Johnson skeptical of Trump’s plan to ban vaping products
MADISON - U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson expressed reservations Saturday about President Donald Trump’s plans to ban flavored vaping products, signaled support for Trump diverting money from military projects to a border wall with Mexico and contended that all judges have a tinge of partisanship.
The Republican from Oshkosh also said he didn’t believe universal background checks would stop any mass shootings in comments he made during and after an appearance at the Capital Times Ideas Fest on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Also at the event, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch declined to say if she would run for governor in 2022 and Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro defended his recent confrontation with former Vice President Joe Biden.
Vaping
Trump on Wednesday said he planned to ban most flavored e-cigarettes amid a rash of vaping-related illnesses across the country. Johnson — who has long promoted vaping as a way to help people stop smoking — said he thought Trump’s proposal might go too far.
“I want to make sure that vaping products are safe but they’re also available to adults in their cigarette smoking cessation endeavors,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to see the government overreact to these things, but I think we have to take appropriate measures here.”
He said the recent illnesses appear to come in instances where people were vaping oils or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
“They’re not coming from legal products,” he said.
Johnson said he was “not really being critical” and he understands why the president is taking the stance he is.
“I’m a little concerned at the extent of his action,” he said. “I’m sympathetic. We want to keep these things out of kids’ hands and these companies with these flavors — they’re marketing to kids. That we need to end. Again, I just want to make sure we’re basing this on science.”
Border wall and the military
Trump this month shifted $3.6 billion from military projects to the border wall. The diversion includes $8 million that would have gone toward a small arms range at Truax Field in Madison.
Johnson said he believed Trump had
the legal authority to put the money toward the border wall. He predicted Congress would quickly appropriate new funds to cover the Truax range and other military projects.
“That money will be easily refunded through the appropriations process,” Johnson said. “Truax will get the funds.”
Johnson said in the future, Congress would likely make it more difficult for presidents to shift money around.
Gerrymandering and judges
Johnson said he supported having politicians draw the maps of congressional and legislative districts after the census every 10 years. In 2011, Republicans controlled all of Wisconsin’s state government and used that process to give themselves an edge in elections.
Some states have established nonpartisan commissions that are in charge of drawing the lines. Johnson said he opposed those commissions because he doesn’t believe they will be able to truly separate themselves from partisanship.
“There is no such thing as nonpartisan,” Johnson said. “There is no such thing. Judges aren’t nonpartisan. There is no such thing.”
Wisconsin and other states are to draw new maps in 2021.
Background checks for guns
Johnson expressed skepticism toward requiring background checks for more gun purchases.
“My reluctance is: I don’t want to turn into a criminal some guy up in northern Wisconsin who transfers a gun to a friend,” he said.
Expanded background checks would be unlikely to curb mass shootings, he said.
“You can pass all the background checks. It’s not going to solve this,” he said. “It probably won’t even stop one of these.”
“I don’t want to see the government overreact to these things, but I think we have to take appropriate measures here.” U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson R - Wisconsin
He added: “It doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to realize if someone is going to break the law and slaughter a fellow human being, they’re not going to have a whole lot of problem violating gun laws either. We have 400 million guns. People are going to be able to get them.”
He said it should be largely left to states to decide whether to pass red-flag laws that allow guns to be temporarily taken away from people if a judge determines they are a threat to themselves or others. He said those laws should include robust due process protections.
Preventing government shutdowns
Johnson touted legislation that would prevent government shutdowns. He noted that if officials in Wisconsin can’t agree on a budget, state government doesn’t close up shop. Instead, it operates on the previous year’s budget until a new spending plan passes.
The same approach should be taken at the federal level so that shutdowns can be prevented, he said.
“Doesn’t that make total sense? There’s no reason for it,” he said.
Trade war
Johnson distanced himself from Trump’s trade policies.
“He knows full well I’m not a real supporter of the strategy he’s undertaking,” Johnson said.
“When I talk to farmers and manufacturers in the state of Wisconsin, even though they’re being harmed by the trade war, almost the last word to me is invariably, ‘but we support what the president has been trying to do.’ ”
He said the president should focus on China because that nation is stealing “hundreds of millions of dollars” in intellectual property from other countries and violating World Trade Organization rules.
“We need to bring them in compliance,” Johnson said. “We need to get them to stop stealing our stuff. I just don’t agree with the way the president has pretty well engaged in a trade war worldwide. What we should be doing is focusing on the primary problem, which is China.”
Castro on his fight with Biden
Castro — who appeared onstage with his twin brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas — defended the way he challenged Biden on health care in Thursday’s debate.
“The vice president and I know each other, we served in the administration (together), it was not a personal thing. I have tremendous respect for him, but we do have a difference (on) health care,” said Castro, who served as President Barack Obama’s housing secretary.
“I’m there to win that debate. We need a nominee to go up against Trump … and win on that debate stage. He’s not going to be nice. He’s not going to be an easy debater to take on.”
Castro had chided Biden over his health care plan, accusing him of forgetting his own comments moments earlier in the debate on that issue. But Biden hadn’t misstated his plans, as Castro claimed during the debate.
Castro’s comments to Biden were seen by some as an implicit dig at Biden’s age.
Kleefisch silent on run for governor
In her own talk at the festival, Kleefisch declined to say whether she was considering running for governor in 2022.
The former GOP lieutenant governor is the executive director of Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the government agency in charge of commemorating the 100th anniversary of American women gaining the right to vote.
Given that role, she said she wouldn’t talk about politics, but she noted Wisconsin has never had a woman serve as governor.
“I would love to see Wisconsin have a woman governor,” she said.
Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.