reports of discrimination against students with disabilities and the insufficient academic accountability of choice schools.\u201d\n\u201cWe owe it to every student to ensure publicly funded schools \u2013 including voucher schools \u2013 provide high-quality education and protect the rights of students with disabilities,\u201d continued Rep. Pocan. \u201cI look forward to the GAO\u2019s thorough non-partisan review of Wisconsin\u2019s voucher program and clear answers to the questions we have raised.\u201d\nWisconsin\u2019s voucher program is central to an emerging national debate over the privatization of public education.\u00a0 Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and many in the Republican Party have pushed the idea of expanding voucher schools nationwide \u2013 using Wisconsin as the model \u2013 without safeguarding the needs of students with disabilities and ensuring schools meet high standards of academic achievement.\u00a0\nAdvocates for people with disabilities, including the ACLU and Disability Rights Wisconsin, have raised concerns that Wisconsin\u2019s school choice program, either tacitly or explicitly, allows participating choice schools to discriminate against students with disabilities in their admission policies. After numerous complaints, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an ongoing investigation into Wisconsin\u2019s School Choice program, and sent a letter in 2013 urging the Wisconsin Department of Instruction do more to \u201cenforce the federal statutory and regulatory requirements\u201d under the Americans with Disabilities Act.\nA recent study by the Wisconsin State Journal revealed Wisconsin has spent $139 million on school vouchers to private schools that were eventually disqualified from the state\u2019s program. Eleven schools participating in the program were removed within a year of opening due to poor educational standards, which costs taxpayers $4.1 million dollars.\u00a0\nStudents with disabilities are underrepresented at Wisconsin voucher schools. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, of the approximately 21,000 students who attend private schools using state-subsidized vouchers, 1.6% are identified as having special education plans. This contrasts sharply with the nearly 20% of the approximately 81,000 students enrolled in Milwaukee Public Schools who have special education plans in place. Notably, in the Racine Unified School District, choice schools reported only 1 student with a disability attending their schools, out of the 165 special needs students in the entire school district.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2043", "Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Policing to Strengthen Public Trust", "2014-12-19", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "We need to use every resource at our disposal, both at the local and federal level, to ensure that we are effectively targeting crime reduction without compromising the civil rights of our citizens. Without a strong relationship based on trust and understanding, local law enforcement and the communities that they protect will be unable to work together to improve the public safety of our neighborhoods.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  President Obama recently signed an Executive Order creating the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, an effort to involve local and federal stakeholders in providing a transparent process to engage with the public. In response to this Executive Order, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released the following statement:  Substantive grievances and questions regarding the quality of policing in communities across America have gone unanswered for far too long. President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing is a timely and welcomed move forward in addressing these concerns and repairing the fractured and untenable relationship between young, black men and local law enforcement in our country.  Advancements in technology have created new opportunities for us to enhance accountability and transparency in modern day law enforcement. I look forward to learning how the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing can utilize such technology to promote community policing and foster confidence in local communities.  We need to use every resource at our disposal, both at the local and federal level, to ensure that we are effectively targeting crime reduction without compromising the civil rights of our citizens. Without a strong relationship based on trust and understanding, local law enforcement and the communities that they protect will be unable to work together to improve the public safety of our neighborhoods.  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=58652038-d509-449f-ac0f-03729fe1767a", "Sen. Johnson to Appear on 'Fox News Sunday'", "2014-12-19", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson will appear on \u201cFox News Sunday\u201d this Sunday at 8:30 a.m. CT on Fox News Channel. Sen. Johnson will discuss current U.S.-Cuba relations.\r\n\u00a0\r\nWhat: Sen. Johnson appearance on \u201cFox News Sunday\u201dWhen: Sunday, Dec. 21 at 8:30 a.m. CT  Channel: Fox News Channel  Note: A clip of the segment will be sent around in the form of an ICYMI shortly following.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=97c77c98-b805-4453-bba6-b153b25b97ad", "Johnson Participates in La Crosse Area Development Corporation's Annual Meeting", "2014-12-18", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oshkosh \u2013 Sen. Johnson joined 250 business owners Thursday at the La Crosse Area Development Corporation\u2019s 43rd annual meeting in La Crosse. Sen. Johnson delivered the keynote address.\r\n\u201cThat really is the foundation of this nation: The government should be close to the governed. It\u2019s more effective, it\u2019s more efficient, it\u2019s more Wisconsin,\u201d Johnson said in his remarks. \u201cLa Crosse is a perfect example of that. You\u2019re moving forward; you\u2019re successful.\u201d\r\nSen. Johnson discussed the opportunity the new Congress will have in 2015 to help America begin to succeed again. \u201cWe have not collectively admitted we have these problems. \u2026 We should be celebrating success, not demonizing it. ... We will marvel at the results if we have the foresight, if we have the intelligence, if we properly define the problems, if we look at the root cause and start addressing it with something we know works \u2013 the free-market competitive system.\u201d\r\n\u201cLet\u2019s find those areas of agreement. ... We are all Americans, and we share that same powerful goal of having a prosperous and secure America,\u201d Johnson said about the new Congress. \u201cWe might just be able to accomplish a few things in the next couple of years.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-on-presidents-cuban-cave", "Duffy on President's Cuban Cave", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative, Foreign Affairs Committee Member, Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0released the following comments after the White House announced change in policy toward U.S. \u2013 Cuban relations:\n\"I am very glad for the safe return of Alan Gross, but he should have never been imprisoned in the first place and his release should not have been a part of a negotiation - it should have been unconditional. The President's lone wolf approach to diplomacy and continued negotiations for the release of terrorists and those that have killed U.S. citizens only emboldens people and governments who wish Americans harm.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\"The President has once again extended his hand to a leader who raises a fist in return. He has offered a commitment to a significant shift in U.S. Policy without any guarantees that Cuba will follow suit. Just last week, 240 dissidents were arrested in Cuba during human right protests. It is clear that the Castro regime has no genuine interest in changing it's ways anytime soon.\"\u00a0\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n\"The big question here is, why does the President continue to negotiate from a position of weakness?\"\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1205", "Gwen Moore Welcomes New Diplomatic Approach to Cuba", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WSAU-Wheeler News) \u00a0Wisconsinites are joining the rest of the world in mourning the death of Nelson Mandela. The South African president who brought an end to racial apartheid in his home country died yesterday at age 95.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tU-W Milwaukee provost and vice-chancellor Johannes Britz is a native of South Africa, and said Mandela's legacy will go far beyond his vision and political agenda. Britz said the moral compass he gave his people, and the imperative to forgive and reconcile, was nothing short of a miracle.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWisconsin United Methodist Church Bishop Hee-Soo Jung said his fellow bishops were in \"awe\" when they met Mandela at a meeting in Mozambique in 2006. Jung called Mandela a servant leader who led an \"extraordinary life.\" Jung said the entire world would miss his powerful presence and solidarity of spirit.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tU-S House Democrat Gwen Moore of Milwaukee said the world has lost a visionary leader, and a hero for human rights. Milwaukee Alderman Joe Davis serves as a Wisconsin honorary consul to South Africa. He called Mandela \"a shining example to us all.\" Davis said Mandela's convictions quote, \"were tested beyond the bounds of comprehension, and he emerged from his trials more resolute where lesser men -- many men -- would have given up hope.\"\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2343", "Gwen Moore Welcomes New Diplomatic Approach to Cuba", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "With this move comes a renewed leadership in the Americas and a valuable opportunity for improved human rights conditions and democratic reforms throughout the region. This landmark shift in policy proves that although change never comes easy or swiftly, at the end of the day, it does come. Now is the time to support the difficult work ahead to ensure that this historic opportunity is not wasted.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to recent actions by the White House to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) issued the following statement:  After decades of an embargo-first and embargo-only strategy of pursuing our foreign policy interests, I enthusiastically welcome the White House's new approach to Cuba. This historic move to break the deadlock shifts America away from the days of the 1960s and has the potential to unlock a mutually beneficial future between the U.S. and the Cuban people.  With this move comes a renewed leadership in the Americas and a valuable opportunity for improved human rights conditions and democratic reforms throughout the region. This landmark shift in policy proves that although change never comes easy or swiftly, at the end of the day, it does come. Now is the time to support the difficult work ahead to ensure that this historic opportunity is not wasted.  As we celebrate the end of generations of isolation and a new era in U.S.-Cuban relations, let us also rejoice in knowledge that soon, American contractor Alan Gross will be reunited with his family after suffering from five years of imprisonment. His release signifies another critical step toward normalization and increased engagement between our countries. There is no doubt that this will be an unforgettable Hanukkah for the Gross family.  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-calls-congress-end-embargo-cuba", "Rep. Ron Kind Calls on Congress to End Embargo on Cuba", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) released the following statement after President Obama announced plans to normalize relations with Cuba:\nI support normalizing relations with Cuba that will ease restrictions between our countries and put an end to 50 years of failed policy. It doesn't make sense to have economic relations with a Communist nation like China, yet stay closed off to a nation just 90 miles off our coast.    Now, Congress needs to act to end the embargo altogether and fully open up this new market to U.S exports. For years, farmers in Wisconsin have wanted to lift economic sanctions on Cuba and with today's news we can look forward to new economic growth and job creation in agriculture, manufacturing and other sectors of our economy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=17586a75-ca45-47b7-878f-96cc76f59c42", "Johnson to Attend La Crosse Area Development Corporation's Annual Meeting", "2014-12-17", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson will visit La Crosse this week to attend La Crosse Area Development Corporation\u2019s 43rd Annual Meeting. Sen. Johnson will give the keynote address to local business owners at the event.\r\n\r\nDate: Thursday, Dec. 18  Time: 11 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.  Location: Radisson Hotel Ballroom, 200 2nd St. S., La Crosse  Note: This event is open to the press.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1204", "Gwen Moore: Drop the Frivolous Lawsuit Against Immigration Executive Action", "2014-12-15", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Michael Bischoff\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMILWAUKEE \u2013 Local politicians reacted to the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela on Thursday.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tCongresswoman Gwen Moore spent time with Mandela at the congressional black caucus in 2005.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cWe've lost him as a person, but he has left a legacy of courage,\u201d Moore said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThursday night, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett also reflected on the loss of Mandela.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI think what he has demonstrated is that it is possible to be someone with firm conviction, who will sacrifice the bulk of their life for something that they believe in, that they will pay that price for something that they so passionately believe in,\" said Barrett.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMandela, 95, was South Africa\u2019s first post-apartheid president.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article and the video online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398180", "Chairman-elect Ryan Announces Staff Directors of Ways and Means Subcommittees", "2014-12-15", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman-elect Ryan Announces Staff Directors of Ways and Means Subcommittees \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        \r\n        December 15, 2014\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, incoming chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) named six veteran aides to be the staff directors of the House Ways and Means subcommittees. They will begin their service at the start of the 114th Congress.\u00a0\r\n\r\nRyan named the following individuals as Ways and Means subcommittee staff directors:\u00a0\r\n\r\nMatt Hoffmann, Staff Director\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubcommittee on Health\r\nMatt Weidinger, Staff Director\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubcommittee on Human Resources\r\nMark Epley, General Counsel & Staff Director\t\t\t\tSubcommittee on Oversight\r\nGeorge A. Callas, Chief Tax Counsel & Staff Director\t\tSubcommittee on Select Revenue Measures\r\nTed McCann, Staff Director\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubcommittee on Social Security\r\nAngela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel & Staff Director\t\tSubcommittee on Trade\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nContact:\u00a0Kevin Seifert,\u00a0Kevin.Seifert@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3031\r\n\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2337", "Gwen Moore: Drop the Frivolous Lawsuit Against Immigration Executive Action", "2014-12-15", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While it is clear that the President's actions are well within his authority, you have instead decided to involve the state of Wisconsin in a political and frivolous lawsuit against the President. A bipartisan group of Attorneys General from 18 other states sent a letter last Friday to congressional leadership urging Congress to come together and fix our broken immigration system, particularly in light of the temporary nature of President Obama's actions. Rather than joining these efforts to break through dysfunction and gridlock in Congress, you have decided that the State of Wisconsin will side with those who seek political points at the expense of the progress that our country desperately needs.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to the recent decision to include Wisconsin in a Republican-led lawsuit against President Obama's executive actions on immigration, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) sent the following letter to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen:  The Honorable J.B. Van Hollen Attorney General, State of Wisconsin Room 114 East, State Capitol Madison, Wisconsin, 53707  Attorney General Van Hollen:  I write this letter to express my sincere disappointment in your decision to involve Wisconsin in a federal lawsuit against the President's recent immigration actions. I believe that this lawsuit is not only likely to fail, but that it is politically motivated and a waste of resources that could be used for other far more pressing issues facing Wisconsin.   As you may know, prominent legal scholars and attorneys have concluded that the President's actions are well within his executive authority. For example, a recent letter written by a consortium of law professors from Yale, University of Chicago, Columbia, New York University, Duke, and Harvard, came to the conclusion that, [these actions] are consistent with governing law and with the policies that Congress has expressed in the statutes that it has enacted. In a separate letter on November 25, 2014, 135 law professors stated that [the President's actions] are within the legal authority of the executive branch of the government of the United States. In addition, the Office of Legal Counsel within the Department of Justice issued a lengthy Memorandum Opinion to the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security articulating the extensive legal authority for the actions taken by the President.  While it is clear that the President's actions are well within his authority, you have instead decided to involve the state of Wisconsin in a political and frivolous lawsuit against the President. A bipartisan group of Attorneys General from 18 other states sent a letter last Friday to congressional leadership urging Congress to come together and fix our broken immigration system, particularly in light of the temporary nature of President Obama's actions. Rather than joining these efforts to break through dysfunction and gridlock in Congress, you have decided that the State of Wisconsin will side with those who seek political points at the expense of the progress that our country desperately needs.   While attacking an estimated 5 million immigrant parents and children who pose no threat to this country may be expedient for the short-term political goals of your party, it does nothing to protect the people of Wisconsin. I urge you to consider the many benefits of President Obama's immigration action. The President's actions will protect public safety in Wisconsin by reinforcing community policing and cooperation among local law enforcement and immigrant communities and directing scarce federal enforcement resources against those few immigrants who pose a threat to the nation and the people of Wisconsin. Granting protection and work authorization to low priority immigrants will also contribute to our economy. According to one estimate, these actions will contribute billions of dollars in payroll taxes nationwide in the first year alone. It will also lead to $19 million in additional state and local tax revenues over 5 years. Undoing protections that will help to keep American families together is simply inhumane and against our nation's core values. Rather than focusing on such frivolous and fiscally counterproductive actions, I urge your office to focus its attention on other more pressing matters currently facing the citizens of Wisconsin.  Sincerely,  Gwen Moore MEMBER OF CONGRESS  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=627e5bb5-5f82-42e0-b7e1-2ca683338204", "Johnson Comments on New Spending Measure", "2014-12-15", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson made the following remarks on why he voted against H.R. 83:\r\n\u201cI sincerely hope this is the last massive omnibus spending bill that will come before the U.S. Senate during my tenure.\u00a0 This dysfunctional process of funding the federal government primarily stems from Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's mismanagement of the Senate.\u00a0 Under his \u2018leadership,\u2019 the Senate hasn't passed an individual prioritized appropriations bill since 2011.\u00a0 This has shielded his Democrat colleagues from taking votes and being held accountable.\r\n\u201cHis strategy didn't work.\u00a0 In November, American voters held Democrats accountable for their mismanagement \u2014 not only of the U.S. Senate but, more importantly, of the U.S. economy, our health care system and the federal budget.\u00a0\r\n\u201cUnfortunately, Harry Reid was still in charge of the Senate as Congress debated how to fund the government for the remainder of this fiscal year.\u00a0\u00a0 House Republicans compromised to produce a funding bill that stayed within the budget caps and contained a number of policy provisions that were good for Wisconsin and America.\u00a0 Eastern Wisconsin will soon benefit from a Highway 41 Interstate designation without overly burdensome truck weight restrictions, and Marinette Marine received funding and greater certainty for future littoral combat ship production.\u00a0 Congratulations to Congressmen Tom Petri and Reid Ribble, who were instrumental in making sure those provisions were included in the House bill.\r\n\u201cI am looking forward to serving in the majority and assuming the chairmanship of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in the next Congress.\u00a0 Under new leadership, the Senate will be committed to passing a budget and individual prioritized spending bills that will begin to reduce and eliminate the duplication, waste and fraud present in government agencies and programs.\u00a0\u00a0 Instead of having to vote no, I hope to be able to vote yes on more responsible spending and budget bills in the next Congress.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-statement-on-bipartisan-omnibus-appropriations-bill", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill", "2014-12-13", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.13.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin released the following statement on the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015:\r\n\u201cThis is not the time for another government shutdown. The American people have had enough of Washington\u2019s dysfunction. They want us to do our job and work together to get the job done. Since the Budget Committee, on which I serve, crafted a bipartisan agreement that ended last year\u2019s government shutdown and paved the way for a cease-fire on recent budget wars, the economy has gained an average of 240,000 jobs per month.\u00a0 In Wisconsin, our economy continues to lag behind, so we need to build on this progress and strengthen the economic security of families and businesses that are working hard to move our economy forward.\r\n\u201cThis bipartisan appropriations bill will help do that by increasing the Child Care and Development Block Grant funding by $75 million; increasing the maximum Pell grant award; providing a cost of living pay raise for our men and women in the Armed Forces; increasing funding for science and research at the National Institutes of Health by $150 million; providing\u00a0 grants to states for job training and assistance to dislocated workers; extending Trade Adjustments Assistance for workers who lose their jobs due to international trade; and moving bipartisan Manufacturing Hubs legislation forward that I support to keep our country on the leading edge of advanced manufacturing.\r\n\u201cI also fought to include in this legislation a number of provisions that will help us build a stronger Made in Wisconsin economy, including support for our shipbuilding industry and transportation infrastructure.\r\n\u201cWith all of these benefits, I am the first to admit that this bill is far from perfect. But we have a divided government and I recognize that I can\u2019t get everything I want in this bill, just as my colleagues across the aisle can\u2019t get everything they want in this bill. This bill is a compromise.\r\n\u201cLet me be very clear here: Republicans\u2019 insistence on including a Wall Street give away is extremely objectionable to me.\u00a0 I also strongly oppose a provision that weakens of our already loose campaign laws and the changes made to multiemployer pensions deserved a full debate in the Senate, as separate legislation, not tucked into an appropriations bill by the House of Representatives at the last minute.\u00a0 I agree with my colleagues who have said these provisions represent the very worst of creating an uneven playing field for those hard working Americans who ask for nothing more than a voice in Washington and fair shot at getting ahead. I would also add that these provisions in particular are a direct assault on our proud progressive traditions in Wisconsin.\r\n\u201cBut what would have happened if we did not pass this bill now?\u00a0 I can tell you what will happen because we saw the path the Republican controlled House of Representatives wanted to take.\u00a0 Republicans tried to add more than 30 additional harmful policy provisions--from more Wall Street giveaways to rolling back workers\u2019 rights to eroding environmental policy\u2014but Senate Democrats were able to use their current leverage as the majority party in the Senate to keep them out.\u00a0 If this bill did not pass now, Republicans would have had the power to add more objectionable provisions when they will hold majorities in both the House and Senate next year.\r\n\u201cI supported this bipartisan compromise because I believe it is our job to deliver progress for American people, not an endless drift from one crisis to the next or a government shutdown.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-announces-agenda-for-hunger-homelessness-summit", "Duffy Announces Agenda for Hunger & Homelessness Summit", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Hudson, WI \u2013\u00a0U.S. Congressman Sean Duffy\u00a0(WI-07) announces the agenda for his 2nd\u00a0Annual Hunger and Homelessness Summit which will take place this coming Tuesday, December 16th\u00a0in New Richmond, WI. This year\u2019s summit will feature a keynote address by Lloyd Pendleton who is credited as the architect behind eliminating chronic homelessness in the state of Utah. The more than 100 attendees will participate in panel discussions that focus on overcoming obstacles to eliminating homelessness in Central and Northern Wisconsin. Full itinerary and details about the upcoming event are below:\nRep. Duffy offered: \u201cI am very excited about the schedule for this summit. We will again bring together local government officials, economic development associations, non-profits, religious organizations, and government agencies, but we\u2019re also looking at success stories outside of our state. We all share a passion for helping the less fortunate in our state and it will be that determination that will make the ultimate difference for so many.\u201d\u00a0\nThis event is open to members of the media and will include media availability from 11:30am \u2013 12:30pm. To RSVP, please email\u00a0Cassie Smedile.\n\u00a0\nRep. Duffy\u2019s 2nd\u00a0Annual Hunger & Homelessness Summit\n\u00a0Tuesday, December 16th,\u00a02014\nWITC Conference Center 1019 South Knowles Avenue New Richmond\n7:00-8:00am -\u00a0Tour Grace Place\u00a0(Attendees and Speakers)\n8:00-9:00am \u00a0\u00a0Registration\n9:00am \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Welcome by Rep. Sean Duffy\n9:30am \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Keynote Speaker\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Lloyd Pendleton -Utah Homelessness Task Force\n10:30am \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The Art of Grant Writing\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Nerissa Nelson UW - Stevens Point The Foundation Center\n11:30am \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Food Education\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Mary Lestrud - UW Extension- St. Croix County\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Kelly Appleton \u2013 Hudson Hospital and Clinic\n12:10pm \u00a0 \u00a0 Fundraising- Panel Discussion\u00a0(working lunch) \u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Salvation Army - Duana Bremmer\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0OEM Fabricators - Mark Tyler\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Catholic Charities - Tina Palmer\n\u00a01:15pm \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Drug and Alcohol Abuse\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Hazeldon - Jeremiah Gardner, Michael A. Erb, Steven L. Schreiber Dave Armstrong \u2013 Shares his story of struggle with homelessness & dependency and finding his way to prosperty\n2:05pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Anne Byrd Remarks \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n2:45pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Congressman SeanDuffy Closing and Q&A\n3:00pm\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Adjourn\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nREGISTER\u00a0\nTo register, click\u00a0here\u00a0or call 715-808-8160\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-statement-on-final-nlrb-rule-on-union-election-process", "Pocan Statement on Final NLRB Rule on Union Election Process", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today issued the following statement today in support of the National Labor Relation Board\u2019s (NLRB) final rule to update and streamline union election procedures:\n\u201cI am pleased the NLRB took this necessary step to give workers a fairer opportunity to decide on union representation and modernize union elections,\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan. \u201cThe current process allows employers to threaten and intimidate workers seeking to organize in the workplace. This new rule ensures workers have the opportunity to have fair and timely elections by reducing procedural delays to scheduling union elections and streamlining the appeal process.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/in-the-news/pentagon-plan-good-news-for-marinette-shipbuilding", "Pentagon plan good news for Marinette shipbuilding", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.12.14\n\t\t\t Pentagon plan good news for Marinette shipbuilding \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe news that Marinette has been bracing for came late Thursday afternoon as outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the Navy will upgrade, rather than totally abandon, its Littoral Combat Ship program.\r\nThe result will be a new, larger, more versatile ship but still based on littoral ship upgrades, rather than being a whole new design. That, according to legislative representatives, makes it good news for Wisconsin shipbuilding.\r\n\"This is great news for Wisconsin's shipbuilding industry because there will be no production break and this action will prevent disruption to the Marinette Marine-Lockheed Martin workforce,\" said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison. \"I fought hard to sustain the original production plan for a 52 ship class, and I applaud Secretary Hagel's announcement to do just that.\"\r\nRep. Reid Ribble, R-Sherwood, said Hagel's announcement is good on both the short term and long term for Marinette Marine, one of two facilities in the country producing the Littoral Combat Ships for the U.S. Navy.\r\nMarinette Marine, which employs about 2,000 people, has six littoral ships under production now and will continue to produce them through 2019 even as the new Small Surface Combatant (SSC) ship is introduced.\r\n\"Clearly, the Secretary of the Navy would like to see the new combatant built on the LCS platform, which puts Marinette Marine in kind of a lead competitive spot to get the contract for these new, larger ships,\" Ribble said. \"They'll have the inside track. They will still have to be competitive \u2026 but surely because they're involved in production of the LCSs, they should be in a good position to be very competitive\" when it comes time to seek contracts for the new SSC, Ribble said.\r\nHagel said he directed the Navy to buy 52 Littoral and SSC ships, with the final number and mix dependent on future fleet requirements, final costs and overall Navy resources. The new ship will be based on upgraded variants of the littoral combat ship, under Hagel's directive.\r\nHe wants the production of the SSC ships to begin no later than fiscal 2019, and with no gap between the production of the last LCS and first SSC ship. He called for the Navy to come up with an acquisition strategy on the new design by May and to continue to identify ways of enhancing the new ship's features. Also by May, the Navy must provide a detailed assessment of the cost of back-fitting some of the new ship features onto LCS's already under contract.\r\nThe decision followed consultations with the Department of Defense's senior leadership and careful review of Navy recommendations, which included 192 design concepts.\r\nIn late November, a Marinette Marine-produced vessel, the USS Fort Worth, left port in California for a 16-month deployment in the Far East. The USS Freedom, also built at Marinette, completed a similar deployment in 2013.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t    Paul Srubas\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tGreen Bay Press-Gazette\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2206913b-7e61-4080-a775-5c3ed9cae073", "Johnson Announces Staff Mobile Office Hours", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson announced today that his staff would be available for mobile office hours at the dates and locations listed below. These office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press.\u00a0 Recording devices of any kind are not allowed.\u00a0 These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\n\r\nMonday, Dec. 22, 9:30 a.m. \u2013 10:30 a.m.  Merrill City Hall, Basement Conference Room  1004 E. 1st St., Merrill\r\nMonday, Dec. 22, noon \u2013 1 p.m.  Lac du Flambeau Tribal Council Board Room  418 Little Pines Road, Lac du Flambeau\r\nTuesday, Dec. 23, 1:30 p.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.  Oconto Municipal Building, Council Chambers  1210 Main St., Oconto\r\nTuesday, Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.  Menominee Tribal Building  W2908 Tribal Office Loop Road, Keshena\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=91a2f5d6-6f68-41ad-b089-f4b8f0b04694", "Johnson Comments on H.R. 3979, Bill to Authorize the Nation's Defense", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson made these remarks on the passage of H.R. 3979, the bill to authorize the nation\u2019s defense, and on the future of the littoral combat ship program in Wisconsin:\r\n\u201cThe finest among us are currently fighting to defend America against enemies allied with those who attacked us on 9-11. Those enemies urge the destruction of America and carry out the slaughter of Americans and other innocent people. Defending America and Americans is the first priority of the federal government. It is imperative that Congress provide our forces with the resources needed to carry out their duties. I voted to do just that.\u201d\r\nSenator Johnson went on to comment on the littoral combat ship program: \u201cI am also happy about the Department of Defense\u2019s plan to proceed with the production of all 52 ships. \u00a0As the Navy works through options to increase the survivability and lethality of these ships, I will continue to work with it to advance the best and most cost effective plan while maintaining the most responsible use of our industrial base investment.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=dbbba6f9-181d-4a4a-bff5-87b3a1ed68be", "Highway 41 on Its Way to Becoming \"Interstate 41\"", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "United States Congress\r\n\u00a0Highway 41 on Its Way to Becoming \u201cInterstate 41\u201d\r\nHouse Passes Omnibus Appropriations Bill with Provision to Allow Trucks to Continue Using Wisconsin Road Once it Becomes an Interstate\r\nWashington, D.C.\u2014Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, to fund most government operations through September 2015.\u00a0 Included in the bill is a provision to allow currently-operating trucks on Highway 41 from Milwaukee to Green Bay to continue using the road once it becomes a part of the U.S. Interstate System.\u00a0 The bill now goes to the Senate where it is expected to pass and then be signed into law by President Obama before the end of the year.\r\n\u00a0\r\nPetri, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, first proposed making Highway 41 an Interstate in the 1990s, and successfully included a provision designating it a \u201cfuture Interstate\u201d in the 2005 surface transportation law, SAFETEA-LU.\u00a0 The state of Wisconsin has invested nearly $1.5 billion to upgrade Highway 41, including upgrades necessary to bring the road up to Interstate standards.\u00a0 In order to allow a smooth transition, legislation was needed to allow currently-operating trucks to continue using the road once it becomes an Interstate due to federal restrictions on trucks over 80,000 pounds.\r\n\u00a0\r\nLast June, Petri and fellow Wisconsin Rep. Reid Ribble introduced the necessary legislation as H.R. 2353.\u00a0 The bill passed the House on July 22, 2013, and it was also included as part of H.R. 4745, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, for Fiscal Year 2015, which passed the House.\u00a0 U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have introduced identical legislation in the Senate.\r\n\u00a0\r\nOnce the bill passes Congress and becomes law, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has stated that nearly all other requirements have been met and Interstate signage could be up by September 2015.\u00a0 It is prepared to formally seek the Interstate designation from the U.S. Department of Transportation after the legislation passes.\r\n\r\nPetri, who is also the chairman of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, praised the bill\u2019s passage today as \u201cwell worth the wait.\u201d\r\n\u201cWhat this does is maintain the status quo\u2014if you can use the road now, you can use it in the future,\u201d Rep. Tom Petri said.\u00a0 \u201cHighway 41 is the economic lifeline of the Fox Valley.\u00a0 This is the last step needed, after more than a decade in the process, before the state transportation department will formally request that Highway 41 become a part of the Interstate System.\u00a0 I initially approached the late Tom Walker when he was at the Wisconsin DOT because Highway 41 is a huge part of our regional economy and millions of dollars in economic activity depend on a fully-functioning road.\u00a0 It\u2019s important that commerce and transportation not be adversely impacted during this transition.\u00a0 As I leave Congress, it is heartening to know that this road will finally get the status and recognition it deserves as an Interstate.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nU.S. Representative Reid Ribble, the lead cosponsor of the House bill and Vice Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee said, \u201cA tremendous amount of work and effort went into getting Highway 41 to this point.\u00a0 Strengthening and modernizing Wisconsin\u2019s infrastructure is something I have championed during my entire time in Congress and something Congressman Petri and I have worked on together in the Transportation Committee.\u00a0 It\u2019s encouraging that Highway 41 is making this step today.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cOur Wisconsin businesses and employers need a quality transportation system to get their goods to market. This is a great step in continuing to build a strong \u2018Made in Wisconsin\u2019 economy,\u201d said U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who sponsored the Senate bill.\u00a0 \u201cI am proud to have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this important bill passed and I especially want to thank Representatives Petri and Ribble for their hard work in the House of Representatives. This effort will help drive Wisconsin\u2019s economy forward.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cI am pleased that the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill will permit trucks now using U.S. Highway 41 between Green Bay and Milwaukee to continue to use that highway when it is changed to an interstate route,\u201d said U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, who is the lead cosponsor of the Senate bill.\u00a0 \u201cI would like to thank Rep. Petri for sponsoring the legislation that brought this about and for working to include it in the appropriations bill. I also thank Governor Walker's administration, Rep. Ribble and Sen. Baldwin for their efforts in obtaining a successful resolution to this matter.\u00a0 This stretch of highway is crucial to Wisconsin's economy, and I look forward to the completion of the conversion.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nSimilar provisions have been enacted for Interstate highway designations, such as I-39 in Wisconsin and I-99 in Pennsylvania.\u00a0 Governor Scott Walker, state legislators, local communities, and business groups have expressed support for the Interstate designation and weight limit grandfathering.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\r\nHighway 41 is the main thorough way through central Wisconsin from Milwaukee to Green Bay.\u00a0 Twenty-three percent of the state\u2019s manufacturing, retail, and wholesale businesses are located along Highway 41, and the highway is responsible for generating 29% of Wisconsin\u2019s tourism dollars.\u00a0 Over 150,000 vehicles use Highway 41 each day.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-on-department-of-labor-100-million-apprenticeship-training-grants", "Pocan on Department of Labor $100 Million Apprenticeship Training Grants", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee today issued the following statement on the announcement of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Training Program $100 million grants, which reflects the primary goals of the Promoting Apprenticeships for Credentials and Employment Act (PACE Act), introduced by Rep. Pocan and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA):\n\"I'm pleased to see the Administration take action today to expand apprenticeship programs, which incorporates the primary goals of the PACE Act. Much like the Administration\u2019s initiative, this legislation would expand apprenticeships in the most in-demand, high-skilled industries and occupations.\n\u201cWe have long known America has no shortage of smart, willing workers just waiting for their chance to pursue a fulfilling career and I am hopeful we can build on the President\u2019s initiative through passage of the PACE Act.\u201d\nRep. Pocan, along with Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA), and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the PACE Act on September 18. The bill would better integrate apprenticeships into postsecondary education programs and expand apprenticeship opportunities to new, growing fields. The PACE Act would also provide permanent annual funding for these training programs.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-statement-on-government-funding-bill", "Pocan Statement on Government Funding Bill", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today issued the following statement after the House passed a $1.1 trillion government package to partially fund the government through September of next year:\n\u201cI am disappointed the House passed a government funding package riddled with special interest giveaways,\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan. \u201cMost egregious is the inclusion of a provision that loosened consumer protection regulations in the Dodd-Frank reform law and allows Wall Street to engage in many of the same risky practices that crashed the global economy in 2008. The bill also weakens campaign finance limits clearing the way for more corporate money into politics. Sneaking these changes through in a 1600 page funding bill hours before a government shutdown and adjourning for the rest of the year is not the way the American people expect us to govern. We can do better.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-applauds-pentagon-decision-to-support-wisconsin-shipbuilding-economy", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds Pentagon Decision to Support Wisconsin Shipbuilding Economy", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds Pentagon Decision to Support Wisconsin Shipbuilding Economy \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Secretary Hagel Announces Plan to Sustain Original Production Plan for a 52 Ship Class\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin applauded Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel\u2019s announcement that the Pentagon has decided to select a modified Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) as the Navy\u2019s next small surface combatant (SSC).\r\n\u201cI fought hard to sustain the original production plan for a 52 ship class and I applaud Secretary Hagel\u2019s announcement to do just that,\u201d Senator Baldwin said. \u201cThis is great news for Wisconsin\u2019s shipbuilding industry because there will be no production break and this action will prevent disruption to the Marinette Marine \u2013 Lockheed Martin workforce.\u201d\r\nThe LCS program was previously truncated to 32 ships, down from the originally planned 52 ship class. The Navy now plans to acquire 20 new SSCs, sustaining the original production plan for a 52 ship class of SSCs. Importantly, according to Navy acquisition plans, there will be no production break between the last LCS and the first new SSC. This will prevent disruptions to the Marinette Marine-Lockheed Martin workforce.\r\n\u201cSelecting a modified LCS as the follow-on small surface combatant \u2013 thereby leveraging lessons learned and investments made \u2013 is the best option for meeting the Navy\u2019s requirements in a timely and affordable matter.\u00a0 Furthermore, just as the Marinette \u2013 Lockheed team builds a quality and affordable ship in the LCS, I am confident that they will do the same with a modified LCS, including incorporating new offensive and defensive capabilities,\u201d Baldwin said.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-statement-on-the-nomination-of-antonio-weiss-to-treasury", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Nomination of Antonio Weiss to Treasury", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Nomination of Antonio Weiss to Treasury \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin released the following statement today announcing her opposition to the nomination of Antonio Weiss for U.S. Department of the Treasury Under Secretary for Domestic Finance:\r\n\u201cI do not believe Mr. Weiss is the right nominee to push for strong oversight of Wall Street and protect the interests of Main Street as Under Secretary for Domestic Finance. Based on his record and qualifications as a Wall Street investment banker I don\u2019t have confidence that he will work to even the playing field for middle class families and small businesses who need a fair shot to get ahead. With Wall Street lobbyists and Republicans working harder than ever to gut the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, working families need public servants who are committed to remembering the hard lessons of the financial crisis. In addition, Wisconsin\u2019s small businesses and homebuyers \u2013 as well as the community banks and credit unions that serve them \u2013 need a stronger voice in financial policymaking to provide services that work for Main Street, not Wall Street. Regrettably, I do not believe Mr. Weiss is the right choice for this position and I will oppose his nomination.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8c673a60-5942-4d80-9693-16c039ab9aca", "ICYMI: Johnson Answers Constituents' Questions During Facebook Q&A", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson hosted his first, one-hour Facebook Q&A on Wednesday, Dec. 10. \u201cThank you to everyone who participated and asked questions concerning our nation\u2019s security, stability and future success \u2014 I only wish I could type faster,\u201d he remarked. \u201cI look forward to hosting another discussion soon.\u201d Below is a sampling of the questions Sen. Johnson answered during the Q&A session. Visit the senator\u2019s Facebook page here to view the full discussion.\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\nConstituent question: When is America going to confine itself to the lawful budgetary process?\r\nSen. Johnson: I had a robust discussion within the Republican conference about how to utilize the budget and appropriations process to start prioritizing spending and getting our debt and deficit under control. This is the first step as we begin grappling with the long-term structural deficits that have been ignored for decades. It will not be easy, but addressing this serious challenge will require public support. It will require better communication from Washington to describe the problem so that we, collectively, as a nation, fully admit we have it by understanding and defining its true depth. That'll be a primary purpose of hearings I will hold in HSGAC.\r\n\r\n  \r\nConstituent question: Why exactly are the GOP who carried the midterms breaking their pledges to stop amnesty and not fund Obamacare?\r\nSen. Johnson: Republicans -- and particularly me -- would repeal Obamacare in a heartbeat. The practical problem in doing so is that Obamacare is permanent law and mandatory spending. Its funding is not part of the discretionary part of the budget that Congress votes on annually. In order to defund Obamacare, Congress must pass and the president must sign a new law that defunds it. That will require Democrat senators' support and President Obama's signature. Unfortunately, until we have a Republican president, that remains highly unlikely. But we will do everything we can to limit and repair the damage until we can actually repeal and replace Obamacare.\r\n\r\n  \r\nConstituent question: What specific action do you plan to push as the chairman of the homeland security committee to secure the border?\r\nSen. Johnson: There will be a number of actions required. Additional fencing, increased manpower, latest surveillance technology, and a functioning entry-exit system will be required. We also need to look at enforcing current laws, monitoring visa overstays, a universal e-verify system for employers and a thorough review of current laws that create incentives for illegal immigration -- hopefully, leading to a dramatic reduction of those incentives.\r\n\r\n  \r\nConstituent question: What are your top goals for the next session?\r\nSen. Johnson: In 31 years in the private sector, I did a lot of negotiating and relationship-building. The best way to start a new relationship is understanding and trying to find agreement and common ground. Overregulation is doing great harm to our economy and limiting the creation of good paying jobs that build a strong middle class. Regulatory reform should be an area where a great deal of common ground can be found, to find Democratic support to actually pass legislation. If we can do so, that would be good for our economy and help people.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-applauds-higher-standards-crude-oil-stabilization", "Rep. Ron Kind Applauds Higher Standards for Crude Oil Stabilization", "2014-12-10", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) welcomed the news that North Dakota regulators moved to strengthen the stability standards for Bakken crude oil beyond the standards enforced at the federal level. Rep. Kind has been a strong advocate for oil stabilization prior to shipment by rail.\nThis improved safety standard is a step in the right direction. Now, the Department of Transportation needs to increase federal standards to ensure that the crude oil being shipped through our communities is as safe as possible, said Rep. Kind. In light of recent rail accidents in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the nation, there is real urgency to improve the way we transport crude oil. Moving forward, we need to enhance track inspections, upgrade our train tracks, and get community-wide transparency regarding the contents of these trains so everyone knows exactly what is passing through their neighborhoods.\nNorth Dakota's Industrial Commission moved to require all Bakken crude oil producers to remove the most volatile components from the oil before it is shipped, making it even safer than current federal regulations call for. Stabilizing the oil reduces the vapor pressure within the tanks, making the oil less combustible.\nRep. Kind has been a vocal advocate for improved rail safety in Wisconsin and nationally. This summer, Rep. Kind sent a letter to DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx asking that his agency explore stabilizing crude oil before it is shipped. A copy of that letter can be read here. He followed up with a September letter to the DOT and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration with several suggestions for improving the safety of oil transportation, including improved tank car standards, reduced train speeds, increased transparency about tank car contents, and oil stabilization. That letter can be read here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-for-action-to-prevent-international-violence-and-discrimination-against-women", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for Action to Prevent International Violence and Discrimination Against Women", "2014-12-10", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for Action to Prevent International Violence and Discrimination Against Women \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Highlights discriminatory national laws in Iran and the recent spate of heinous acid attacks against Iranian women\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to call for action to help prevent international violence and discrimination against women and girls. Sent during the \u201c16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,\u201d the letter expresses deep concerns for the continued violation of the fundamental human rights of women and girls around the world and urges Secretary Kerry to prioritize a country's treatment of women and girls in our diplomatic relationships. Today, December 10, 2014 is Human Rights Day.\r\n\u201cThis year's 16 Days of Activism provides an excellent opportunity to remember that a country's success is directly related to how it treats women and girls. That is why it is critical that American foreign policy continues to focus on eliminating gender-based violence and discrimination, including through the effective implementation of existing relevant initiatives. I look forward to working with you toward this goal,\u201d Senator Baldwin wrote to Secretary Kerry.\r\nAccording to the United Nations (UN), up to seventy percent of women experience violence in their lifetime, harming families, communities, and entire countries by severely limiting the ability of women to fully participate in public life.\r\nIn the letter, Senator Baldwin highlighted discriminatory national laws in Iran and the recent spate of heinous acid attacks against Iranian women, as well as forced and early marriage of girls in multiple African countries.\r\nIn Iran, where adultery is still punishable by death, and women cannot be in public without hijab, recent events like the execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari and serial acid attacks against women have reinforced the critical linkage between discriminatory national laws and the safety of women and girls. The recent spate of heinous acid attacks against Iranian women followed a parliamentary bill that encouraged private citizens to enforce Iranian \"morality\" laws. These \"morality\" laws represent a wide range of legal restrictions designed to prevent women from fully engaging in public life, and they have long served as state-sanctioned oppression against women. According to the UN, 66 percent of Iranian women have reportedly experienced domestic violence.\r\nForced and early marriage of girls is another critical human rights issue that could be positively impacted by improving national laws. This is especially true in Africa, where 15 of the 20 countries with the highest rate of child marriage are located.\r\nSenator Baldwin also applauded the Obama Administration's efforts to combat gender-based violence and called for further progress on the matter.\r\nAn online version of the letter can be found here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-ron-kind-statement-cia-torture-report", "Rep. Ron Kind: Statement on CIA Torture Report", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) made the following statement regarding the report released today about the use of torture (a.k.a. enhanced interrogation techniques) by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA):\nThis report found that the use of torture was much more pervasive than the previous Administration had led us to believe.\nThis is the kind of behavior our enemies engage in, behavior that we as a nation can never accept. We have a responsibility to promote human rights and civil liberties across the globe, and for us to have any credibility, we need to come to grips with our past and take ownership of our mistakes. This is what great nations and a great democracy like ours must do from time to time  airing our dirty laundry no matter how uneasy and uncomfortable it makes us. We cannot simply sweep the past under the rug.\nIn numerous classified briefings, I asked for more information on the use of enhanced interrogation, only to be stonewalled by intelligence leaders. Then, in 2012, I visited Afghanistan and spent time with our special forces who worked in interrogation centers. I asked them about the effectiveness of enhanced interrogation, and they all agreed that these methods are unreliable, that they yield no useful information, and that there are better ways to extract information from prisoners.\nThis report should be used to shine light on our mistakes and lead us to better national security policies. Our intelligence officials play a vital role in keeping America safe  let's give them the tools they need to protect us while adhering to the values upon which our nation was founded.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=58c66a3e-ee2c-487f-b1a4-b3c368066a41", "ICYMI: Johnson to Kerry: 'Why Has the Administration Not Sent Us a Draft Proposal?'", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson had the opportunity to hear from Secretary of State John Kerry today. Sen. Johnson\u2019s questioning of Secretary Kerry focused on the U.S. authorization for the use of military force against ISIS and whether Congress ought to receive a plan from the president and his administration on how to deal with the threat. You can watch their exchange here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=6978cde6-aa0f-4c78-af3e-875744823d85", "Foreign Relations Hearing on Use of Military Force Against ISIS", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington\u00a0\u2013 Sen. Johnson will have an opportunity to hear from Secretary of State John Kerry today at a 1 p.m. CT Foreign Relations Committee hearing. Sen. Johnson\u2019s questioning for Secretary Kerry will focus on the U.S. authorization for the use of military force against ISIS.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat: Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the use of military force against ISIS.\r\nWhen: Today, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. CT\r\nWatch live: Foreign Relations Committee Channel here\r\nNote: A clip of the questioning will be sent around in the form of an ICYMI shortly following.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=f6b35cc3-bbe6-4dbd-ab64-ff0c3356ae51", "ICYMI: Senator Johnson on 'The Rundown'", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson appeared Tuesday morning on MSNBC\u2019s \"The Rundown\"\u00a0to discuss the upcoming Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the authorization for use of military force against ISIS. Watch here.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/in-the-news/senators-demand-obama-get-permission-for-war-against-isis", "Senators Demand Obama Get Permission For War Against ISIS", "2014-12-08", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.08.14\n\t\t\t Senators Demand Obama Get Permission For War Against ISIS \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTwo progressive senators declared Friday that President Barack Obama lacks authority for his growing war on the Islamic State, and are demanding that he immediately present Congress with a plan and a request seeking that authority.\r\nMany members of Congress have been seeking a debate and vote on the president's military actions in Iraq and Syria, but a new letter being sent Friday by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) marks the strongest demand yet from the left that Obama request explicit authority for the fight.\r\nHouse Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has called repeatedly on Obama to make such a request, but has rebuffed members of his own caucus, as well as Democrats who think Congress should take matters into its own hands rather than let the White House proceed as it wishes.\r\nBaldwin and Schatz agree with most members of Congress and the administration that the Islamic State threatens U.S. interests, but argue that Obama should stop dithering.\r\n\"While we must take action to combat the threat posed by ISIL, we do not believe that you possess sufficient authority to undertake the current U.S. military campaign against ISIL,\" the write in their letter, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State, which is more commonly known as ISIS.\r\n\"In addition, we are extremely concerned that the current operation lacks measurable goals, benchmarks of success and a clear scope,\" they write. \"Therefore, we are writing to request that you immediately submit for Congressional consideration a proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) specific to the war against ISIL.\"\r\nThe administration has argued that it can use the AUMF passed in 2001 authorizing the U.S. to target the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks, as well as the 2002 AUMF authorizing the military to topple Saddam Hussein.\r\nBut Baldwin and Schatz disagree, noting that Hussein and Osama Bin Laden have nothing to do with ISIS.\r\n\"We also believe you have the responsibility to make a case to the American people for war, and a vital step in this process is the submission of a formal AUMF to Congress,\" they write, warning that the nation is running a risk of slipping into a new, open-ended war with no end in sight.\r\n\"The Administration has not clearly articulated its long-term strategy nor the scope and duration of military actions required to support it,\" they write.\r\nRead the whole letter here.\r\nThe White House did not comment directly on the senators' request, pointing instead to comments by White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, who said Thursday that Obama does have authority, because although ISIS did not exist in 2001, it has links to parts of al Qaeda, and it has similar goals.\r\n\"There is clear legal authority for the President to take the actions that he\u2019s already taken,\" Earnest said, retreating to the position of asking Congress to go first. \"What he has sought from Congress is an authorization to use military force that could be modernized and right-sized to reflect the current threat that we face from ISIL.\"\r\nSens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Angus King (I-Maine) have also been vocal critics of the war on ISIS, and Kaine has offered a bill that would grant Obama limited authority to conduct it.\r\nDemocrats and some Republicans tried to attach a similar measure to the National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House Thursday, but where blocked. The $585 billion bill sets the parameters for America's military spending and programs. The Senate is taking up that bill next week.\r\nWhether or not a new AUMF is debated and voted on as part of that bill remains to be seen, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won a promise from Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to have the debate.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t    Michael McAuliff\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tHuffington Post\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/ashland-lighthouse-weathers-final-legislative-storms", "Ashland Lighthouse Weathers Final Legislative Storms", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 U.S. Congressman Sean Duffy (WI-07) praised passage of legislation that included approval for the iconic Ashland Breakwater Light to be transferred from the Coast Guard to the National Park Service:\n\u201cToday, Congress gave the final approval for the Ashland Breakwater Light\u2019s transfer. As the lighthouse prepares to celebrate it\u2019s 100th birthday, this legislation will ensure that it will continue to stand strong on Lake Superior\u2019s shores for another century.\n\u201cI have worked closely with National Park Service staff, as well as the local recreational community, to strike a balance that allows for the transfer of the lighthouse itself while preventing additional Washington rules and regulations from affecting\u00a0any\u00a0recreation on the waters surrounding the Ashland Light.\u201d\nCity of Ashland Mayor, Deb Lewis, also offered her praise for the bill\u2019s passage, \u201cI am delighted that the Ashland Lighthouse will now be included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore along with all the other lighthouses in the area.\u00a0 This will help provide additional economic, tourist, and educational benefits not only for the City of Ashland but for the entire Chequamegon Bay region.\u00a0 Ashland is a city that values its history and this inclusion will allow future visitors and residents to know the story of Ashland\u2019s role in the area.\u00a0 I want to thank Congressman Duffy and Senator Baldwin for successfully working together, along with all the other interested agencies, to accomplish final passage of this bill.\u201d\nThe legislation was included as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act which passed the House of Representatives Thursday by a bipartisan vote of 300 to 119. It is expected to be considered in the Senate next week.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398179", "Chairman-elect Ryan Announces Subcommittee Chairs of House Ways and Means Committee", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014\u00a0 Earlier today, Chairman-elect Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced the subcommittee chairs and assignments for the House Ways and Means Committee for the 114th Congress. Upon making the announcement, Chairman-elect Ryan issued the following statement:\r\n\u201cThe Ways and Means Committee is full of talented men and women, and I have every confidence in our newly elected subcommittee chairs. The American people deserve a government that works for them, and our members will do everything they can to help create jobs and build a healthy economy. I look forward to working with all of them next year.\u201d\r\nThe House Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairs for the 114th Congress are: \r\nSubcommittee on Health\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative Kevin Brady\r\nSubcommittee on Human Resources\t\t\t\tRepresentative Charles Boustany\r\nSubcommittee on Oversight\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative Peter Roskam\r\nSubcommittee on Select Revenue Measures\t\tRepresentative Dave Reichert\r\nSubcommittee on Social Security\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative Sam Johnson\r\nSubcommittee on Trade\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRepresentative Pat Tiberi\r\nThe members of individual Ways and Means Subcommittees are:\r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Health:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Kevin Brady\r\n        Representative Sam Johnson\r\n        Representative Devin Nunes\r\n        Representative Peter Roskam\r\n        Representative Tom Price\r\n        Representative Vern Buchanan\r\n        Representative Adrian Smith\r\n        Representative Lynn Jenkins\r\n        Representative Kenny Marchant\r\n        Representative Diane Black\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Human Resources:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Charles Boustany\r\n        Representative Todd Young\r\n        Representative Tom Reed\r\n        Representative Kristi Noem\r\n        Representative Patrick Meehan\r\n        Representative George Holding\r\n        Representative Jason Smith\u00a0\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Oversight:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Peter Roskam\r\n        Representative Kenny Marchant\r\n        Representative Mike Kelly\r\n        Representative Patrick Meehan\r\n        Representative George Holding\r\n        Representative Jason Smith\r\n        Representative Kristi Noem\u00a0\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Dave Reichert\r\n        Representative Pat Tiberi\r\n        Representative Erik Paulsen\r\n        Representative Tom Reed\r\n        Representative Todd Young\r\n        Representative Mike Kelly\r\n        Representative Jim Renacci\u00a0\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Social Security:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Sam Johnson\r\n        Representative Jim Renacci\r\n        Representative Vern Buchanan\r\n        Representative Aaron Schock\r\n        Representative Tom Reed\r\n        Representative Todd Young\r\n        Representative Mike Kelly\u00a0\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\n \r\n    Subcommittee on Trade:\r\n    \r\n        Representative Pat Tiberi\r\n        Representative Devin Nunes\r\n        Representative Kevin Brady\r\n        Representative Dave Reichert\r\n        Representative Vern Buchanan\r\n        Representative Adrian Smith\r\n        Representative Aaron Schock\r\n        Representative Lynn Jenkins\r\n        Representative Charles Boustany\r\n        Representative Erik Paulsen\r\n    \r\n    \r\n \r\nContact:\u00a0Kevin Seifert,\u00a0Kevin.Seifert@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3031", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/leading-members-of-congress-call-for-real-and-meaningful-labor", "Leading Members of Congress Call for Real and Meaningful Labor Protections in TPP", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Four leading members of Congress today called on United States Trade Representative Michael Froman to ensure \u201creal, meaningfully enforceable labor protections\u201d are included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Democratic Representatives Rosa DeLauro, George Miller, Loretta Sanchez and Mark Pocan also requested a status update from Ambassador Froman so they can better understand what measures and assurances are being discussed as part of the TPP negotiations, which have been conducted largely in secret.\n\u201cFree trade agreements with nations that violate international child labor and forced labor standards not only undermine our moral authority, but they also capitalize on the lack of oversight and regulation in developing nations,\u201d the representatives wrote to Ambassador Froman. \u201cHere in this country, we have fought hard to protect our workers, yet, our free trade policy undermines those protections by sending American jobs to countries that do not play by the rules\u2026The opportunity to get an education and a good paying job are not only American dreams, but global dreams. We have a responsibility to ensure that under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to work in sweatshops to produce the goods we consume. We can and must do better.\u201d\nThis past Monday the Department of Labor\u2019s Bureau of International Labor Affairs released their annual List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor report. Vietnam, Mexico, Peru, and Malaysia, one-third of the nations included in the TPP, were all cited for labor abuses in the report. Vietnam was also one of only four countries in the world cited for using both forced and child labor in their apparel sector.\nRepresentatives of the TPP countries will meet in Washington, DC next week to hold the latest round of negotiations.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-baldwins-apostle-island-measure-moves-forward", "Senator Baldwin’s Apostle Island Measure Moves Forward", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.04.14\n\t\t\t Senator Baldwin\u2019s Apostle Island Measure Moves Forward \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Preserves the history of the iconic Ashland harbor\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin applauded the inclusion of a measure to preserve the history of the iconic Ashland harbor in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. The measure, introduced by Senator Baldwin in bipartisan legislation earlier this year, transfers the Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light from the Coast Guard to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.\r\n\u201cMaintaining our public lands, including our National Parks, is not only important to preserving our history, but is crucial for economic development, outdoor recreation and education in our communities,\u201d said Senator Baldwin. \u201cThe Ashland Light is a public treasure and distinctive marker of Ashland\u2019s role in the region. I\u2019m proud to help preserve the lighthouse so that visitors can continue to experience all of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.\u201d\r\nThe U.S. Coast Guard has been looking for an organization to take over management of the Ashland Breakwater Light, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service, the only public or private entity to express interest in obtaining and maintaining the Ashland Light, is not able to accept a transfer of the property without legislation to provide a boundary adjustment.\r\nBaldwin\u2019s measure included in the NDAA allows for the transfer of the lighthouse from the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard to the National Park Service, which already manages eight light stations on six of the Apostle Islands.\r\nThe House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the NDAA this week and the U.S. Senate will take up the measure next week.\r\nBaldwin serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee which has jurisdiction over the National Park Service. In August of 2013, Baldwin toured the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and met with National Park Service staff to discuss the impact of sequestration on the park, management of the land, historic preservation and tourism.\r\nBackground on the Ashland Light and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore\r\n \r\nThe Ashland Light was built in 1915 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.\r\nAll of the other (six) light stations within the boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (APIS) were transferred to the NPS from the\u00a0 US Coast Guard (USCG) in 1986 as a result of PL 99-497.\u00a0 All six light stations, which include eight standing light towers, are listed on the National Register. \r\nThe Ashland Light was not included in the 1986 transfer because it was not inside the park boundary, the USCG was actively maintaining it, and its future was not at issue at the time.\r\nThe APIS lights, including the Ashland Light, were historically managed by the US Lighthouse Service, then the USCG, as a group.\u00a0 Renowned lighthouse historian F. Ross Holland, Jr.\u00a0 described the lights within the national lakeshore as \u201cthe largest and finest single collection of lighthouses in the country.\u201d\u00a0 (Great American Lighthouses, 1994)\r\nIn the 2011 APIS General Management Plan, the NPS identified seven significance statements for the park which describe the park\u2019s distinctiveness and importance to the nation\u2019s natural and cultural heritage. One of these echoed Holland:\u00a0 \u201cThe Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has the largest and finest collection of lighthouses in the country.\u201d\r\nThe exteriors of all of the historic lights within APIS are publically accessible, and many are open for public educational tours during the visitor season.\u00a0 The NPS provides abundant personal, printed, and electronic information on all aspects of the historic lights and their importance to the nation as part of the park\u2019s public education / visitor enjoyment mission.\r\nAPIS is the premier place in the National Park System for lighthouse historic preservation and education. Incorporating the Ashland Light within APIS would enhance the park\u2019s significance because it would then include all of the nationally-significant historic lights in the region.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=11b511b1-9894-4641-a0d0-8f042bbdd5ff", "Johnson to Host Facebook Q&A on Immigration/Border Security", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson will host a one-hour Facebook Q&A on Wednesday, Dec. 10 beginning at 2 p.m. CT. This is the senator\u2019s first Facebook Q&A. He remarked, \u201cSocial media allows me to stay connected with Wisconsinites while I\u2019m in Washington \u2013 to keep them updated on what I am working on and to keep me informed on what issues are concerning folks in Wisconsin. I look forward to a Facebook discussion on how, together, we can start to address the problems facing America.\u201d See below for specifics related to the event.\u00a0\r\nDate: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014  Time: 2 p.m. \u2013 3 p.m. CT  Topic: Immigration and border security  Note: Facebook account is required to participate.\u00a0\r\nHow it works: -\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Log on to Facebook and like Sen. Ron Johnson\u2019s Facebook page.  -\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Once Sen. Johnson begins his Facebook Q&A discussion, you can ask a question in the comment section beneath the post.  -\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sen. Johnson will answer questions as they come in by responding in the comment section. He will answer as many questions as he can during the one-hour event.\r\n###\u00a0\r\nParticipants must like Sen. Ron Johnson\u2019s Facebook page in order to ask questions during the discussion. Otherwise, participants are welcome to just follow along.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1187", "House Passes Critical Housing Assistance for Native Americans", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By\u00a0Arnold Peltz\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAs the U.S. Congress wrapped up work before the August recess, the House of Representatives voted to approve the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act (H.R. 850). The bill passed by a bi-partisan majority of 400-20, with every member of Wisconsin\u2019s delegation voting in favor.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWisconsin, and the rest of Congress, sent a strong message to the Islamic Republic of Iran by authorizing the toughest sanctions yet, a critical step to cripple that country\u2019s nuclear program.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMilwaukee Rep. Gwen Moore (D) deserves credit for voting in favor of this bill, a demonstration of her steadfast commitment to preventing a nuclear-capable Iran and the likely proliferation of nuclear weapons development that would follow across the entire Middle East, which is not the most stable region in the world.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe bill \u2014 authored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) \u2014 would, among other things, tighten sanctions on foreign entities that continue trading with Iran and would pressure other countries to further reduce their imports of oil from Iran.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tIn addition to targeting Iran\u2019s nuclear program, the legislation also aims to punish Iranian officials responsible for serious human rights abuses.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAlthough the window may be closing, as Iran enriches more and more uranium and installs more advanced centrifuges, we may still have a chance to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe Nuclear Iran Prevention Act will continue the U.S. policy of working towards negotiations while increasing pressure of sanctions and political isolation until change occurs. Moore and the entire Wisconsin delegation understood the imperative of this bill, and we thank them for their vote.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-announces-national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-for-madison-and", "Pocan Announces National Endowment for the Arts Grants for Madison and Reedsburg", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded grants to the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Reedsburg\u2019s Wormfarm Institute Inc. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art received $25,000 to support the exhibition and residency \"Eric and Heather ChanSchatz: In Process.\u201d Wormfarm Institute Inc. received $40,000 to support their Farm/Art DTour, a 50-mile self-guided drive through art installations in the working farmlands of Sauk County.\n\u201cSouth central Wisconsin has a great art scene and these grants only further validate our community as a destination for the creative arts,\u201d said Representative Pocan. \u201cI am thrilled to see these two institutions recognized on a national level for their outstanding contributions to the arts and to our greater community.\nIn its first fiscal year 2015 announcement, the NEA will award $29.13 million in 1,118 grants in three categories: Art Works, Challenge America, and NEA Literature Fellowships in Creative Writing. The NEA was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-nominates-south-central-wisconsin-students-for-united-states", "Pocan Nominates South Central Wisconsin Students for United States Service Academies", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today announced the nomination of outstanding students from Wisconsin\u2019s 2nd Congressional District to the Class of 2019 at the United States Service Academies.\n\u201cIt is an honor to nominate these exceptional students to attend our nation\u2019s service academies and become the future leaders in our military,\u201d said Rep. Pocan. \u201cOur nation\u2019s service academies offer top tier academics and an experience unlike any other college. All the nominees are bright and dedicated students who have demonstrated extraordinary academic achievement and their commitment to serving our country. I wish each of them the best of luck in their pursuit of an appointment and in all of their future endeavors.\u201d\nRep. Pocan assembled a board of volunteers comprised of community leaders as well as active and retired service members from south central Wisconsin to assist with the evaluation of the applicants from the 2nd Congressional District. After the completion of the application process, the nomination board recommended the following students, who were then nominated by Rep. Pocan.\nNominations to the service academy classes of 2019 are as follows:\nUnited States Air Force Academy\nTaylor Boegel \u2013 Stoughton High School\nKainoa Chun-Moy \u2013 Sun Prairie High School\nMatthew Jensen \u2013 Deerfield High School\nMaverick Wilhite \u2013 Madison Lafollette High School\nUnited States Naval Academy\nMaxwell Cardwell \u2013 Madison West High School\nColin Cassidy \u2013 Edgewood High School\nColin Dean \u2013 Culver Academy\nJoseph Duff \u2013 Middleton High School\nGrant Karlsson Ellifson \u2013 Madison Lafollette High School\nMatthew Marsland \u2013 St. Ambrose Academy\nRory Slattery \u2013 Middleton High School\nUnited States Military Academy at West Point\nJames Pontius \u2013 Sun Prairie High School\nNoah Roberts \u2013 Verona High School\nThomas Schuette \u2013 Sun Prairie High School  \n\t\u00a0\n*Nomination does not guarantee acceptance. The academies make final decisions on appointments of admission.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2034", "House Passes Critical Housing Assistance for Native Americans", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The passage of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act Reauthorization of 2014 (NAHASDA) is a victory for our proud Native American brothers and sisters and for those committed to making America a more prosperous and equitable place to call home. I am proud of my Democratic and Republican colleagues for uniting behind our shared goal of strengthening Native American communities through tribal housing.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to the bipartisan passage of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act Reauthorization of 2014 (NAHASDA), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released the following statement:  \"The passage of the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act Reauthorization of 2014 (NAHASDA) is a victory for our proud Native American brothers and sisters and for those committed to making America a more prosperous and equitable place to call home. I am proud of my Democratic and Republican colleagues for uniting behind our shared goal of strengthening Native American communities through tribal housing.  \"This piece of critical legislation will help expand access to affordable housing and includes several vital reforms that will reinforce Native American sovereignty and provide the platform necessary to thrive on tribal land. Now, we can finally help tribal communities across the nation focus less on administrative requirements and bureaucratic red tape and more on innovation and expanding employment opportunities for generations to come.  \"Today's successful reauthorization is a refreshing example of what is possible when Democrats and Republicans are willing to set aside their differences and find common ground. I urge those in the Senate to follow in our footsteps and swiftly adopt this legislation.\"  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kind-announces-99032-grant-provide-locally-grown-meals-sparta-tomah", "Rep. Kind Announces $99,032 Grant to Provide Locally Grown Meals to Sparta, Tomah, and Norwalk_Ontario_Wilton School District Students", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) announced today that Wisconsin is getting $294,596 in Farm to School grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including $99,032 for the Sparta Area School District. The grants will be used to increase access to fresh produce for students, providing an economic boost for local family farms.\nIt's hard to develop a healthy mind without a healthy body, so helping schools provide fresh, nutritious meals will encourage good eating habits and keep our students healthy during these critical formative years, said Rep. Kind. Connecting school cafeterias to local farms will bring communities together by boosting local economies and giving young people an appreciation for our agricultural heritage.\nThe Sparta Area School District project will expand access to fresh produce and bolster healthy eating for schools in the Sparta, Tomah, and Norwalk?Ontario?Wilton school districts. Specifically, the grant helps develop a plan to serve more locally and regionally harvested meats, produce and grains, equip school kitchens with the tools they need to prepare fresh produce, and educate students about their local and regional food options.\nThe Healthy Hunger?Free Kids Act of 2010 authorized and funded the USDA to establish the Farm to School program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//media-center/enewsletters/in-this-season-of-giving", "In this season of giving...", "2014-12-01", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear friends,\nThe last of the relatives have departed and the Thanksgiving leftovers are\u00a0almost gone. As we turn our attention to tree cutting and gift giving, it is can be easy to forget about the people in our community who do not have a home to gather in, or the means to prepare a holiday meal. Often when we think of hunger and homelessness we imagine urban, high population centers like Madison or Milwaukee, but it is a very\u00a0prevalent problem in rural communities across America and the 7th Congressional District is no exception.\u00a0\nOnce again, I will host a Hunger & Homelessness Summit to bring community and government organizations together to tackle this issue in our own backyard.\u00a0I hope you will join us.\nLast year\u2019s summit proved to be both productive and necessary. It brought together community leaders from all sides of the district, many of which had never met before, and started a conversation about how we can stamp out hunger and homelessness in our state.\u00a0Those talks translated into a legislative fix that I was glad to successfully fight to have included in an Appropriations measure this year. \u00a0While it was a great start, there is still much work to be done.\nI am very excited about the schedule for this summit. We will again bring together local government officials, economic development associations, non-profits, religious organizations, and government agencies, but it will also feature speakers from other states who have experienced success curbing homelessness in their communities.\nThis summit is open to anyone with an interest in the issue. For more details, or to register, please click below:\nRep. Duffy\u2019s 2nd\u00a0Annual Hunger & Homelessness Summit\nTuesday, December 16th,\u00a02014\u2028; Check in begins at 8am\nWITC Conference Center; \u20281019 South Knowles Avenue\u2028,\u00a0\nNew Richmond, WI \u00a054017\nREGISTER\u00a0\nTo register, click\u00a0here\u00a0or call 715-808-8160\nThank you to the countless men and women in our community who have devoted so much time to stamping out hunger and homelessness: Every little bit is making a very big difference in the lives of a great many people.\nI wish you and yours a blessed holiday season. Until next week\u2026\nHave a great week,\n\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sean", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-calls-for-postal-service-to-postpone-closings", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for Postal Service to Postpone Closings", "2014-12-01", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.01.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for Postal Service to Postpone Closings \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Bipartisan Group of Senators Demand Delay of Mail Processing Facilities Consolidation\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and a bipartisan group of her colleagues today demanded a delay in the planned consolidation of up to 82 U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail processing facilities after the USPS Inspector General found the Postal Service failed to fulfill its obligations to adequately study the impact of the consolidations, and failed to inform the public of those impacts.\r\n\u201cWe strongly urge the USPS to delay implementation of any mail processing consolidations until feasibility studies are completed and there has been adequate time for public comment and consideration of those comments,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cCompleted feasibility studies should include service standard impacts worksheets based on the revised service standards expected to be published on January 5, 2015. There is no reason that the USPS cannot delay its consolidations to provide time for the public to see and comment on the service standard worksheets. It is only fair to allow the process to unfold in this way, and the USPS gains little by deciding to continue the consolidation process on its current, arbitrary timeline.\u201d\r\nThe letter was drafted and circulated by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and signed by Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND),\u00a0 Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Mark Pryor (D-AK), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Walsh (D-MT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).\r\nIn August, Senator Baldwin led a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 51 senators that called for a one-year moratorium on U.S. Postal Service plans to close mail processing plants and slow down first-class mail delivery. The letter urged leaders of a key Senate committee to include a one-year ban on mail delivery cuts as part of must-pass legislation to keep the government running into the new fiscal year that began in October of 2014.\r\nThe letter to the Postmaster General can be found online here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=d9077d0e-3e7e-4187-bb22-15a3593fae91", "Johnson Announces Staff Mobile Office Hours", "2014-12-01", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson announced today that his staff would be available for mobile office hours at the dates and locations listed below. These office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press. Recording devices of any kind are not allowed. These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\nThursday, Dec. 11, 1 p.m. \u2013 2 p.m.  Clinton Village Hall  301 Cross St., Clinton\r\nFriday, Dec. 12, 1 p.m. \u2013 2 p.m.  Boscobel City Hall  1006 Wisconsin Ave., Boscobel\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205203648/http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397670", "Second Open Enrollment Period, Obamacare Still a Disaster", "2014-11-25", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "F. Sensenbrenner", "S000244", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cIf you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan,\u201d President Obama promised. \u201cYour premiums will go down.\u201dIt\u2019s been over four years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was passed into law and in the midst of the second Open Enrollment Period, the President\u2019s promises remain empty. I have heard from many of you in the Fifth District about sharp increases in premiums, drastic decreases in coverage and frustrating encounters with enrollment. A November Gallup survey reveals that only 37 percent of Americans approve of Obamacare at the start of the second enrollment period, while 56 percent disapprove of the law. Under the Affordable Care Act our health care system is nothing short of a disaster and coverage is far from \u201caffordable.\u201d A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research from September shows that Obamacare has caused insurance premiums to increase for individuals in 45 states, including Wisconsin. The study also reports that in the first half of 2014, premiums went up 24.4 percent more for individuals than they would have without the implementation of the ACA.  Thousands of Americans are being told they must switch doctors and providers to comply with coverage regulations, while hundreds of employers are worried about restricting hiring practices and lowering employees\u2019 hours to comply with the pending employer mandate. As of September 2014, at least 10 employers with over 50 full-time employees in Wisconsin have already cut hours of part-time workers to avoid the 30-hour-per-week threshold that requires them to provide coverage under the employer mandate. By reducing competition and limiting patient choice, insurance and health care providers have little incentive to lower costs or increase the quality of care under Obamacare. The American people end up paying more and getting less. Additionally, the Obama Administration has added tax hikes to the already expensive program, like the 2.3 percent medical device sales tax, and wasted taxpayer money on the disastrous healthcare.gov roll out. The results of the election made it clear that the American people don\u2019t approve of the Democrat agenda and are ready for real change. House Republicans have passed over 20 bills to amend, defund and repeal the ACA since its enactment, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has refused to let the Senate vote on many of them. I hope the President will work with the House and the Senate under Mitch McConnell\u2019s leadership to fix our health care system with sensible reforms that reflect the will of the American people. Please send a letter to my DC office (2449 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4905) or attend one of my Town Hall meetings in Wisconsin to share your experience with Obamacare. Watch for a complete list of meetings on my website (www.sensenbrenner.house.gov) when they begin again in January. I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205204857/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-stands-up-for-military-families-and-backs-dod-plan-for-better-protection-from-abusive-financial-practices", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Stands up for Military Families and Backs DOD Plan for Better Protection from Abusive Financial Practices", "2014-11-25", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Stands up for Military Families and Backs DOD Plan for Better Protection from Abusive Financial Practices\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 25, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined a group of 40 Senate colleagues in supporting the Department of Defense\u2019s (DOD) plan to update the Military Lending Act (MLA) and close existing loopholes in order to better protect soldiers and their families from abusive financial practices. The letter, sent to U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, expresses strong support for the proposed new rule to help prevent lenders from charging excessive fees and taking advantage of military families.\n\u201cAs our service members are asked to take on even more tasks in defense of our nation, we should take every opportunity to protect them and their families here at home, especially from unscrupulous lenders,\u201d the Senators wrote.\u00a0 \u201cWe strongly support the proposed MLA rule and urge that the final MLA rule be similarly robust in enhancing protections for service members and their families, producing significant cost savings for DOD, and improving military readiness.\u201d\nFollowing a 2006 Pentagon report that found that \u201cpredatory lending undermines military readiness, harms the morale of troops and their families, and adds to the cost of fielding an all-volunteer fighting force,\u201d Congress passed the MLA.\u00a0 This law capped the annual interest rates for consumer credit to service members and their dependents at 36% while giving DOD the authority to define what loans should be covered.\u00a0 The DOD\u2019s 2007 implementing regulations narrowly included only three types of loans: (1) payday loans: closed-end loans with terms of 91 days or fewer, for $2,000 or less; (2) auto title loans: closed-end loans with terms of 181 days or fewer; and (3) refund anticipation loans: closed-end credit.\nIn the proposed changes to the MLA, first announced in September, DOD seeks to close existing loopholes in the current MLA rule.\u00a0 Today\u2019s letter voices strong support for the proposed rule, arguing that the changes strike a better balance between protecting service members and their families while maintaining access to good credit.\u00a0\nThe letter was led by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and was joined by U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-CO), Carl Levin (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Warner (D-VA), Al Franken (D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Jon Tester (D-MT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Kay Hagan (D-NC), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The signatories include every Democratic member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.\nThe comment period for the proposed rule was recently extended and ends on December 26, 2014.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-statement-on-the-iran-nuclear-negotiations", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Iran Nuclear Negotiations", "2014-11-25", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "www.baldwin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.25.14\n\t\t\t U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on the Iran Nuclear Negotiations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin released the following statement today on Iran Nuclear Negotiations:\r\n\u201cIt is in America\u2019s national security interest to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons capabilities.\u00a0 I continue to believe the diplomatic path\u2014backed by tough international sanctions and a robust compliance regime\u2014is the best option available to achieve that outcome.\u00a0 The negotiations, which now have been extended, will continue to be governed by an agreement that secures from Iran concessions that amount to the first meaningful limits on its nuclear program in nearly a decade.\u00a0 Progress was made during this negotiating period, so I believe it\u2019s better for our national security to continue working for an agreement and keeping the pressure on Iran, than to walk away. While I recognize there are complex challenges to reach a long-term solution, I remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached that verifiably prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Press Release\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Press Release", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-to-president-critical-access-hospitals-are-critical-to-rural-america", "Duffy to President: Critical Access Hospitals are Critical to Rural America", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Leads Bipartisan Group of 45 Lawmakers in Appeal to President Obama\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0led an effort with 45 Members of Congress to ask President Obama to refrain from including arbitrary cuts to Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in his upcoming budget request.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tIn their appeal, the lawmakers state, \"CAHs play an important role in communities by providing access to primary, emergency, and acute care services. Further, CAHs offer economic security and quality jobs in rural areas across the nation. Budget cuts directed at CAHs in previous years have threatened their ability to act as a safety net for hundreds of thousands of Americans living in rural communities.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1186", "Frustration Justified in Ferguson Grand Jury Decision", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Ginger Gibson\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tHouse Democrats have a plan to advance a gay rights bill that Speaker John Boehner has already declared dead: shaming Republicans.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tIt\u2019s a strategy that has worked well for Democrats in the past. A campaign to pressure Republicans into reauthorizing an expanded version of the Violence Against Women Act forced the leadership to put the bill on the floor in February and allow it to pass with mostly Democratic votes.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tDemocrats hope to use the same playbook to push the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tVAWA \u201cwas about shaming people into voting for what was the right thing to do,\u201d said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). \u201cIt\u2019s a strategy that works.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tHouse Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi still gloats about the VAWA strategy, telling MSNBC recently that her party \u201cmade that bill too hot for the Republicans to handle.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tENDA would ban workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. It passed the Senate last week with the help of 10 Republicans.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBut the bill faces a tougher fight in the GOP House, where lawmakers have raised concerns about the legislation sparking lawsuits and hurting religious institutions. A senior House Republican aide dismissed the idea that ENDA could be a sequel to VAWA.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThere is no comparison,\u201d the aide said. \u201cThe House had already passed a VAWA bill, and the differences with the Senate bill \u2014 while important \u2014 were relatively small. Also, the underlying issue had far broader public support.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tIt\u2019s true that ENDA faces a far different political landscape than VAWA. Boehner has already said he opposes ENDA and aides have said a vote is unlikely \u2014 a more defined statement than during the VAWA debate. In fact, the push to reauthorize VAWA \u2014 initially signed into law in 1994 \u2014 already enjoyed widespread support among House Republicans, something that can\u2019t be said for ENDA.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe trouble for VAWA only began once Senate Democrats expanded the law to include protections for LGBT and Native American women.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBut Democrats were able to overcome that by tapping into post-election GOP anxiety about losing female voters. It\u2019s harder for Democrats to exploit concerns among Republicans about losing GOP voters.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWhen it comes to ENDA, conservative opponents find fault with what they see as a path to legalizing gay marriage, something they staunchly oppose.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThese differences, unlike VAWA, are ideological,\u201d said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who can\u2019t vote on the legislation but supported both bills.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tSome Democrats are acknowledging the challenges, noting that VAWA has an impact on a far broader swath of voters than ENDA.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cIn terms of numbers, with Violence Against Women Act, we\u2019re talking about slightly more than half of America,\u201d said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). \u201cThis is a smaller subset of the American population but it\u2019s a principle that is equally important.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBut Norton said the LGBT population\u2019s smaller size isn\u2019t necessarily a disadvantage.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201c[The LGBT community] used all of the hooks of democracy and those hooks do not involve them being the majority of the population, but they know how to lobby, they know how to give money, they know how to bring people out,\u201d Norton said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAnd supporters of the legislation point out that while LGBT individuals might constitute a smaller group, ENDA\u2019s backers have made an effort to build a broad coalition that includes young people, the business community and civil rights groups.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cThe ENDA supporters have worked tirelessly, shored up support,\u201d DeLauro said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, who led the Democratic effort to pass VAWA in the House, said it was vital to win the support of at least some Republicans to move that legislation. She worked closely with Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who she said applied heavy pressure on Republican leadership to allow a vote.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWhile ENDA has Republican backers, it still lacks the same kind of heavy support from a veteran Republican.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cIn the House of Representatives, we really, on the Republican side, need that same kind of internal pressure,\u201d Moore said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThis is to say nothing of perhaps the biggest hurdle for ENDA in the House: the calendar.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe VAWA debate culminated in a vote just a month after the new Congress convened \u2014 virtually as far away from the next election as possible. But ENDA is slowly creeping into 2014, when getting anything passed ahead of an election becomes more difficult.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tBut Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) argues that once House members get clear of the possibility of primary challengers in the spring, it could make getting a vote on the bill easier.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI think there is going to be less of the fear of a constant challenge of a tea party challenge in a primary that I think has frozen some people from making some good decisions,\u201d he said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tOthers are taking the long view. DeLauro points out that some bills require repeated attempts.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cSometimes it takes years to pass legislation,\u201d she said.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tCORRECTION: An earlier version of this report incorrectly reported that Speaker John Boehner has said he won\u2019t allow a vote on ENDA. Boehner has said he opposes ENDA, and aides have said a vote is unlikely.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398177", "Chairman-elect Ryan Makes Staff Appointments at House Ways and Means Committee", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC - Incoming Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Paul Ryan (R-WI) today named three veteran aides to senior positions at the Committee. Joyce Meyer will serve as the Committee's staff director; Austin Smythe will be the policy director; and Brendan Buck will serve as communications director. Upon the appointments, Chairman-elect Ryan released the following statement:\r\n\"This group brings the talent and experience needed to help the members of this committee get our economy back on track. And they have my trust.\u00a0We have a lot of work to do on behalf of the American people, and I'm eager to get started with such a great team.\"\r\nJoyce Meyer will be staff director, overseeing all functions of the committee. Meyer brings 21 years of experience on Capitol Hill.\u00a0 She has been a senior aide to Congressman Ryan since he was first elected to the House, having served as his chief of staff in his Washington, DC office. She grew up in Wisconsin and has been a primary advisor on tax policy and other legislative issues for Ryan.\u00a0 She\u00a0 was also a member of Chairman Ryan's traveling staff during the Romney-Ryan presidential campaign. Before working under the congressman, she worked with Ryan for former Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), as well as former Congressman Scott Klug (R-WI).\r\nAustin Smythe, new policy director, currently serves as the staff director of the House Budget Committee, a position he's held since 2007. There, Smythe worked under Chairman Ryan to develop and pass pro-growth, balanced budgets. Prior to joining the House Budget Committee staff, Smythe spent six years at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the White House, serving as the Executive Associate Director and, in the summer of 2003, acting Director of OMB.\u00a0 He also served for many years at the Senate Budget Committee.\r\nBrendan Buck is a former press secretary for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and served as press secretary to Chairman Ryan on the Romney-Ryan presidential campaign. He has also been a spokesman for now-Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), incoming Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA), the Republican Study Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee. He is currently Vice President of Communications at America's Health Insurance Plans.\r\nMeyer's and Buck's appointments will be effective at the start of the 114th Congress, while Smythe will join the Ways and Means staff after assisting in the transition at the House Budget Committee. Additional staff announcements will follow.\u00a0\r\nContact: Kevin Seifert, Kevin.Seifert@mail.house.gov, 202-225-3031", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/federal-and-county-officials-promote-affordable-care-act-open-enrollment", "Federal and County Officials Promote Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Region V HHS Director Kathleen Falk encouraged Wisconsinites to sign-up for new, affordable health care plans or renew their existing plans during the Affordable Care Act\u2019s open enrollment period. Open enrollment for 2015 began on November 15 and runs through February 15, but individuals who want their coverage to begin on January 1 must sign up by December 15.\nMore information on Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment and local resources are available here.\n\u201cThe Affordable Care Act is working. It is expanding access to health care, lowering the cost of health insurance plans, and improving quality of care for Wisconsinites.\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan. \u201cThis year, there are many new, affordable options in the Health Insurance Marketplace for Wisconsin. If you already have coverage from the Marketplace, make sure you are getting the best deal, by going to www.healthcare.gov and checking out the new options. With more plans to choose from this year, you may find a new plan that saves you more money through tax credits, offers more services, or includes more doctors.\u201d\n\u201cThe Affordable Care Act is working for Wisconsin thanks to the reforms we put in place four years ago. Nearly 140,000 Wisconsinites signed up for private health insurance coverage through the marketplace as of May. The first year of enrollment exceeded expectations and more people in Wisconsin now have health insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act. We now have an opportunity to build on that success,\u201d U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said. \u201cWe know that some politicians will carry on their calls for repealing the Affordable Care Act because they want the health care law to fail. But we aren\u2019t going to repeal health insurance for 140,000 Wisconsinites and we are not going back to the days when insurance companies could drop your coverage because you get sick, get older, or have a baby. We aren\u2019t going back to the days when insurance companies were charging whatever they want when you get sick and jacking up premiums and deductibles because of a preexisting condition. We are going to move heath care reform forward because the American people deserve to know their coverage will be there when they need it most.\u201d\n\u201cMy goal is that all Dane County residents \u2013 without exception -- have quality, affordable health care,\u201d Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said. \u201cI am grateful to our staff and volunteers who are helping people sign up for health insurance coverage at locations throughout Dane County, including our Dane County Job Center. I urge our community to help spread the word that now is the time to sign up for health insurance during open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act.\u201d\n\u201dGreat Progress that about 10 million more people have insurance now than a year ago,\u201d said Region V HHS Director Kathleen Falk. \u201cBut there are still many uninsured in the Dane County area. Surveys show a majority of the uninsured do not know there is this important opportunity for them to obtain affordable, quality health care from now until February 15 \u2013 with the need to purchase by December 15 for coverage to start January 1. And we encourage people who enrolled last year to shop again this year because there are even more insurers to choose from in Wisconsin.\u201d\n\u201cThe Affordable Care Act has greatly improved my life. My best health care insurance option used to be almost twice what my premium is now,\u201d said Oma Vic McMurray, a Madison resident and child care provider. \u201cThe problem was that I could not afford to see a doctor using my previous health care plan because my deductible was so high. Basically, I was betting I might need catastrophic health care someday more than I needed to see a doctor when I was sick. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I now have a health care plan that is truly affordable. With my current plan, not only do I get to see a doctor when I need to, but my prescriptions are affordable too. I also get a reimbursement from my health care provider as a benefit for participating in a \u2018Wellness program\u2019.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cThe Affordable Care Act is not just improving my access to health care, it has made my life much more humane,\u201d continued Oma Vic McMurray. \u201cFeeling well does bring a greater sense of joy in my life, which is important in the work I do with children. I am so grateful for the Affordable Care Act for what it has given to me, my family and my whole community.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1976", "Frustration Justified in Ferguson Grand Jury Decision", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Frustration Justified in Ferguson Grand Jury Decision \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington, DC,\r\n        November 24, 2014\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        The grief and frustration of the American people is justified and understandable, especially as we struggle to address the highly polarized relationship between law enforcement and young black men. The unnecessary loss of Michael Brown's young life should urge all Americans to recommit to reconciliation during this dark time. As we reflect on the grand jury's decision, let us move toward honoring the dignity and value of Michael's life. The Brown family continues to be in my thoughts and prayers.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n       Washington, DC  In response to the decision of the Ferguson Grand Jury not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released the following statement:  \"The grief and frustration of the American people is justified and understandable, especially as we struggle to address the highly polarized relationship between law enforcement and young black men. The unnecessary loss of Michael Brown's young life should urge all Americans to recommit to reconciliation during this dark time. As we reflect on the grand jury's decision, let us move toward honoring the dignity and value of Michael's life. The Brown family continues to be in my thoughts and prayers.\"  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205202721/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-applauds-usda-action-to-support-wisconsin-cranberry-growers-", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds USDA Action to Support Wisconsin Cranberry Growers", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds USDA Action to Support Wisconsin Cranberry Growers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCo-Chair of Congressional Cranberry Caucus Led Bipartisan Effort Calling for a USDA Cranberry Purchase\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 24, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a strong supporter of Wisconsin\u2019s agriculture economy and co-chair of the Congressional Cranberry Caucus, today applauded U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack\u2019s announcement of a purchase of up to 68 million pounds, or 680,000 barrels, of cranberries. The announcement comes after Senator Baldwin led a bipartisan letter advocating for cranberry growers in Wisconsin and across the country.\n\u201cWisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state. In a state that depends on agriculture to support hundreds of thousands of jobs and communities small and large, it\u2019s essential that we provide our growers with the tools and resources they need to continue to succeed,\u201d said Senator Baldwin. \u201cThe USDA\u2019s cranberry purchase will support cranberry growers at a time when the markets are especially tough. I will continue to advocate for efforts that strengthen Wisconsin\u2019s agriculture industry and grow our rural economies.\u201d\u00a0\nThe U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Agriculture Marketing Service announced that Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved a purchase of up to $55 million worth of cranberry products.\u00a0 The authorization could cover up to 68 million pounds, or 680,000 barrels, of cranberries. In the next few months, the agency will put out procurement notices for specific products they want to purchase.\nThe bipartisan letter to Secretary Vilsack asked the USDA to consider a purchase of cranberries to mitigate the impact of a cranberry oversupply on growers at no cost to the taxpayer. The program is funded through customs receipts and the products purchased are provided to food pantries, which distribute the products to families in need. In addition, the cranberry industry has also worked with agency staff the Foreign Agriculture Service to expand export markets for cranberries and at the Food and Nutrition Service to expand the availability of cranberry products in school food programs through the addition of sweetened, dried cranberries to the Foods Available List.\n\u201cThe cranberry industry is facing an oversupply of berries and since Wisconsin growers produce the majority of the United States' cranberry crop, this is a top concern in our state,\u201d said Tom Lochner, Executive Director of Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. \u201cWe are grateful to Senator Baldwin and the rest of the cranberry caucus for their efforts to support the cranberry industry in Wisconsin and nationwide.\u201d\n\u201cCranberry products play an important role helping Americans meet their recommended daily fruit intake and this purchase will directly support family farms,\u201d said Randy Papadellis, CEO of Ocean Spray. \u201cWe are very appreciative of Senator Baldwin\u2019s efforts along with the entire Cranberry Caucus in helping our government understand the significance of these purchases to our industry.\u201d\nWisconsin\u2019s cranberry industry is an important part of Wisconsin\u2019s agricultural sector and overall economy. According to a 2014 report from the University of California \u2013 Davis, the cranberry industry in Wisconsin provides $936 million in economic impact to the state each year, and nearly 4,000 jobs in Wisconsin.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=613ac9b3-d708-4e5a-9ddd-6d33b0baa07b", "Johnson Announces Staff Mobile Office Hours", "2014-11-24", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson announced today that his staff would be available for mobile office hours at the dates and locations listed below. These office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator\u2019s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.\r\nNote: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press. Recording devices of any kind are not allowed. These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of constituents we are here to assist.\r\nMonday, Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. \u2013 10:30 a.m.  Lincoln Town Hall  10905 Falcon Road, Marshfield\r\nMonday, Dec. 1, noon \u2013 1 p.m.  Kronenwetter Village Hall  1582 Kronenwetter Drive, Kronenwetter\r\nTuesday, Dec. 2, 9 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m.  Greenville Town Hall  W6860 Parkview Drive, Greenville\r\nTuesday, Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.  Princeton City Hall, Council Chambers at the Fire Station  431 W. Main St., Princeton\r\nTuesday, Dec. 2, 1 p.m. \u2013 2 p.m.  Augusta City Hall  145 W. Lincoln St., Augusta\r\nTuesday, Dec. 2, 2:30 p.m. \u2013 3:30 p.m.  Bonduel Village Hall  117 W. Green Bay St., Bonduel\r\nTuesday, Dec. 2, 3 p.m. \u2013 4 p.m.  Abbotsford City Hall  203 N. 1st St., Abbotsford\r\nWednesday, Dec. 3, 12:30 p.m. \u2013 1:30 p.m.  Lake Nebagamon Village Hall  11596E Waterfront Drive, Lake Nebagamon\r\nThursday, Dec. 4, 9 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m.  Marion City Hall  217 N. Main St., Marion\r\nThursday, Dec. 4, 9 a.m. \u2013 10 a.m.  Siren Village Hall  24049 1st Ave., Siren\r\nThursday, Dec. 4, 10:45 a.m. \u2013 11:45 a.m.  Winchester Town Hall  8522 Park Way, Larsen\r\nThursday, Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.  Hudson City Hall, Council Chambers  505 3rd St., Hudson\r\nThursday, Dec. 4, 3 p.m. \u2013 4 p.m.  Norwalk Village Hall  208 S. Church St., Norwalk\r\nFriday, Dec. 5, 1 p.m. \u2013 2 p.m.  Grashorn Memorial Civic Center  84 N. Lake St., Elkhart Lake\r\nFriday, Dec. 5, 3:30 p.m. \u2013 4:30 p.m.  Oostburg Civic Center  215 N. 8th St., Oostburg\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398178", "Journal Times editorial: Ryan in place to deliver tax code reform", "2014-11-23", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By the Journal Times Editorial Board\r\nNow that the November midterms are over and the post-election promises of cooperation between Congress and the president have died aborning, it\u2019s clear the winner will once again be gridlock.\r\nThe tooth-and-nail infighting will continue on a host of issues from the Keystone XL pipeline, the Affordable Care Act, immigration, climate change, a nuclear agreement with Iran, with several of those issues once again posing the possibility of a government shutdown.\r\nStill, we find a sliver of hope, outside that gridlock box, for some meaningful legislation that could set the underpinnings for a brighter economic future for the country for years to come.\r\nWe speak, of course, of tax reform.\r\nAnd we\u2019re hopeful because we have a homegrown leader who has pledged to champion this cause: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan.\r\nRyan, whose 1st Congressional District includes Racine County, last week ascended to the position of chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, a powerful post that shapes the nuts-and-bolts details of the nation\u2019s economic policies. In an interview with The Journal Times, Ryan said the committee \u201creally affects just the bread-and-butter issues facing the people of the 1st District.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s the critical committee in charge of the economy. My goal is to do everything I can to bring reforms, to get faster economic growth and produce a healthier economy and more jobs.\u201d\r\nTax reform, Ryan said, is expected to be a big issue next year.\r\n\u201cOur businesses are being taxed at much higher rates than our foreign competitors and, as a result, we\u2019re losing jobs and losing companies,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re literally relocating overseas or being taken over by foreign companies.\u201d\r\nRyan\u2019s thoughts were echoed in a recent commentary by Elaine Kamarck, a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, and James Pinkerton, a senior adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, who now co-chair the RATE Coalition, a group of companies advocating for tax reform.\r\nIn it, they say \u201cWisconsin has suffered more from most states from so-called tax inversions \u2014 that is, companies moving abroad for tax reasons. But it is really a national problem. America has the highest corporate tax rate in the world at 39.1 percent.\u201d\r\nThat, they argue, has hurt our nation\u2019s competitiveness and fueled corporate flight to other countries with less onerous taxes.\r\nKamarck and Pinkerton said last year \u201cWisconsin\u2019s gross domestic product was $320 billion lower than it would have been with a more competitive tax code.\u201d\r\n\u201cHere in the U.S., companies are being forced to spend more time and resources on tax legalities and compliance and less on their bottom lines. What\u2019s more, companies with resources to hire tax accountants, lawyers and lobbyists can take advantage of the code while other businesses \u2014 small and large \u2014 suffer. And eventually, as we have seen, they simply decide to leave \u2014 or at least, they move their tax domiciles overseas.\u201d\r\nSimpler, fairer, flatter \u2014 and more competitive. That\u2019s the challenge Ryan faces as head of the House Ways and Means Committee. We\u2019re confident he\u2019s ready for the job and we hope he gets bipartisan support in restructuring the nation\u2019s tax code and resetting its economic underpinnings.\r\nhttp://journaltimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/journal-times-editorial-ryan-in-place-to-deliver-tax-code/article_21e4bbd9-d32f-5626-8606-e5fbe33e7ac9.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398176", "Paul Ryan on the Presidents Executive Order on Immigration", "2014-11-21", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Last night, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan offered the following statement after President Obama\u2019s speech indicating he would issue a sweeping Executive Order on immigration:\r\n\u201cThe President\u2019s decision to issue this executive order is a stunning act of partisanship and polarization. Clearly, he is more interested in playing politics than helping hard-working taxpayers. With this legally suspect and unilateral act, he has poisoned the well on what should be a bipartisan effort and brought relations with Congress to a new low. \r\n\u201cCongressional leaders asked for time in order to advance reforms that secure our border, respect the rule of law, and fix this broken system \u2013 but the President has refused to work with us; instead, he\u2019s chosen to go it alone.\r\n\u201cWe need to fix our immigration system, and we can fix it while upholding the rule of law. But the President\u2019s overreach will make lasting reform that much harder to achieve.\u201d \u00a0\r\n\u00a0More from Congressman Ryan on the President\u2019s executive action:\r\n \r\n \r\n    Washington Post: \u201cWe've gone to the president and said, \u2018Give us time to do immigration reform, to work on the issue this year. We want to get this done.\u2019 And this is the reaction he has to that?\u201d said Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the 2012 vice presidential candidate. \u201cHe had two years with a super-majority of his own party, and he didn't lift a finger. And now he won\u2019t give us a few weeks? He\u2019s basically choosing to give us a partisan bomb.\u201d\r\n \r\n \r\n    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:\u00a0 \u201cI fear that if the president moves forward on this unconstitutional executive order, that he\u2019s going to do so much to poison the well intentionally, to pick a fight with Congress, that it\u2019s going to bring more gridlock,\u201d Ryan said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. \u201cIf he proceeds with this, it would be one of the most breathtaking and stunning acts of polarization that I have ever seen in government,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cThat will be his intentional decision to have an even more adversarial relationship with Congress.\r\n \r\n \r\n    Washington Times: \u201cRather than go around\u00a0Congress, I would encourage the President to give the House time to develop solutions that respect the rule of law, secure our border, and fix our broken system for good.\u201d\r\n \r\n \r\n    Reuters: \u00a0\"I think it would do great damage in his relations with Congress,\" Ryan said of an expected Obama move to allow millions of undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. \"If he chooses to do this, we will see this as a move for him to play 2016 politics, to try and help his party versus our party, instead of working and coming to common ground with Republicans in 2015 to get things done, which is what I think the voters told us they want in this very last election.\"\r\n \r\nContact: Kevin Seifert,\u00a0Kevin.Seifert@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205204921/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-baldwin-leads-bipartisan-support-for-wisconsin-cranberry-growers-", "Senator Baldwin Leads Bipartisan Support for Wisconsin Cranberry Growers", "2014-11-21", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Baldwin Leads Bipartisan Support for Wisconsin Cranberry Growers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCo-Chair of Congressional Cranberry Caucus Calls on USDA to Support Wisconsin Industry\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 21, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a strong supporter of Wisconsin\u2019s agriculture economy and co-chair of the Congressional Cranberry Caucus, this week led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, advocating for Wisconsin cranberry growers.\n\u201cWisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state. In a state that depends on agriculture to support hundreds of thousands of jobs and communities small and large, it\u2019s essential that we provide our growers with the tools and resources they need to continue to succeed,\u201d said Baldwin. \u201cAnd that means supporting them when the markets are tough. I will continue to advocate for efforts that strengthen Wisconsin\u2019s agriculture industry and grow our rural economies.\u201d\nThe letter asks USDA to consider a purchase of cranberries to mitigate the impact of a cranberry oversupply on growers at no cost to the taxpayer. The program is funded through customs receipts and the products purchased are provided to food pantries, which distribute the products to families in need. In addition, the cranberry industry has also worked with agency staff the Foreign Agriculture Service to expand export markets for cranberries and at the Food and Nutrition Service to expand the availability of cranberry products in school food programs through the addition of sweetened, dried cranberries to the Foods Available List.\nThe letter can be found online here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3017881a-6360-4ed5-9434-d09dddc655bd", "Johnson Participates in Senate's Computers for Schools Program", "2014-11-21", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson facilitated sending computers to five Wisconsin public schools this week through the United States Senate\u2019s Computers for Schools program.\u00a0 Through the Computers for Schools program, surplus PCs in the Senate are donated to schools and intended to be used for educational purposes.\u00a0 Each school will receive five computers consisting of a central processing unit, keyboard, mouse and a 17\u201d or larger monitor.\u00a0 The five schools are:\u00a0\r\nMilwaukee Woodlands School5510 W. Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee\r\n\u00a0Menominee Indian Middle SchoolN3455 Hwy. 47, Neopit\r\n\u00a0Bruce School District104 W. Washington Ave., Bruce\r\n\u00a0Adams-Friendship Area School District Administration Building201 W. 6th St., Friendship\r\n\u00a0Schurz Elementary1508 Neenah St., Watertown\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-to-chair-oversight-investigations-subcommittee", "Duffy to Chair Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0issued the following statement after it was announced that he has been appointed Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:\n\"I am grateful to Chairman Hensarling and my colleagues for this opportunity. I look forward to helping further the American agenda that Jeb has laid out. Together, we will retract government overreach and continue our efforts to make our unelected officials more transparent and accountable to the people.\"\nChairman Jeb Hensarling offered, \"Rep. Duffy is a strong, Conservative Member of our conference and will be an asset to the Committee's leadership team. From shedding light on troubling problems at the unaccountable CFPB, to reigning in the government's mass collection of Americans' private information, Sean's passionate and principled approach serves the American people well.\"\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://gwenmoore.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1185", "Executive Action on Immigration is Vital", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Matt Pommer\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tDemocratic gubernatorial hopeful Mary Burke said she would accept federal funding for expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin \u2014 something that puts her at odds with Republican Gov. Scott Walker\u2019s approach to implementation of the Affordable Care Act.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWalker\u2019s approach, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, removes 92,000 people from Wisconsin\u2019s version of Medicaid, the federal and state program of health care for the poor and disabled.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThose losing their coverage are eligible to buy individual health insurance through the marketplace under Obamacare. That act provides for total federal payment of expanded Medicaid costs for three years and 90 percent in following years.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWalker said he had doubts the federal government would pay for that approach in future years. He also expressed concern about citizens becoming dependent on such programs.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWalker rejected a state-government-operated market place, leaving implementation to the federal government. That, too, could become an issue in the gubernatorial race.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tLate last month Citizen Action of Wisconsin, a liberal group, said there are \u201cvast differences\u201d between the individual market place rates in Wisconsin and those in Minnesota, where state government is operating the program.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe group said Wisconsin marketplace premiums for single coverage will average 79 to 99 percent higher than premiums in Minnesota before federal tax subsidies are applied. Compared to Minnesota, the rates are 136 percent higher in La Crosse, 116 percent higher in Eau Claire and 112 percent higher in Milwaukee.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tU.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said Minnesota and Wisconsin have long had similar health care systems and costs. She said the report questions whether Walker\u2019s approach is best for Wisconsin.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI encourage the governor to rethink his strategy and begin to work in the best interests of those he represents,\u201d said Moore.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWalker\u2019s rejection of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicaid has interesting political twists. Americans for Prosperity, a political operation associated with billionaires Charles and David Koch, is opposed to expansion of Medicaid programs across the country.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tAmericans for Prosperity could be an important group in Walker\u2019s apparent national political ambitions.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tWisconsin historically has lagged behind most states in obtaining federal money, but that was largely due to the lack of large military bases in the state. As election days have approached, there usually has been criticism that the party in power hasn\u2019t done enough to get federal money for Wisconsin.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe complaints seem to have had little impact, perhaps because the so-called failure has had little clear evidence. But Walker\u2019s rejection of federal dollars for Medicaid is clearly visible. Early in his administration, Walker rejected federal money for high-speed rail improvements from Milwaukee to Madison and in the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tThe national media is focusing on the implementation difficulties of the Affordable Care Act. That\u2019s likely to continue into the new year. Reporters in Wisconsin will be examining how the 92,000 people removed from Wisconsin\u2019s Medicaid program have fared with Walker\u2019s approach.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tIn the interim, the State Republican Party is encouraging reporters to ask Burke about Walker\u2019s union-busting efforts in 2011, and whether she would seek to overturn the law. Republicans seem to think it\u2019s a better topic than federal money for Wisconsin.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tMatt Pommer, a retired reporter for The Capital Times, writes a column distributed by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tTo view this article online, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-statement-on-president-obama-s-immigration-executive-order", "Pocan Statement on President Obamas Immigration Executive Order", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014\u00a0U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) tonight issued the following statement on the President\u2019s executive actions to protect nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States:\n\u00a0\n\u201cI am proud the President has followed through on his promise to address our nation\u2019s broken immigration system,\u201d said Rep. Mark Pocan. \u201cHowever, I would have preferred Congress debate and pass the Senate\u2019s bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill.\u201c\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThe President is using his constitutional authority to make much needed progress on this important issue while House Republicans continue to allow our broken immigration system to fester,\u201d Rep. Pocan said. \u201cCongress still needs to act to permanently fix our nation\u2019s immigration laws. Speaker Boehner and Congressional Republicans must come to the negotiation table to reach a comprehensive and long-lasting solution.\u201c\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gwenmoore.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2341", "Executive Action on Immigration is Vital", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Gwen Moore", "M001160", "gwenmoore.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Executive Action on Immigration is Vital \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington, DC,\r\n        November 20, 2014\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        As we move ahead, I look forward to working with President Obama and my congressional colleagues in pursing a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that will finally fix this outdated system. Democrats are up to the task. I look to my Republican counterparts to set aside the rhetoric and join us.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Washington, D.C.  In response to President Obama's national address regardingexecutive action on immigration, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released the following statement:  \"I fully support President Obama in his pursuit to address our painfully dysfunctional immigration system. Such efforts demonstrate the President's unwavering commitment in cultivating a more compassionate and just society.  \"While Republicans continue to suggest government shutdowns and impeachment hearings, I would like to remind them that the President is acting well within his legal executive authority, the same authority employed by every President since Eisenhower, including five Republican Presidents. Despite partisan attempts to instill panic and anger into this critical debate, I have faith that the American public will see past these fear tactics and appreciate the commonsense approach outlined by the President.  As we move ahead, I look forward to working with President Obama and my congressional colleagues in pursing a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that will finally fix this outdated system. Democrats are up to the task. I look to my Republican counterparts to set aside the rhetoric and join us.\"  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205204932/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senators-baldwin-and-portman-introduce-bipartisan_critical-care-assessment-and-improvement-act-of-2014", "U.S. Senators Baldwin and Portman Introduce Bipartisan  Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senators Baldwin and Portman Introduce Bipartisan  Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tLegislation Will Help Drive Future Preparedness and Improved Health Care for the Critically Ill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 20, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today introduced bipartisan legislation, the Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014, which calls for a comprehensive evaluation of America\u2019s critical care system with the goal of driving policies that will maximize current federal resources to improve health outcomes for patients in our nation\u2019s intensive care units and to ensure we are prepared for future health emergencies.\nAccording to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, each year, five million Americans are admitted into medical, surgical, pediatric or neo-natal intensive care units (ICUs), with the majority of these ICUs operating at or near capacity to take care of these patients every day. The care provided in the ICU is highly specialized and complex due to the extreme severity of illness of the patients, often involving multiple disease processes in different organ systems at the same time. Moreover, providers of critical care require specialized training because the care delivered in the ICU is technology-intensive and the outcomes have life or death consequences.\nNearly 80 percent of all Americans will experience a critical care injury or illness in their lifetime, either as a patient, family member, or friend of a patient. Care in our nation\u2019s ICUs represents 17 percent of all hospital costs, or approximately $121 billion annually.\n\u201cWith an aging America and the need to be better prepared for health threats and emergencies, now more than ever it is essential that we address the challenges to our critical care system to ensure that America has a robust critical care infrastructure to appropriately care for these patients in the future,\u201d Senator Baldwin said, \u201cThe federal government lacks a national critical care strategy, resulting in uncoordinated efforts that may jeopardize the nation\u2019s ability to effectively and efficiently care for the growing elderly population, the seriously ill, or patients with infectious disease.\u201d\n\u201cLack of coordination on a national critical care strategy may jeopardize the nation\u2019s ability to effectively and efficiently care for the growing elderly population or the seriously ill,\u201d Portman stated. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to introduce this commonsense legislation that will help ensure our health system is ready to treat those patients who are in need of extraordinary care.\u201d\nDespite the significant role critical care medicine plays in providing high quality health care and its impact on health care costs, there is currently an absence of federal policy addressing critical care issues especially in the areas of infrastructure and workforce, research, delivery of care and preparedness.\nThe bipartisan Baldwin-Portman legislation would assess the state of critical care in the United States; create a research agenda at the National Institutes of Health; assess the critical care workforce capacity; and improve the quality and efficiency of critical care delivery.\n\u201cThis bill recognizes the unique challenges to critically ill patients and their providers. It also sets the stage for policymakers to engage federal stakeholders in a collaborative effort to better support and organize\u00a0 critical care research, facilitate the development of new treatments to improve outcomes for critically ill patients, and address dangerous shortages of trained critical care personnel, said Dr. Jeffrey Grossman, Chairman Emeritus, The Roundtable on Critical Care Policy; Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, \u201cThis legislation would address many of the concerns about today\u2019s critical care system, and would ultimately enhance the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care to these patients.\u201d\nCritical Care Assessment and Improvement Act of 2014\nAssessing the State of Critical Care in the United States\nThe bipartisan Baldwin-Portman legislation would authorize the Institute of Medicine (IOM), to conduct an analysis of the current state of critical care health services in the United States and to develop recommendations to bolster critical care capabilities to meet future demand.\u00a0 This provision is modeled after a previous IOM project that examined the Future of Emergency Care, which resulted in a series of consensus policy recommendations to strengthen the emergency and trauma care system\u2014many of which have subsequently been enacted into law.\nThe bill would also require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review and update the Health Resources and Services Administration\u2019s 2006 study on critical care workforce shortages and expand the analysis to include other critical care providers, such as nurses, who play a key role in the delivery of ICU care. As Congress seeks to address health workforce challenges, it is vital that they have the most up-to-date data on the critical care workforce.\nCreating a Research Agenda at the National Institutes of Health\nThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a leader in supporting and disseminating critical care research. Yet, as a country, there is disproportionally little research in critical care medicine. This may be due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, therefore resulting in the scattering of critical care-related projects throughout the 27 Institutes and across the federal government, ultimately limiting the progress of research.\nThe Baldwin-Portman legislation creates a Critical Care Coordinating Working Group within NIH that would coordinate the collection and analysis of critical care research and identify gaps in such research, as well as strengthen partnerships within NIH and between NIH and other public and private entities to expand collaborative, cross cutting research. Members of the Working Group will include representatives from throughout the NIH and the Departments of Health and Human Services whose missions include critical care medicine, including the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Nursing Research, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Minority Health.\u00a0 The NIH recently demonstrated the importance and efficiencies that come from increased coordination by establishing an Office of Emergency Care Research, which will serve as hub for basic, clinical and translational emergency care research and training across NIH.\u00a0 The Working Group would be modeled after this office.\nImproving the Quality and Efficiency of Critical Care\nThe Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) was created to facilitate health system improvements to ensure better health care, better health and reduced costs for beneficiaries. Despite the prevalence and impact of critical care on the health care system, CMMI has supported few projects aimed at improving the delivery of critical care.\u00a0 In fact, between 2010 and 2012 CMMI distributed approximately $3.667 billion in demonstration funding, less than 1% of which went to critical care or ICU focused projects.\nThe Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to authorize a CMMI demonstration program that aims to improve the quality and efficiency of care provided to the critically ill and injured patients receiving treatment in ICUs or other areas of acute care hospitals.\nThe Critical Care Assessment and Improvement Act is supported by a number of organizations in Wisconsin, Ohio and around the country, including: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Gundersen Health System, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Case Management Society of America (CMSA), Children's National Health System, Cincinnati Children\u2019s Hospital Medical Center, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Healthcare Leadership Council, Ikaria, Inc., Institute of Social Medicine & Community Health, The Leapfrog Group, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, The Roundtable on Critical Care Policy, Trauma Center Association of America, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Center for Healthy Security. A letter of support from these groups is available online here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205204939/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/wisconsin-senators-applaud-confirmation-of-judge-pam-pepper-to-the-eastern-district-of-wisconsin", "Wisconsin Senators Applaud Confirmation of Judge Pam Pepper to the Eastern District of Wisconsin", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Wisconsin Senators Applaud Confirmation of Judge Pam Pepper to the Eastern District of Wisconsin\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 20, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin made the following statements on the U.S. Senate vote to confirm Pamela Pepper to the Eastern District of Wisconsin:\nSen. Johnson said, \u201cI appreciate all the hard work of those serving on our federal nominating commission, and I thank my colleague, Sen. Baldwin, for working with me on creating a successful bipartisan process that has now resulted in two new, well-qualified jurists in Wisconsin. Pamela Pepper\u2019s intellectual curiosity, compassion and faithful adherence to the rule of law will serve the nation and the people of Wisconsin\u2019s eastern district well.\u201d\n\u201cAddressing vacant federal judgeships in Wisconsin has been a top priority for me since I was sworn in to the Senate,\u201d said U.S. Senator Baldwin.\u00a0 \u201cI am proud to have worked with Senator Johnson to put in place a nonpartisan Federal Nominating Commission and a process for moving judicial nominations forward because the people of Wisconsin deserve to have experienced and qualified judges working for them. Pamela Pepper has had a distinguished career as a judge, federal prosecutor, public defender and attorney in private practice. She will be an outstanding U.S. Federal District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.\u201d\nJudge Pepper\u2019s Senate confirmation comes after James D. Peterson was confirmed by the Senate in May to a federal judgeship in the Western District of Wisconsin.\nThe Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission, established by Senators Johnson and Baldwin, is currently reviewing applications for a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit that resulted from Judge Terrance T. Evans taking senior status in 2010; Judge Evans passed away in 2011.\u00a0 The six-person Commission, charged with making recommendations for vacancies in federal judgeships and U.S. attorney positions in Wisconsin, was established by the Senators on April 17, 2013.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205204951/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/in-the-news/editorial-dont-reduce-funding-for-rural-hospitals", "Editorial: Don't Reduce Funding for Rural Hospitals", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Editorial: Don't Reduce Funding for Rural Hospitals\t\n\t\t\t\t\n                \n            \n            \n            \n                \n                    By:\u00a0\n                    Press-Gazette Editorial Board\n                \n            \n            \n                \n                \n                \n            Thursday, November 20, 2014\n            \n\t\n            \n            A group of 27 U.S. senators has written to President Barack Obama urging him to keep in mind the valuable role of the Critical Access Hospital program as he prepares his fiscal year 2016 budget.\nIn particular, the senators, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, are worried about reducing payment to these facilities and removing from the program some that are within a certain distance of other hospitals.\n\"Proposals to reduce Medicare reimbursements for CAHs and to arbitrarily rescind CAH designation for some hospitals would be detrimental to the access and delivery of high quality care in rural America,\" the wrote.  We agree with the senators' sentiment because we believe these rural hospitals play an important role in their communities, both medically and economically. If this sounds familiar, it's because it is. Just over a year ago we urged Congress to defeat a similar proposal.\nThere are 58 critical access hospitals in Wisconsin. Each one has 25 or fewer beds and serves a rural community. In Northeastern Wisconsin, these facilities include St. Clare Memorial Hospital (formerly Community Memorial Hospital) in Oconto Falls and Bellin Health Oconto Hospital and Clinic in Oconto.\nEach faces challenges in accessibility, lack of health care providers, and a growing number of underinsured residents, according to the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.\nThese hospitals rely on federal aid, as it accounts for 60 percent of their revenue. Meanwhile, the money saved by changing the Critical Access Hospital designation would be a pittance \u2014 \"about 100th of 1 percent of 10-year Medicare spending,\" according to the senator's letter.\nWe're all for saving money in Medicare, but not at the expense of health care for those who live outside of urban areas.\nClosing a rural hospital would force patients to travel farther for care. These rural hospitals, though small, focus on primary care and treating chronic diseases. They can handle 80 percent of the health care needs of their patients, said Steven Brenton, president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.\nBut funding cutbacks would result in the closure of about a third of the state's rural hospitals, he said.\nNot only do the hospitals provide needed care, but they are an important part of their communities, often providing the best jobs in town. Each critical access hospital contributes 265 jobs to the local economy, the WHA says.\nToday is National Rural Health Day and it should serve as a reminder of the funding threat these valuable facilities face with each budget.\nMore importantly, though, it should serve as a reminder to the valuable service they provide.\nLet's hope the president and Congress get the message.\nNational Rural Health Day  CAH PROGRAM\nThe Critical Access Hospital program was enacted by Congress in 1997 to prevent the closure of hundreds of rural hospitals across the country, which, due to their small size and care for disproportionately older, sicker and poorer patients, couldn't not financially survive under Medicare's traditional payment system.  \u2014 Wisconsin Hospital Association\nOn the Net  \u2022 National Rural Health Day: celebratepowerofrural.org  \u2022 Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative: www.rwhc.com", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205205000/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-votes-to-move-bipartisan-usa-freedom-act-forward", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes to Move Bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act Forward", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Votes to Move Bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act Forward\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tLegislation to Rein In Warrantless Surveillance of Americans Blocked in the Senate\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 20, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin this week voted to move to debate on S. 2685, the USA FREEDOM Act, legislation that would place important limits on intelligence agencies and better protect Americans\u2019 privacy rights. On Tuesday, Republicans in the Senate voted to block the legislation from advancing, by a vote of 58-42.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\n\u201cThe version of the USA FREEDOM Act before the Senate this week would have made important progress in reining in abuses by intelligence agencies and protecting Americans\u2019 privacy rights. I also believe that legislation could have been strengthened further, and I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues prevented us from even debating it. More than a decade ago, I opposed the USA PATRIOT Act because I believed it would open the door to government overreach. Since then, we have seen that secret, domestic surveillance programs at the National Security Agency have crossed the line. While it does not address every issue, the USA FREEDOM Act is a bipartisan solution \u2013 supported by the Administration, civil rights and civil liberties groups, and Internet companies \u2013 which would both strengthen our counterterrorism efforts and respect the civil liberties and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution.\u201d\nThe USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 ends the bulk collection of Americans\u2019 private records, provides intelligence agencies authority to collect phone records in a targeted manner, and requires greater transparency regarding surveillance activities. The bipartisan legislation revised the version of the USA FREEDOM Act approved by the House of Representatives in May, by closing numerous loopholes that would allow continued abuses.\nSenator Baldwin is a cosponsor of the original Senate version of the USA FREEDOM Act, S. 1599.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=012e7736-d9c7-4fe6-8b9e-b7f59c81d31a", "Johnson Will Take Questions From Wisconsin Callers", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Ron Johnson will host a live one-hour telephone town hall tonight. He will talk to as many callers as he can. The senator regularly hosts telephone town halls, remarking, \u201cThese telephone town halls let me efficiently talk with thousands of Wisconsinites while working in Washington. They\u2019re an important channel for information, which is how we can start to address the problems facing America.\u201d This will be the 36th telephone town hall Sen. Johnson has held, reaching more than 1.6 million people.\r\nDate: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014  Time: 6:35 p.m. CT \u2013 7:15 p.m. CT  Note: For more information on how to sign up, click here\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3d3acb54-7ede-4771-adf8-146cbd125ece", "Radio Release: Johnson Preview's Obama's Immigration Executive Action", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson made these remarks previewing President Obama\u2019s prime time address announcing his executive action on immigration:\r\nSenator Johnson, as incoming Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, how will you respond to the president\u2019s executive action on immigration? Answer here\r\nSenator Johnson, can the president legally grant work permits to thousands of illegal immigrants without Congress\u2019 approval? \u00a0Answer here\r\nSenator Johnson, what can Congress do once the president begins enforcing his executive action, if anything? Answer here\r\n###\r\nSenator Johnson gave these answers during an interview on Thursday, Nov. 20,\u00a0with WSAU News/Talk AM 550.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=5c8ee0a4-7280-4704-a92e-4443e505c170", "ICYMI: Senator Johnson on 'The Kelly File'", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson appeared Thursday on Fox News Channel's \"The Kelly File\"\u00a0to discuss President Obama\u2019s immigration executive action and his plans to respond as incoming chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Watch here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=994623ac-8c6d-4ec1-8f06-23c03bde76b1", "Wisconsin Senators Applaud Confirmation of Judge Pam Pepper to the Eastern District of Wisconsin", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin made the following statements on the U.S. Senate vote to confirm Pamela Pepper to the Eastern District of Wisconsin:\u00a0\r\nSen. Johnson said, \u201cI appreciate all the hard work of those serving on our federal nominating commission, and I thank my colleague, Sen. Baldwin, for working with me on creating a successful bipartisan process that has now resulted in two new, well-qualified jurists in Wisconsin. Pamela Pepper\u2019s intellectual curiosity, compassion and faithful adherence to the rule of law will serve the nation and the people of Wisconsin\u2019s eastern district well.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cAddressing vacant federal judgeships in Wisconsin has been a top priority for me since I was sworn in to the Senate,\u201d said U.S. Senator Baldwin.\u00a0 \u201cI am proud to have worked with Senator Johnson to put in place a nonpartisan Federal Nominating Commission and a process for moving judicial nominations forward because the people of Wisconsin deserve to have experienced and qualified judges working for them. Pamela Pepper has had a distinguished career as a judge, federal prosecutor, public defender and attorney in private practice. She will be an outstanding U.S. Federal District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.\u201d\u00a0\r\nJudge Pepper\u2019s Senate confirmation comes after James D. Peterson was confirmed by the Senate in May to a federal judgeship in the Western District of Wisconsin.\u00a0\r\nThe Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission, established by Senators Johnson and Baldwin, is currently reviewing applications for a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit that resulted from Judge Terrance T. Evans taking senior status in 2010; Judge Evans passed away in 2011.\u00a0 The six-person Commission, charged with making recommendations for vacancies in federal judgeships and U.S. attorney positions in Wisconsin, was established by the Senators on April 17, 2013.\u00a0\r\nAn online version of this release can be found here.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=a35c95d2-d839-4e26-b30f-5e555f066f91", "Senator Johnson to Appear on Fox News Channel's 'The Kelly File'", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson will appear on \"The Kelly File\" tonight at 8 p.m. CT on Fox News Channel. Sen. Johnson will discuss President Obama\u2019s immigration executive action and how he plans to respond as the incoming chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in the new congress.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat: Sen. Johnson appearance on \"The Kelly File\"When: Thursday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. CT  Channel: Fox News Channel  Note: A clip of the segment will be sent around in the form of an ICYMI shortly following.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=b5f3d453-f16e-491e-9676-061c97fcee2d", "Johnson Reacts to Immigration Executive Action", "2014-11-20", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Johnson issued this statement following President Obama\u2019s remarks on immigration executive action:\r\n\u201cTonight, President Obama declared a series of immigration actions through executive fiat.\u00a0 He has dictated his own laws \u2014 cutting\u00a0 out the American people and Congress \u2014 and then hypocritically declared he wants to debate the issue in good faith.\u00a0 Even if you agree with some of what he says, that is not how passing good law works. \u00a0 \u00a0\r\n\u201cOver the last two years, President Obama has repeatedly stated that he does not have the constitutional authority to change immigration laws unilaterally.\u00a0 What changed?\u00a0 Certainly not the legality of his actions.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the president has cynically decided that politics trumps legality.\u00a0 \r\n\u201cIt is now up to the new Congress that the American people elected to demonstrate that while the president stands for illegal immigration, we stand for legal immigration.\u00a0 While the president stands for lawlessness, we stand for upholding the rule of law and keeping Americans safe.\u00a0 I have already begun working with my colleagues on a border security and enforcement bill and will work quickly to address this issue next Congress as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.\u00a0 It is well past time to finally secure our borders.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-on-gruber-obamacare-the-lie-is-the-law", "Duffy on Gruber & Obamacare: The Lie is the Law", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Goes \u201cOn the Record\u201d w/ Greta Van Susteren\n\u00a0\nWashington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0discussed the latest comments from Jonathan Gruber with fellow Wisconsinite Greta Van Susteren on Fox News:\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThey are trying to say that this is just about Mr. Gruber and is not about [them] and the Administration. However, as we all know now, Gruber sat in the inner-circle with Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi crafting the law and developing the lie and the misrepresentation \u2013 the lie is the law right now.\n\u201cWhen we look at the law and we look at what Gruber said, they match up! There is no distinction between the lies that were told and the law that was written. I think that\u2019s why this video was so powerful. To watch the full interview, click\u00a0here.\n\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398173", "Paul Ryan: A detailed plan for Congress to act on immigration", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By The Washington Times\r\nInside the House Republican caucus, Rep. Paul Ryan is the \"idea's guy,\" unafraid to get a conversation going by putting forth fresh and concrete solutions to the nation's most pressing problems. He's done it for the federal budget, for reforming Medicare and most recently for transforming America's broken immigration system.\r\nOver the last two years. Mr. Ryan has been an unrelenting voice for immigration reform that starts with securing the border and includes expanding legal opportunities to immigrate to America to meet the needs of our economy.\r\n\"We should reform our immigration system because it will help America,\" Mr. Ryan declares on his official congressional Web site. \"We need an immigration system that upholds the rule of law and helps our economy grow.\"\r\nMr. Ryan, chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee, has proposed one of the most detailed immigration reform proposals of any Republican in Congress. It rests on four guiding principles:\r\n \r\n    \r\n     Secure the border, expanding the resources and tools for those who patrol it and working with independent experts to achieve operational control and situational awareness along the border. \r\n    \r\n    \r\n    Enforce the current laws, particularly by implementing an improved exit/entry visa tracking and a mandatory employment verification system.\r\n    \r\n    \r\n    Encourage legal immigration with a guest-worker visa program that is tailored to meet the needs of the economy and attracts the best and brightest talents in the world. \r\n    \r\n    \r\n    Give those already in the country illegally an opportunity to get right with the law without granting them amnesty. \r\n    \r\n \r\nOn the last issue, Mr. Ryan has suggested two solutions: 1.) that the children of illegal immigrants often referred to as \"Dreamers\" -- be allowed to stay since they didn't break any laws, their parents did; and 2.) adult illegals should be given the opportunity if certain requirements are met to serve a lengthy period of probation to get right with the law. Those who violate any terms of that probation should immediately lose probationary legal status.\r\n\"A conservative deals with the world as it is, not how it should be,\" Mr. Ryan said recently. \"We need to deal with the undocumented population because right now we have de facto amnesty. We need to invite people to get right with the law, without letting them cut in line.\"\r\nMr. Ryan also has been a strong voice for letting Congress solve the immigration crisis, telling The Washington Times he believes it would be a mistake for President Obama to act on his own.\r\n\"I hope the President will not issue an executive order because it would effectively poison the well in Congress, making real immigration reform that much harder to accomplish. Rather than go around Congress, I would encourage the President to give the House time to develop solutions that respect the rule of law, secure our border, and fix our broken system for good,\" he told the Times this week.\r\nhttp://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/18/a-detailed-plan-for-congress-to-act-on-immigration/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398174", "Congressman to push reform as chair of powerful House committee", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Mark Schaaf\r\n\r\nWhile a 2016 presidential bid is possible, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan this week attained a powerful position he said he\u2019s long wanted.\r\nRepublican leaders on Tuesday, Nov. 18, selected Ryan to chair the House Ways and Means Committee, the main tax-writing committee in Congress. The committee has jurisdiction in a number of key areas, such as trade agreements, taxes, health care, Social Security and social programs.\r\nRyan, who previously served as the Budget Committee chairman, can serve as long as six years, but no more, due to term limits.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s been my aspiration for a long time because it\u2019s the most important committee in Congress dealing with economic issues,\u201d Ryan, R-Wis., said in an interview Wednesday with The Journal Times.\r\n\u201cIn the Budget Committee, you articulate a vision and sort of the architecture of ideas. In the Ways and Means Committee, you fill in the details. The Ways and Means Committee writes the actual laws that affect people. And it\u2019s the committee, really, that has the most impact on the economy.\u201d\r\nRyan said he will deal with issues, like how much of residents\u2019 paychecks go toward health care or how much they pay in taxes, that directly impact his 1st Congressional District, which encompasses Racine County.\r\n\u201cIt really affects just the bread-and-butter issues facing the people of the 1st District,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the critical committee in charge of the economy. My goal here is to do everything I can to bring reforms, to get faster economic growth and produce a healthier economy and more jobs.\u201d\r\nOf immediate concern for the committee will be addressing possible cuts in Medicare payments for physicians and funding shortages in the Highway Trust Fund, Ryan said.\r\nRyan, who hasn't decided whether he will run for president in 2016, also said tax reform figures to be a big issue next year.\r\n\u201cOur businesses are being taxed at much higher rates than our foreign competitors,\u201d said Ryan, who officially takes over as chairman in January after the new Congress is sworn in. \u201cAnd as a result, we\u2019re losing jobs and losing companies. They\u2019re literally relocating overseas or being taken over by foreign companies.\u201d\r\nhttp://journaltimes.com/news/local/congressman-to-push-reform-as-chair-of-powerful-house-committee/article_3fcc1294-f48d-57b3-ab4f-816768830cc9.html", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398175", "Paul Ryan: Obama already hurting chances for 2015 cooperation", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Lori Montgomery\r\n\r\nRep. Paul Ryan, the incoming chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, laid out an expansive agenda Wednesday for 2015, including a GOP alternative to the Affordable Care Act and a fix for the looming shortfall in the federal disability insurance program.\r\nAn overhaul of the nation\u2019s tax laws will also rank high on the agenda when Ryan (R-Wis.) takes the helm of the tax-writing panel in January.\r\nHowever, Ryan acknowledged significant hurdles to passing tax reform during President Obama\u2019s final years in office, and said far-reaching legislation may have to wait until a new president is seated in 2017.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019d like to do it sooner rather than later, but we don\u2019t control everything,\u201d Ryan said in an interview. He cited Obama\u2019s longstanding refusal to roll out his own tax plan as well as the president\u2019s recent decision to forge ahead with a unilateral ban on the deportation of some undocumented immigrants \u2014 a move that has inflamed Republicans.\r\n\u201cHow the president starts his relationship with the new Congress will do a lot to set the tone, and so far, it doesn\u2019t look good,\u201d Ryan said.\r\nRyan declined to say whether he would try to advance tax legislation without White House cooperation. But he left the door open when asked whether he would follow the lead of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), who has expressed a new willingness to set aside efforts to overhaul the individual tax code and focus on reforming tax laws for businesses, where there is more hope of bipartisan agreement. McConnell invited Obama to negotiate on business tax reform after Republicans consolidated their hold on Congress earlier this month\r\n\u201cI don\u2019t want to foreclose any option,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cThere is a sense of urgency around this issue regarding competitiveness and corporate inversions. The question is whether the president will nurture a working relationship with Congress that\u2019s conducive to finding common ground.\u201d\r\nRyan, who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012, is one of the GOP\u2019s most important thinkers on fiscal and economic policy. He has chaired the House Budget Committee since 2011, producing a series of austere spending plans that proposed to wipe out deficits over the next 10 years, lower the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 25 percent and replace the open-ended Medicare guarantee with a government voucher.\r\nAs chairman of Ways and Means, Ryan will have the authority to produce legislation to implement those ideas. He replaces retiring Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), who declined to pursue Ryan\u2019s Medicare plan when it became a political hot potato in 2011. Earlier this year, Camp released a tax reform draft that showed the enormous difficulty of achieving Ryan\u2019s goal of getting tax rates down to 25 percent.\r\nRyan has said it would be easier to hit that target if the Congressional Budget Office used a process called \u201cdynamic scoring\u201d to measure broad effects on the economy when judging tax legislation. While CBO already uses dynamic scoring on a limited basis, Ryan said Wednesday he will have additional recommendations in the new Congress \u201cfor making sure we take these things into consideration.\u201d\r\nhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/19/paul-ryan-obama-already-hurting-chances-for-2015-cooperation/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://pocan.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/pocan-elected-progressive-caucus-1st-vice-chair", "Pocan Elected Progressive Caucus 1st Vice Chair", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Mark Pocan", "P000607", "pocan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today was elected, by his colleagues, as the 1st Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). The 1st Vice Chair responsibilities include new member recruitment to expand the Caucus and taking a lead on crafting the progressive message for 2015. \u00a0In addition to serving on the CPC Executive Committee, the 1st Vice Chair will also lead CPC meetings in the absence of the Co-Chairs.\u00a0\n\u201cI am humbled and honored to be selected by my colleagues in the CPC for this leadership position,\u201d said Representative Mark Pocan. \u201cI particularly want to thank Co-Chairs Reps. Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva for their support and confidence in my leadership abilities. As a small business owner, union member and lifelong advocate for progressive causes I look forward to bringing my unique experience from both the private and public sector to ensure the CPC continues to be a bold voice for progressive values.\u201d\n\u201cWhat is clear is the American people want their elected representatives to have an open and honest conversation about the problems facing this country,\u201d continued Representative Mark Pocan. \u201cWith this opportunity I want to help the CPC set a clear and united progressive agenda to get Washington talking about the issues our constituents are talking about.\u201d\nIn his first term in Congress Rep. Pocan took an active role in the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including leading the CPC\u2019s weekly special order hour, acting as a liason between outside groups and the Caucus through meet-and-greet breakfasts, and representing the CPC in rallies and events across the nation. Additionally, Pocan was named the Congressional Progressive Caucus\u2019 2013 \u201cNewcomer of the Year.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c0a06508-d676-4714-a817-f0eaeebbdba4", "Johnson Responds To President's Announcement of Immigration Executive Action", "2014-11-19", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Senator Johnson made these remarks on President Obama\u2019s announcement that he will take executive action on immigration Thursday:\u00a0\r\n\u201cIssuing an executive order on immigration and picking a fight with the next Congress is\u00a0not the way to begin a new relationship.\u00a0 Ignoring the will of the people who voted against his policies just a couple of weeks ago, the president has chosen to engage in action that he himself has repeatedly said he does not have the authority to do.\u00a0 Regardless of the president's actions, I will not be deterred in pursuing\u00a0my top priority as incoming chairman of the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee: passing\u00a0a strong and effective border security and enforcement bill.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-gop-policies-keep-focus-on-next-generation", "Duffy: GOP Policies Keep Focus On Next Generation", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Delivers remarks during Republican Leadership Press Conference\n\u00a0\nWashington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0focused on the House GOP\u2019s efforts to support policies that will encourage good opportunities for the next generation during the Republican leadership press conference.\n\u00a0\n\u201cI had a chance to drive out from Wisconsin with my son, Jack. We had a lot of good quality time. As any parent today, I think about my child\u2019s future. As I look at Jack who is about to turn 13, I know other parents are out there looking at their own kids who are about to graduate from high school or college and they are looking at what opportunities exist for the next generation. It looks pretty bleak right now. As they look to this town, they want us all to work together. They want us to work on solutions that advance opportunity, not just for them, but also for the next generation.\n\u00a0\n\u201cTo work together, that means you need Republicans and Democrats singing off the same sheet of music. As you look at this new American Congress, we\u2019re willing to do that. We\u2019re willing to work on ideas that are going to grow opportunity, that are going to grow jobs, and allow people the pathway into better paying jobs. We need the President to help us \u2013 we need the President to engage.\u201d\n\u00a0\n\u00a0To watch Rep. Duffy\u2019s full remarks, click\u00a0here.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398172", "Paul Ryan to Chair Ways & Means Committee", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, Wisconsin\u2019s First District Congressman Paul Ryan was selected by members of the House Republican Steering Committee to serve as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Upon his selection, Congressman Ryan offered the following statement: \r\n\u201cI want to thank my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to chair the Ways and Means Committee in the 114th Congress. \r\n\u201cWe have a lot of work to do to get our economy back on track, and the Ways and Means Committee will be at the forefront of reform. We will work together to fix the tax code, hold the IRS accountable, strengthen Medicare and Social Security, repair the safety net, promote job-creating trade agreements, and determine how best to repeal and replace Obamacare with patient-centered solutions. \r\n\u201cI want to thank Chairman Dave Camp for his leadership and also recognize Congressman Kevin Brady for his tireless work on behalf of our country. The Ways and Means Committee is full of talented people on both sides of the aisle, and I can't wait to get to work.\u201d\r\nPaul Ryan has represented Wisconsin\u2019s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives since 1999. He has served on the House Ways and Means Committee since 2000 and is the outgoing chairman of the House Budget Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205205009/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/us-senator-tammy-baldwin-leads-bipartisan-support-for-rural-hospitals", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Leads Bipartisan Support For Rural Hospitals", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Leads Bipartisan Support For Rural Hospitals\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t27 Senators Send Letter to Obama Administration to Oppose Proposal that Weakens Critical Access Hospitals\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 18, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today led a bipartisan group of 27 Senators, with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), in support of rural hospitals and the value they provide to communities across the country.\nIn a letter to President Obama, Senator Baldwin and 26 other Senators express their opposition to provisions that the President has included in previous budget requests that propose to cut Medicare reimbursement levels for and reduce access to rural hospitals. The letter urges the President to exclude these harmful proposals and to protect rural hospitals in his Fiscal Year 2016 budget. The President\u2019s FY 2015 budget proposes reducing Medicare reimbursement levels for \u201cCritical Access Hospital\u2019s\u201d (CAH) and removes the \u201ccritical access\u201d designation for any hospital within 10 miles of another hospital.\n\u201cI am deeply concerned by this proposal from the Obama Administration. If enacted, these policies would compromise access to health care and weaken rural economies in Wisconsin and across the country. I fear that these proposals could even force many rural Wisconsin hospitals to shut their doors\u2014causing a ripple effect on our economy and leaving many without access to care,\u201d Baldwin said. \u201cCritical Access Hospitals play a vital role providing access to medical services, as well as economic security and jobs to rural communities. That is why I am leading a bipartisan effort to stand up for rural hospitals, their patients, and the local economies they help support.\u201d\nIn the letter, the bipartisan group writes, \u201cCritical Access Hospitals play a vital role in rural communities across the nation by providing access to primary health, emergency and acute care services as well as economic security to employees by offering quality jobs. Proposals to reduce Medicare reimbursement for CAHs and to arbitrarily rescind CAH designation for some hospitals would be detrimental to the access and delivery of high quality care in rural America.\u201d\n\u201cThe Wisconsin Hospital Association greatly appreciates Senator Baldwin\u2019s efforts on behalf of rural Wisconsin hospitals,\u201d said Steve Brenton, President, Wisconsin Hospital Association. \u201cRural and Critical Access Hospitals provide essential access to care across much of our state and the nation. We are grateful for those in Congress who continue to stand up for our rural providers against ill-advised policy proposals.\u201d\u00a0\n\"Rural Wisconsin hospitals are very appreciative of the Senators for their efforts in opposing unnecessary and arbitrary efforts by the Administration that would jeopardize rural access to critical health services,\u201d said Tim Size, Executive Director of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative. \u201cWisconsin has a number of Critical Access Hospitals that would likely be affected be the Administration's plans. These hospitals are critical in the services they provide to their communities and deserve our county's support.\"\nU.S. Senators representing 19 states joined Baldwin in signing the letter. They include: Mike Crapo (R-ID), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Patty Murray (D-WA), James Inhofe (R-OK), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Isakson (R-GA), David Vitter (R-LA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Risch (R-ID), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Al Franken (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Boozman (R-AR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI).\nAn online version of the full, signed letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205205017/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-women-senators-call-on-federal-health-leaders-to-prioritize-combating-womens-heart-disease", "Bipartisan Group of Women Senators Call on Federal Health Leaders to Prioritize Combating Women’s Heart Disease", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Group of Women Senators Call on Federal Health Leaders to Prioritize Combating Women\u2019s Heart Disease\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tIn letters to HHS, CDC and NIH leaders, Senators call for greater focus combating heart disease as number one killer of women\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 18, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today joined U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and a bipartisan group of Senate women including U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in announcing that they have called on federal health leaders to prioritize combating heart disease, which is the number one killer of women in America.\n\u201cHeart disease kills more women than all cancers combined and, since 1984, more women than men have died from heart disease. Yet, for the last 50 years, women\u2019s heart treatment has largely been based on medical research on men \u2013 often to negative results,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cEvery minute, a woman dies from heart disease. We cannot let another year pass with 400,000 more women dying because these disparities are not addressed. While not enough is being done to recognize the differences and appropriately treat heart disease in women, we believe that your leadership could have a huge impact on combating women\u2019s cardiovascular disease.\u201d\nIn a letter (available here) to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sylvia Burwell, Senators Mikulski, Stabenow, Feinstein, Boxer, Murray, Landrieu, Cantwell, Gillibrand, Baldwin and Hirono call on the agency to examine existing HHS programs in an effort to determine if more resources can be directed toward women\u2019s cardiovascular disease. Joined by Senator Ayotte in letters (available here and here) to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Thomas Frieden and Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dr. Francis Collins, the Senators called on these agencies to ensure women\u2019s heart health is a greater focus in health education, science, and research.\n\u201cFighting for women\u2019s health has been one of my life-long priorities. For far too long, women did not believe heart disease was their disease,\u201d said Senator Mikulski, a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. \u201cWhen I first came to the Senate, women\u2019s health wasn\u2019t a national priority. We\u2019ve changed that paradigm but we\u2019re not done yet. I continue to fight for women to get the preventive care and treatment they need to live healthy lives. We must raise awareness, raise consciousness, and raise hell so that women are not left behind when it comes to their health.\u201d\n\u201cUnfortunately, a majority of women and even some doctors are unfamiliar with the symptoms, diagnoses, and dangers of heart disease in women,\u201d said Senator Stabenow. \u201cWhen we help educate women and their doctors, create more opportunities for women to get screenings, and get more money for research, we can fight this disease and save lives.\u201d\n\u201cIt is past time to level the playing field when it comes to treatments for women\u2019s health and to fill the gaps in scientific research about diseases that affect women, like heart disease,\u201d Senator Baldwin said. \u201cWe must continue to prioritize women\u2019s health studies, prevention and education efforts to ensure that all women have what they need to live a healthy life.\u201d\nThe Senate women\u2019s outreach coincides with the launch of Fight the Ladykiller, a campaign to raise awareness, encourage action and drive new research to fight women\u2019s heart disease. The campaign is an effort of the newly formed Women\u2019s Heart Alliance, founded by Barbra Streisand and Ronald O. Perelman and two of America\u2019s leading medical institutions \u2013 the Barbara Streisand Women\u2019s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.\n\u201cAt a time when 1 in 3 women in the U.S. dies from heart disease, it is critical that we prioritize funding for screening, treatment, and research that will raise awareness and save lives,\u201d said Senator Patty Murray. \u201cThe warning signs for cardiovascular diseases are often different for women than for men, and we must ensure women across the country have the information they need on prevention and treatment.\u201d\n\u201cHeart disease is the number one cause of death for women in America. And it especially affects women in my home state. I always encourage women in Louisiana and across our country to get regular check-ups and to make heart healthy choices,\u201d said Senator Landrieu. \u201cOur health leaders must engage in vigorous research of heart disease in women. I am proud to be joined by women on both sides of the aisle to advocate for a renewed focus on this issue to help save the lives of women across our country.\u201d\n\u201cWe have a responsibility to do everything we can to fight a disease that claims more lives of women in America than any other cause,\u201d Senator Gillibrand said. \u201cWe owe it to women in America to make sure they have access to the screenings and the care they need. I urge HHS to analyze their current programs to make sure doctors, clinics and researchers are sufficiently armed with the resources they need to reach out and treat more women, and save lives.\u201d\n\u201cHeart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S., but we still don\u2019t know enough about how certain risk factors can impact women differently than men nor how symptoms unique to women can help assist with early detection,\u201d said Senator Ayotte. \u201cBy calling on the NIH and CDC to prioritize women\u2019s heart health, including placing a focus on more representative research, we can encourage greater awareness of women\u2019s cardiovascular health and promote more screenings that can help save women\u2019s lives.\u201d\n\u201cHeart disease manifests itself differently in men and women but is the number one leading cause of death for both, nationally and in Hawaii. Not enough research and education has been done on how to diagnose and treat women. Change must occur to ensure that our mothers, friends, daughters, and sisters have a fighting chance against this deadly disease,\u201d said Senator Hirono.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=8741b627-5807-42e2-8dce-e50259b03ddd", "Johnson Supports Keystone XL Pipeline, Democrats Block", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Senator Johnson remarked about the Senate\u2019s vote on S. 2280, the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill: \u201cI was pleased that Senate Democrats finally agreed \u00a0to hold a vote regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline this evening, and I was happy to vote yes.\r\n\u201cHowever, I am disappointed this important piece of legislation failed to pass by one vote. \u00a0Democrats' failure to support this legislation is a prime example of the dysfunction in Washington and how their policies have hurt our economy. \u00a0Americans hungry for work could have benefitted long ago if the democrats and the president had listened, as multiple studies, now confirmed, showed that building the pipeline is the most environmentally friendly method of transporting oil from Canada. \u00a0 By not acting, we have needlessly irritated our closest neighbor and failed to help Americans lower their energy costs and reduce dependence on oil from foreign sources.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-voices-concerns-over-tick-size-pilot-program", "Duffy Voices Concerns Over Tick-Size Pilot Program", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Submits Comments to SEC Chair Mary Jo White\nWashington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0submitted comments to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White regarding the implementation of a Tick Size Pilot Program. The program is derived from the Congressman\u2019s House-passed legislation, H.R. 3448, which directed the SEC to develop a similar pilot.\nIn his comments to the Chair,\u00a0Rep. Duffy\u00a0offered, \u201cI am encouraged by both the timeliness and willingness of the participants to meet the perimeters of the Order Directing the Exchanges and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to Submit a Tick Size Pilot Plan.\u201d However, among his concerns, Rep. Duffy has reservations about the proposed length of the pilot program saying, \u201cA one-year Pilot will not be enough time to warrant the start-up costs and other investments needed to participate in the Pilot.\u201d Rep. Duffy is advocating for a five year plan consistent with H.R. 3448.\nH.R. 3448 passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 412-4 following unanimous passage in the House Financial Services Committee. To read the full text of the letter to Chair White, click\u00a0here\n###\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/house-passes-duffy-bill-approves-transfer-of-responsibility-for-ashland-breakwater", "House Passes Duffy Bill: Approves Transfer of Responsibility for Ashland Breakwater Light", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy\u2019s\u00a0bill to transfer responsibility for the iconic Ashland lighthouse from the Coast Guard to the National Park Service passed the House of Representatives today. Click on the image to watch Rep. Duffy\u2019s full remarks during Floor debate on the bill:\n\u00a0\nRep. Duffy\u00a0commented, \u201cNext year will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Ashland Breakwater Light, a lighthouse that has stood strong on Lake Superior\u2019s shores, guiding ships through dark nights and storms and welcoming travelers back home.\n\u201cI have worked closely with National Park Service staff, as well as the local recreational community, to strike a balance that allows for the transfer of the lighthouse itself while preventing additional Washington rules and regulations from affecting\u00a0any\u00a0recreation on the waters surrounding the Ashland Light.\u201d\n\u00a0\nCity of Ashland Mayor, Deb Lewis, also offered her praise for the bill\u2019s passage, \u201c\u201cI am delighted that the Ashland Lighthouse will now be included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore along with all the other lighthouses in the area.\u00a0 This will help provide additional economic, tourist, and educational benefits not only for the City of Ashland but for the entire Chequamegon Bay region.\u00a0 Ashland is a city that values its history and this inclusion will allow future visitors and residents to know the story of Ashland\u2019s role in the area.\u00a0 I want to thank Congressman Duffy and Senator Baldwin for successfully working together, along with all the other interested agencies, to accomplish final passage of this bill.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-passes-rep-ron-kinds-duck-stamp-legislation-protect-american", "U.S. House Passes Rep. Ron Kind's Duck Stamp Legislation to Protect American Wetlands", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Ron Kind", "K000188", "kind.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014, a bipartisan bill authored by Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI) and John Fleming (R-LA). The bill will increase funding for wetland conservation by adjusting the cost of duck stamps purchased by hunters nationwide.\nHunters, collectors and outdoor enthusiasts who purchase duck stamps play a vital role in protecting our wetlands here in Wisconsin and across the country said Rep. Kind. By updating the program to better meet our conservation needs, we are sharing in this investment so that future generations can continue to enjoy this vital habitat.\nThe sale and distribution of federal duck stamps help fund the conservation of waterfowl habitat across the country. But the cost of a duck stamp has not been changed since 1991, while the need to protect wildlife habitat continues to increase. This legislation adjusts the cost of a duck stamp to $25.\nApproximately 98 cents out of every dollar raised by ducks stamps are spent on wetland conservation.\nSince 1934, more than 120 million federal duck stamps have been sold nationwide. With the sale of these stamps, more than $800 million has been collected and deposited into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. This funding has been used to purchase or lease over 5.3 million acres of vital wetlands and essential waterfowl habitat that have been incorporated within the National Wildlife Refuge System.\nThe Federal Duck Stamp Act is supported by numerous conservation organizations including Ducks Unlimited and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205201836/http://sensenbrenner.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397669", "Sensenbrenner Urges Senate Passage of USA FREEDOM Act", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "F. Sensenbrenner", "S000244", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Sensenbrenner Urges Senate Passage of USA FREEDOM Act \n   \n    \n       \n      \n  \n    \n      f \n      t \n      #\n      e\n      \n      \n    \n    \n      \n        Washington,\n        Nov 17\n      \n       \n    \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n    \n      \n      \n      Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) introduced the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act in October, 2013. The House of Representatives passed an amended bill by a vote of 303-121. In July, Chairman Leahy introduced a revised USA FREEDOM Act that reclaimed lost provisions from the original bill and strengthened privacy protections. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed for cloture on the measure. \nCongressman Sensenbrenner: \u201cThe USA FREEDOM Act has been heavily negotiated since Chairman Leahy and I introduced it over a year ago. The bipartisan bill before the Senate has my full support and has been endorsed by an eclectic coalition, ranging from tech giants and privacy advocates to the Administration and Intelligence Community.\u00a0 There is no excuse not to pass this critical legislation during the lame duck. We have gone to great lengths to ensure our civil liberties are protected without compromising our national security. As the primary author of the Patriot Act, I know the importance of our intelligence gathering authorities, but the law must be used as Congress intended.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to get this done and restore Americans\u2019 trust in their government.\u201d \n    \n  \n  \n  \n    \n      f \n      t \n      #\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://web.archive.org/web/20141205210707/http://www.baldwin.senate.gov/press-releases/baldwin-stands-up-for-working-families-supports-child-care-and-development-block-grant-ccbdg-act-that-benefits-34000-wisconsin-kids-every-month", "Baldwin Stands up for Working Families, Supports Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCBDG) Act that Benefits 34,000 Wisconsin Kids Every Month", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "WI", "Tammy Baldwin", "B001230", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Baldwin Stands up for Working Families, Supports Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCBDG) Act that Benefits 34,000 Wisconsin Kids Every Month\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 17, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today voted to support reauthorization of the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCBDG) Act, a federal grant program that provides child care subsidies for low-income and working families. This reauthorization was approved by the Senate HELP Committee, on which Baldwin sits, in September 2013. The bill passed the U.S. Senate today 88-1 and will now go to the President to be signed into law.\n\u201cIn America, we know that a quality education and a fair shot at work is the strongest path to the middle class and economic security. I\u2019m proud that today, we took an important bipartisan action to help create that path,\u201d said Senator Baldwin. \u201cFor many families in this country, quality, affordable child care is a challenge that they struggle with every morning. Reauthorization of the Child Care & Development Block Grant Act provides support to working families across Wisconsin and America.\u201d\nThe bipartisan CCDBG was first signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 to assist working families with the cost of child care. It is the primary federal grant program providing child care assistance for low-income families and supporting child care quality initiatives. States use the grants to help low-income families gain access to child care and after school programs.\nToday, many parents are in the workforce \u2013 including over 70 percent of mothers. Access to quality and affordable child care is essential in order for working families to secure and retain employment, particularly for low-income families.\nIn Wisconsin, the cost of child care for an infant is approximately 40 percent of a single mother\u2019s median income. Two-parent families can expect to spend more than 10 percent of their income on child care. Further, in Wisconsin, nearly a third of children receiving CCDBG funding are under the age of three, making this a sound investment in those crucial early years of a child\u2019s life. Currently, CCDBG benefits more than 34,000 Wisconsin children every month.\nThe bipartisan CCDBG Act of 2014 would reauthorize, reform, and revitalize the CCDBG program by placing a greater emphasis on quality child care programs and strengthen federal safety standards. Specifically, the legislation modifies existing law for several key areas including:\n \nRequiring comprehensive background checks.\nStrengthening health and safety standards.\nInspecting child care programs before issuing licenses.\nIncreasing awareness and transparency for families.\nPromoting continuity and stability of care for children and their families.\nImproving program quality through emphasis of prioritizing access to high quality care.\n \nFor more information on the Child Care & Development Block Grant Act of 2014, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=81c3b7a6-7d8f-420c-ab2f-df64aaeb1ec8", "Radio Release: Johnson Comments on Obamacare", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Johnson made these remarks about his thoughts on the Affordable Health Care Act.\r\n\u00a0Senator Johnson, what are you prepared to do in regard to the ACA in the new congress? Answer here\r\n\u00a0Senator Johnson, President Obama said he would not repeal the ACA but would be open to adjustments; would you be happy with that? Answer here\r\n\u00a0Senator Johnson, what do you think about the U.S. Supreme Court challenge debating whether the federal government can hand out subsidies to states who operate under the federal exchange? Answer here\r\n###\r\n\u00a0Senator Johnson gave these answers during an interview on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with Wisconsin Public Radio.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=ce6791f1-bd3a-42d9-9adf-6f31042fd740", "Sign Up for Sen. Johnson's Telephone Town Hall!", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Ron Johnson", "J000293", "www.ronjohnson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Ron will be hosting a telephone town hall Thursday, November 20, at 6:35 p.m. Central Time.\r\nIf you are interested in participating:\r\nEMAIL NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND HOMETOWN TO: \u00a0rjohnsonpress@ronjohnson.senate.gov\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOnce you sign up, Ron will give you a call\u00a0Thursday evening\u00a0at\u00a06:35 p.m. Central Time.\u00a0\r\nSenator Johnson will talk with as many callers as he has time to answer.  All callers may listen to as much of the telephone town hall as they wish.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1069, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "WI", "p1": "2014"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 636, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014&party=Democrat", "selected": false}, {"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 433, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1069, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014", "results": [{"value": "WI", "label": "WI", "count": 1069, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2014", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014", "results": [{"value": "2014", "label": "2014", "count": 1069, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2014-11-17,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eronjohnson~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpress-releases~3FID~3Dce6791f1-bd3a-42d9-9adf-6f31042fd740", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=WI&year=2014&_next=2014-11-17%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Eronjohnson~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpress-releases~3FID~3Dce6791f1-bd3a-42d9-9adf-6f31042fd740&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 311.80095905438066, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}