Baldwin outlines aggressive agenda
Democrat vows to hold Republicans accountable
With her party out of power, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is ready for political battle.
“I was elected by the people of Wisconsin to take on the powerful interests in Washington and fight for Wisconsin workers and I have done that and I’ll continue to do that,” said Baldwin, a Democrat from Madison.
“But that fight has gotten much harder with Republican establishment control of Washington,” she said.
During a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Baldwin outlined an agenda to hold Republicans accountable, including President-elect Donald Trump and his cabinet nominees.
From calling on Trump to release his tax returns to unsuccessfully pushing for legislation to require American-made iron and steel to be used in drinking water projects, Baldwin has already sought to set markers.
Last month, Baldwin was disappointed when congressional Republicans stripped a permanent “Buy America” provision she introduced and which the Senate passed in a water infrastructure bill in September. Afterward, Baldwin said she didn’t see a “tweet or a peep” from Trump.
Democrats are trying to rebuild. As part of that process, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York expanded his caucus leadership team and Baldwin got a spot. Baldwin is among 10 Democratic senators up for re-election in 2018 in states that Trump won.
“I think it really allows me to bring the perspective of the heartland, the industrial Midwest, to our leadership discussions and to keep our focus squarely on helping the working class get ahead,” she said.
Confirmation hearings scheduled for this week on several of Trump’s cabinet nominees will provide the first major flash point.
As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Baldwin will be involved in confirmation hearings on Betsy DeVos for education secretary, Tom Price for health secretary and Andrew Puzder for labor secretary.
Her position on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will involve her in confirmation hearings on Wilbur Ross for commerce secretary and Elaine Chao for transportation secretary.
Baldwin said she met with Chao and had a “good exchange.” She also met with DeVos, a strong proponent of school choice, and said they spent time talking about the role of education secretary.
“I am very concerned, extremely concerned about her attitude toward public education,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin and other Democrats have raised red flags about getting more information on the financial interests of several of Trump’s nominees. They have sought to delay the hearing for DeVos until the Office of Government Ethics completes a review of her background and financial investments.
“The folks who will be getting their confirmation hearings in the next couple of weeks, most have not submitted or filed their paperwork,” she said.
Baldwin said she’s prepared to fight for continuation of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Republicans have vowed to repeal the measure but have not settled on a replacement.
“I was not elected to the U.S. Senate by the people of Wisconsin to take away people’s health care,” she said. “That we are at this point is incredibly maddening. The Republican establishment has had seven years to articulate a replacement and they have nothing. Nothing.”
Baldwin said she’ll work to hold Trump “accountable for the promises he made to working people. If he’s serious about renegotiating unfair trade deals, we can find common ground.”
And if Trump “breaks his promises” to working people?
“I’ll call him out,” Baldwin said. “Democrats will. The Republican establishment now owns Washington.”