Johnson backs Kavanaugh, weighs in on Senate race
Senator says he’ll twist donor’s arm to help Vukmir
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday he expects the Senate to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
“I’m going to obviously support his nomination,” Johnson said during a conference call with Wisconsin reporters. “I would like to see every senator support the nomination of such a qualified jurist and such a decent man.”
Johnson met Wednesday with Kavanaugh, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearings are set to begin Sept. 4 and are expected to last three to four days, according to Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
“I have a hard time of thinking any Republican will vote against Judge Kavanaugh, and quite honestly I think some Democrats are going to join us as well, once they meet him and see the decent human being he is,” Johnson said.
He brushed aside Democratic concerns that they don’t have access to enough documents from Kavanaugh’s years spent working in the White House for President George W. Bush.
Johnson said Kavanaugh has a long record as a Circuit Court of Appeals judge.
“I don’t know what Democrats are looking for,” he said. “Are they looking for his fourth-grade essay? They have more than enough documentation to making a determination. They should all be voting yes. He’s qualified for the Supreme Court.”
Johnson, who chairs the Senate’s Homeland Security committee, offered no push back on Trump’s decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan.
“Security clearance is a privilege,” he said. “And it really should only be in the hands of individuals who are actively working for the federal government or consulting with people who are working with the federal government.
“I can’t imagine based on the way John Brennan has conducted himself now on cable TV that anybody in the administration would consult with him. He has no requirement whatsoever for a security clearance. I was actually surprised it wasn’t revoked sooner.”
Johnson was asked about Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, which matches Republican Leah Vukmir against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Johnson expressed confidence that Republicans would unify behind Vukmir after her tough primary battle against Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson. He plans to campaign with Vukmir Saturday.
On Friday, Johnson will attend a unity fundraiser in Milwaukee.
The official chairs of the event are GOP mega-donors Diane Hendricks and Richard Uihlein.
Hendricks supported a Vukmir-allied super PAC during the primary while Uihlein backed Nicholson through a super PAC and other groups.
Asked if Uihlein would spend money to help Vukmir during the general election, Johnson said, “I’ll certainly be twisting his arms to do so.”
Johnson said he wasn’t sure if Uihlein would attend the fundraiser, adding that the Illinois businessman rarely goes to such events.
“I hope he shows up,” he said. “I hope we have a really good showing. It sounds like we will.”
Johnson attended events for Vukmir and Nicholson as they awaited election results Tuesday and thanked their supporters for volunteering and urged them to “come together and unify behind whoever the candidate is.”
“We will have a unified party,” he said, adding that Vukmir “wasn’t harmed by the primary.”