(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. Senator says there’s no need to continue the government shutdown, but he’s not predicting a quick end.
Sen. Ron Johnson told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber that Democrats have “had plenty of time to do what makes sense.”
“This is spending a Biden-levels, this is what they voted for. Chuck Schumer has voted for continuing resolutions all the time,” Johnson.
Johnson said the Senate will vote again on a “clean CR” on Monday. The shutdown is now in its third week, and no one is guessing when it may end.
But Johnson said Democrats continue to believe they are winning.
“They think they’ve got the high ground because premiums because of Obamacare are going to continue to sky rocket,” Johnson said.
“They’re trying to [mislead] the American public that the reason premiums are sky rocketing is because [the Democrats’] temporary enhanced subsidies are expiring.”
Johnson said Congress can deal with the rising costs of health insurance, but not until after Democrats vote to reopen the government.
He also said he hopes that any deal on health care will not simply continue the unaffordable subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.
“We’ll talk about how to fix your horribly broken Obamacare,” Johnson added. “We’re happy to do that. We’ll fix the damage that’s already been done.”
Democrats in Congress continue to say the end of COVID-era Affordable Care Act subsidies will spike health care costs and could potentially leave hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin without access to care.
Wisconsin Democratic Ssen. Tammy Baldwin on Sunday put the blame for the shutdown on Johnson and the Republicans.
“The only way to get us out of this mess is for Democrats and Republicans to sit down together and negotiate a solution. So why, on Day #19 of Trump’s shutdown, are Republicans still refusing to do that?” Baldwin wrote on X.
