107-601: Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin , a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican , Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 , defeating Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold . He was reelected in 2016 , defeating Feingold in a rematch, and in 2022 , narrowly defeating Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes . Born in Mankato, Minnesota , Johnson attended high school in Edina, Minnesota ,
214-623: A conference call attended by around 50 conservative activists. Supporters of the movement subsequently had a major impact on the internal politics of the Republican Party . While the Tea Party was not a political party in the strict sense, research published in 2016 suggests that members of the Tea Party Caucus voted like a right-wing third party in Congress. A major force behind the movement
321-456: A "good upbringing" and used that to question why Barnes had "turned against America". In the November 8 general election, Johnson defeated Barnes with 50.4% of the vote. In 2021, Johnson expressed support for "increasing the minimum wage to some extent" (the federal minimum wage had been $ 7.25/hour since 2009). In 2022, he said it was better for the "marketplace" to decide wages rather than having
428-616: A 10-hour reading of the bill on the grounds that the Senate did not have enough time to read the bill. In August 2022, Johnson criticized the federal Social Security and Medicare programs for contributing to debt by being "on automatic pilot": "If you qualify for the entitlement, you just get it no matter what the cost"; he proposed instead to "turn everything into discretionary spending", which would result in programs needing to be approved by Congress every year. Johnson also called Social Security an unsustainable " Ponzi Scheme ". In 2013, Johnson
535-523: A Sound Economy split into FreedomWorks , for 501c4 advocacy activity, and the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Dick Armey stayed as chairman of FreedomWorks, while David Koch stayed as Chairman of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. The two organizations would become key players in the Tea Party movement from 2009 onward. Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks were "probably the leading partners" in
642-457: A Tea Party website was designed and published by the CSE at web address www.usteaparty.com , and stated "our US Tea Party is a national event, hosted continuously online and open to all Americans who feel our taxes are too high and the tax code is too complicated." The site did not take off at the time. In 2003, Dick Armey became the chairman of CSE after retiring from Congress. In 2004, Citizens for
749-583: A federal lawsuit seeking to block ACA exemptions to members of Congress and their staff. The suit was dismissed for lack of standing, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld the dismissal on appeal. In an August 2017 interview, Johnson said of Senator John McCain 's "thumbs-down" vote that killed the Republican bill to repeal the ACA , "He has a brain tumor right now. The vote occurred at 1:30 in
856-552: A government-mandated minimum wage. Johnson was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 . Johnson rejects the scientific consensus on climate change , describing it in 2021 as "bullshit." In a 2010 interview, he called attributing global warming to manmade causes "crazy," saying the theory is "lunacy," and attributed climate change to causes other than human activity. Johnson also suggested carbon dioxide
963-762: A letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration calling on them to review the 1-year and 2-year mortality rates for those who got a second dose of the Spikevax and Comirnaty vaccines in 2021. He also urged them to review the 1-year mortality rate ratio for mRNA vaccines between those who died in high COVID months and in low COVID months. He wrote that Spikevax increased all-cause mortality, citing studies by Steve Kirsch and Clare Craig on COVID vaccination and mortality rates in Czech Republic . Johnson supported Trump's decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which he said
1070-572: A medical doctor who "has cast doubts on coronavirus vaccines and has pushed for the use of hydroxychloroquine ", and a cardiologist who disagrees with "settled science". After the FDA revoked the emergency use authorization from hydroxychloroquine in June 2020, Johnson and two other senators wrote the agency in August for an explanation of why the FDA was unresponsive to Trump administration officials' calls to reauthorize
1177-500: A penalty that would be too harsh for these guys", and in late September 2010 said that the legislation would have financially crippled organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs and that the punishment for child sexual abuse should be "severe and swift." He also addressed reports about his testimony, saying, "I sought to warn legislators of those consequences in order to correct legislative language so that any bills that passed would punish
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#17328692758251284-473: A practice known as " astroturfing ". Other observers see the organization as having its grassroots element "amplified by the right-wing media", supported by elite funding. The Tea Party movement is not a national political party; polls show that most Tea Partiers consider themselves to be Republicans and the movement's supporters have tended to endorse Republican candidates. Commentators, including Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport, have suggested that
1391-704: A proposed Repeal Amendment , which would enable a two-thirds majority of the states to repeal federal laws, and a Balanced Budget Amendment , to limit deficit spending. The Tea Party has sought to avoid placing emphasis on traditional conservative social issues. National Tea Party organizations, such as the Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks , have expressed concern that engaging in social issues would be divisive. Instead, they have sought to have activists focus their efforts away from social issues and focus on economic and limited government issues. Still, many groups like Glenn Beck 's 9/12 Tea Parties, TeaParty.org,
1498-529: A protest at the Colorado Capitol, also promoted by Malkin. Carender held a second protest on February 27, 2009, reporting "We more than doubled our attendance at this one." On February 18, 2009, the one-month old Obama administration announced the Homeowners Affordability and Stability Plan , an economic recovery plan to help home owners avoid foreclosure by refinancing mortgages in the wake of
1605-552: A radio spot produced that began, "The latest mass murder in America didn't involve guns." It equated the recent accidental deaths of 53 immigrants in Texas during President Joe Biden 's tenure with mass homicide. Before it aired, the campaign hastened to pull it, as the broadcasts would have followed the July 4, 2022, Highland Park parade shooting too closely. Seven people died and 46 were wounded in
1712-562: A reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending . The movement supported small-government principles and opposed the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), President Obama's signature health care legislation. The Tea Party movement has been described as both a popular constitutional movement and as an " astroturf movement " purporting to be spontaneous and grassroots, but created by hidden elite interests. The movement
1819-482: A reporter noting the press is permitted to witness the proceedings. Johnson dismissively remarked that an impeachment vote would simply "inflame the situation". Seniority in the United States Senate United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator ;
1926-406: A senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are: When more than one senator had such office, its length of time
2033-646: A simple majority vote would "ensure a quicker pace on Trump's court picks". In 2022, Johnson blocked a Biden administration nominee, William Pocan , from serving as a federal district court judge in Wisconsin. The previous year, Johnson and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin jointly recommended Pocan. In justifying blocking Pocan, Johnson referenced the Mayfair Mall shooting in Wauwatosa . Pocan had no involvement in
2140-439: A special election. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives , must resign from that office before becoming a senator. A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example,
2247-709: A suburb of the Twin Cities , and received a degree from the University of Minnesota . Before entering politics, he was chief executive officer of a polyester and plastics manufacturer in Oshkosh, Wisconsin , founded by his brother-in-law. A staunch ally of President Donald Trump , Johnson voted for Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, supported Trump's decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), launched investigations into his political opponents and promoted false claims of fraud in relation to Trump's defeat in
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#17328692758252354-633: A tax-deductible expense), he said he "wouldn't rule it out" as part of an effort to lower taxes and simplify the tax code. During the Trump administration , Johnson defended tax cuts, falsely claiming that they reduced the deficit. He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 , having conditioned his support on increasing tax cuts for pass-through companies . The tax cut benefited, among others, Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein and Diane Hendricks , who had contributed $ 20 million to Johnson's reelection campaign. During
2461-509: A unique combination of the two. Reliance on the Constitution is selective and inconsistent. Adherents cite it, yet do so more as a cultural reference rather than out of commitment to the text, which they seek to alter. Two constitutional amendments have been targeted by some in the movement for full or partial repeal: the 16th that allows an income tax, and the 17th that requires popular election of senators . There has also been support for
2568-534: A watershed event in the American Revolution , with some movement adherents using Revolutionary era costumes. The Tea Party movement was popularly launched following a February 19, 2009, call by CNBC reporter Rick Santelli on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for a "tea party". On February 20, 2009, The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition also helped launch the Tea Party movement via
2675-460: A website calling for protests against Obama. Overnight, websites such as "ChicagoTeaParty.com" (registered in August 2008 by Chicagoan Zack Christenson, radio producer for conservative talk show host Milt Rosenberg ) were live within 12 hours. By the next day, guests on Fox News had already begun to mention this new "Tea Party". As reported by The Huffington Post , a Facebook page was developed on February 20 calling for Tea Party protests across
2782-457: Is an attempt to put structure and formality around it, or to co-opt it by Washington, D.C., it's going to take away from the free-flowing nature of the true Tea Party movement. The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party , a protest in 1773 by colonists who objected to British taxation without representation, and demonstrated by dumping British tea taken from docked ships into
2889-427: Is no need for young people to be vaccinated. These claims contradict known science and the recommendations of health officials, who note that herd immunity is the most effective to halt COVID-19's spread and severity. In December 2021 he recommended mouthwash as a treatment for the coronavirus during a town hall meeting , immediately drawing criticism. A dental-professional -focused website run by Listerine , one of
2996-487: Is not the Tea Party's founder, or its culturally resonant figure, he has become the "intellectual godfather" of the movement since many now agree with his long-held beliefs. Journalist Jane Mayer has said that the Koch brothers were essential in funding and strengthening the movement, through groups such as Americans for Prosperity . In 2013, a study published in the journal Tobacco Control concluded that organizations within
3103-497: Is used to break the tie. For instance, Jerry Moran , John Boozman , John Hoeven , Marco Rubio , Ron Johnson , Rand Paul , Richard Blumenthal , and Mike Lee took office on January 3, 2011. The first two senators mentioned had served in the House of Representatives: Moran had served for 14 years and Boozman for nine. As a former governor, Hoeven is ranked immediately after the former House members. The rest are ranked by population as of
3210-410: The 2000 census . These ranked from 36th to 43rd in seniority when the 118th United States Congress convened. If two senators are tied on all criteria, the one whose surname comes first alphabetically is considered the senior senator. This happened with Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , both of Georgia, who were sworn in on January 20, 2021. Because they were both newly elected senators from
3317-548: The 2012 elections . It has also mobilized locally against the United Nations Agenda 21 . They have protested the IRS for controversial treatment of groups with "tea party" in their names. They have formed Super PACs to support candidates sympathetic to their goals and have opposed what they call the "Republican establishment" candidates. The Tea Party does not have a single uniform agenda. The decentralized character of
Ron Johnson - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-681: The 2020 presidential election . He has rejected the scientific consensus on climate change . During the COVID-19 pandemic , Johnson voted for the CARES Act , resisted stay at home orders , used his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee to invite witnesses who promoted fringe theories about COVID-19 and spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations . He has also suggested Social Security and Medicare spending be subject to an annual congressional vote. Johnson
3531-597: The Binghamton Tea Party, to protest obesity taxes proposed by New York Governor David Paterson and call for fiscal responsibility on the part of the government. The protestors emptied bottles of soda into the Susquehanna River , and several of them wore Native American headdresses, similar to the band of 18th century colonists who dumped tea in Boston Harbor to express outrage about British taxes. Some of
3638-726: The Boston Tea Party 's 234th anniversary, but that others, including Republicans, took over and changed some of the movement's core beliefs. Writing for Slate.com , Dave Weigel has argued in concurrence that, in his view, the "first modern Tea Party events occurred in December 2007, long before Barack Obama took office, and they were organized by supporters of Rep. Ron Paul," with the movement expanding and gaining prominence in 2009. ( Barack Obama took office in January 2009.) Journalist Joshua Green has stated in The Atlantic that while Ron Paul
3745-693: The Energy Tax Prevention Act , which would block the EPA from imposing new rules on carbon emissions. In an October 7, 2022, Senate campaign debate, Johnson said, "The climate has always changed and always will change, so I don’t deny climate change", repeating a similar statement he made in February 2016. When asked about allowing additional drilling for oil in the continental US, including the Great Lakes if oil were found there, Johnson responded, "We have to get
3852-553: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act , which passed the Senate on March 18, 2020, by a vote of 90–8. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Johnson said he was aware "what a nasty disease COVID-19 can be, and how it's obviously devastating to somewhere between 1 and 3.4 percent of the population... [b]ut we don't shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on
3959-602: The Great Recession . The next day, CNBC business news editor Rick Santelli criticized the Plan in a live broadcast from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange . He said that those plans were "promoting bad behavior" by "subsidizing losers' mortgages". He suggested holding a tea party for traders to gather and dump the derivatives in the Chicago River on July 1. "President Obama, are you listening?" he asked. A number of
4066-534: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the United States "would have been far better off not spending any of the money and [letting] the recovery happen as it was going to happen." The newspaper later reported that the education council Johnson led considered applying for stimulus money in 2009, but ultimately elected not to. The Johnson campaign stated that nonprofits consider "many possibilities," but that
4173-546: The Tea Party Congressional Caucus ; however, since July 16, 2012, the caucus has been defunct. An article in Politico reported that many Tea Party activists were skeptical of the caucus, seeing it as an effort by the Republican Party to hijack the movement. Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz refused to join the caucus, saying Structure and formality are the exact opposite of what the Tea Party is, and if there
4280-658: The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), stimulus programs such as Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act), cap and trade environmental regulations, health care reform such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also known simply as the Affordable Care Act or " Obamacare ") and perceived attacks by
4387-695: The U.S. minimum wage . Historian and writer Walter Russell Mead analyzes the foreign policy views of the Tea Party movement in a 2011 essay published in Foreign Affairs . Mead says that Jacksonian populists, such as the Tea Party, combine a belief in American exceptionalism and its role in the world with skepticism of American's "ability to create a liberal world order". When necessary, they favor " total war " and unconditional surrender over "limited wars for limited goals". Mead identifies two main trends, one personified by former Texas Congressman Ron Paul and
Ron Johnson - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-450: The University of Minnesota in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in business and accounting. He continued his studies but did not receive a graduate degree. In 1979, Johnson moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with his wife, Jane. He worked for his wife's family's plastics company, PACUR, an abbreviation of "Pat Curler", Jane's brother. Curler created the company with funding from his and Jane's father, Howard Curler. Howard Curler had been named CEO of
4601-449: The 1990s and before. In 1984, David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch of Koch Industries founded Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), a conservative political group whose self-described mission was "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation." Congressman Ron Paul was appointed as the first chairman of the organization. The CSE lobbied for policies favorable to corporations, particularly tobacco companies. In 2002,
4708-548: The Iowa Tea Party and Delaware Patriot Organizations do act on social issues such as abortion, gun control, prayer in schools , and illegal immigration. One attempt at forming a list of what Tea Partiers wanted Congress to do resulted in the Contract from America . It was a legislative agenda created by conservative activist Ryan Hecker with the assistance of Dick Armey of FreedomWorks. Armey had co-written with Newt Gingrich
4815-774: The Senate, three Tea Party backed Republicans, Jim DeMint , Mike Lee and Michael Crapo , voted to limit foreign aid to Libya, Pakistan and Egypt. Tea Partiers in both houses of Congress have shown willingness to cut foreign aid. Most leading figures within the Tea Party both within and outside Congress opposed military intervention in Syria. The Tea Party movement is composed of a loose affiliation of national and local groups that determine their own platforms and agendas without central leadership. The Tea Party movement has both been cited as an example of grassroots political activity and has also been described as an example of corporate-funded activity made to appear as spontaneous community action,
4922-483: The September 2009 Taxpayer March on Washington, also known as the "9/12 Tea Party", according to The Guardian . Fox News Channel commentator Juan Williams has said that the Tea Party movement emerged from the "ashes" of Ron Paul 's 2008 presidential primary campaign. Indeed, Ron Paul has stated that its origin was on December 16, 2007, when supporters held a 24-hour record breaking, " moneybomb " fundraising event on
5029-570: The Tea Party is an extension of this political strategy "to promote corporate profit at the expense of the public good." Former governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin , keynoting a Tea Party Tax Day protest at the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin on April 15, 2011, reflected on the origins of the Tea Party movement and credited President Barack Obama, saying "And speaking of President Obama, I think we ought to pay tribute to him today at this Tax Day Tea Party because really he's
5136-591: The Tea Party" and is glad to be associated with it, although he did not join the Senate Tea Party Caucus following his election. In the September 14, 2010, Republican primary , Johnson, running a largely self-financed campaign, defeated Watertown businessman Dave Westlake with 85% of the vote to Westlake's 10% and 5% for Stephen Finn. As a candidate, Johnson opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. He launched his campaign by telling
5243-408: The Tea Party, with its lack of formal structure or hierarchy, allows each autonomous group to set its own priorities and goals. Goals may conflict, and priorities will often differ between groups. Many Tea Party organizers see this as a strength rather than a weakness, as decentralization has helped to immunize the Tea Party against co-opting by outside entities and corruption from within. Even though
5350-694: The Wauwatosa shooting. In March 2015, Johnson voted for an amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to allow all employees in the country to earn paid sick time. In 2015, Johnson was one of 11 Senate Republicans to vote to allow same-sex spouses to have access to federal Social Security and veterans' benefits. In July 2022, Johnson initially expressed support for the Respect for Marriage Act , which would codify same-sex marriage into federal law. Johnson reversed his stance in September 2022, saying he "would not support it in its current state". He voted against
5457-522: The West. On conservative media broadcasts, Johnson repeatedly referred to the supposed "Democrat grand plan," endorsing the theory, saying, "I've got to believe they want to change the makeup of the electorate." Johnson is one of the Senate Republicans who favored the " nuclear option " of ending the filibuster "to speed up consideration of President Trump's nominees" because changing the Senate's rules to
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#17328692758255564-492: The act in November 2022. Johnson has a "D" rating from NORML for his voting record on cannabis -related matters. In January 2010, before holding elective office, Johnson opposed a Wisconsin bill that would have eliminated the time limit for future child sexual abuse victims to bring lawsuits while allowing an additional three years for past victims to sue. He testified before the Wisconsin Senate that "punishment for
5671-546: The actual perpetrators should be severe", but questioned whether it would be just for employers of perpetrators to be financially affected by lawsuits. He added that the bill, if enacted, might reduce the reporting of child sexual abuse. At the time of his testimony, Johnson was on the Finance Council of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay . In June 2010 he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel : "I can't think of
5778-414: The case of senators elected in a run-off election occurring after the commencement of a new term, or a special election, their seniority date will be the date they are sworn in and not the first day of that Congress. A senator may be simultaneously elected to fill a term in a special election and elected to the six-year term which begins on the upcoming January 3. Their seniority is that of someone chosen in
5885-506: The closed-door talks were "outrageous" and "disgusting." He said that default should not have been a concern, because the government had plenty of funding to pay interest on debt, Social Security benefits, and salary for soldiers. In January 2013, Johnson voted for the fiscal cliff agreement that reduced pending tax increases and delayed spending cuts precipitated by the 2011 debt ceiling deal. When asked whether he would get rid of home mortgage interest deductions (claiming mortgage interest as
5992-426: The council "made no application" for stimulus funds. Johnson's 2010 Senate campaign raised $ 15.2 million, $ 9 million of which was his own money. In June 2011, his financial disclosures showed that PACUR had paid him $ 10 million in deferred compensation in early 2011. The compensation covered the period from 1997 to 2011, during which he took no salary from PACUR. Johnson said that, as CEO, he had personally determined
6099-434: The country. A "Nationwide Chicago Tea Party" protest was coordinated across more than 40 different cities for February 27, 2009, establishing the first national modern Tea Party protest. The movement has been supported nationally by at least 12 prominent individuals and their associated organizations. Fox News called many of the protests in 2009 "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" which it promoted on air and sent speakers to. This
6206-518: The day before President Barack Obama signed the stimulus bill into law. Carender said she did it without support from outside groups or city officials. "I just got fed up and planned it." Carender said 120 people participated. "Which is amazing for the bluest of blue cities I live in, and on only four days notice! This was due to me spending the entire four days calling and emailing every person, think tank, policy center, university professors (that were sympathetic), etc. in town, and not stopping until
6313-477: The day came." Contacted by Carender, Steve Beren promoted the event on his blog four days before the protest and agreed to be a speaker at the rally. Carender also contacted conservative author and Fox News Channel contributor Michelle Malkin , and asked her to publicize the rally on her blog, which Malkin did the day before the event. The following day, the Colorado branch of Americans for Prosperity held
6420-466: The dollar amount and that it was unrelated to the contributions he had made to his campaign. In the November 2 election, Johnson defeated Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold with 52% of the vote. After being elected to the Senate, Johnson claimed that he sold his liquid assets to avoid a conflict of interest and also promised to place his assets in a blind trust. In March 2013, Johnson announced that he would seek reelection in 2016. In November 2014, he
6527-498: The drug as a COVID-19 treatment. In early 2021, Johnson was skeptical about COVID-19 vaccines. Asked about COVID-19 vaccines in March 2021, he refused to say whether they were safe (as medical experts had determined) or to encourage people to get vaccinated. In April 2021, he downplayed the need for widespread COVID-19 vaccinations. Johnson has falsely suggested that people who have contracted COVID do not need to be vaccinated, and that there
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#17328692758256634-605: The economic recession that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson voted for the CARES Act in March 2020, but staunchly opposed further stimulus. In December 2020, he sought to block a bipartisan proposal to provide $ 1,200 in COVID-19-related stimulus checks, citing the national debt. In March 2021, Johnson sought to obstruct and delay passage of the American Rescue Plan Act . Breaking from Senate norms, he forced
6741-455: The federal government on their 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th Amendment rights. Tea Party groups have also voiced support for right to work legislation as well as tighter border security, and opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants. On the federal health care reform law, they began to work at the state level to nullify the law, after the Republican Party lost seats in Congress and the Presidency in
6848-513: The first Tea Party in February 2009, although the term "Tea Party" was not used. Other articles, written by Chris Good of The Atlantic and NPR 's Martin Kaste, credit Carender as "one of the first" Tea Party organizers and state that she "organized some of the earliest Tea Party-style protests". Carender first organized what she called a "Porkulus Protest" in Seattle on Presidents Day , February 16,
6955-467: The floor traders around him cheered on his proposal, to the amusement of the hosts in the studio. Santelli's "rant" became a viral video after being featured on the Drudge Report . Beth McGrath of The New Yorker and Kate Zernike of The New York Times report that this where the Tea Party movement was first inspired to coalesce under the collective banner of "Tea Party". Santelli's remarks "set
7062-461: The following: The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in. In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. For most of American history this was March 4 of odd-numbered years, but effective from 1935 the 20th Amendment moved this to January 3 of odd-numbered years. In
7169-439: The fuse to the modern anti-Obama Tea Party movement," according to journalist Lee Fang . About 10 hours after Santelli's remarks, reTeaParty.com was bought to coordinate Tea Parties scheduled for Independence Day and, as of March 4, was reported to be receiving 11,000 visitors a day. Within hours, the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity registered the domain name "TaxDayTeaParty.com", and launched
7276-473: The groups participating in the movement have a wide range of different goals, the Tea Party places its view of the Constitution at the center of its reform agenda. It urges the return of government as intended by some of the Founding Fathers . It also seeks to teach its view of the Constitution and other founding documents. Scholars have described its interpretation variously as originalist , popular, or
7383-616: The harbor. The event was one of the first in a series that led to the United States Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution that gave birth to American independence. Some commentators have referred to the Tea in "Tea Party" as the backronym "Taxed Enough Already", though this did not appear until months after the first nationwide protests. References to the Boston Tea Party were part of Tax Day protests held in
7490-705: The highways. It's a risk we accept so we can move about. We don't shut down our economies because tens of thousands of people die from the common flu". His comments were met with criticism that he was "playing down" the threat of COVID-19. Johnson responded that he was "just trying to look at this very realistically". Johnson used his position as chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee to invite witnesses to hearings to promote fringe theories about COVID-19 . The witnesses promoted unproven drugs, made dubious claims about COVID-19 spread and pushed skepticism about vaccines . Johnson called pulmonologist Pierre Kory to testify about his experiences with Ivermectin , as well as
7597-436: The inspiration for why we're here today. That's right. The Tea Party Movement wouldn't exist without Barack Obama." Charles Homans of The New York Times said that the Tea Party arose in response to the "unpopularity of the George W. Bush administration", which caused "a moment of crisis for the Republican Party." On January 24, 2009, Trevor Leach, chairman of the Young Americans for Liberty in New York State, organized
7704-473: The major health-care reform law from 2009 to 2014 has, according to the Kansas City Star , focused on pushing for Congressional victories so that a repeal measure would pass both houses and that President Obama's veto could be overridden. Some conservative public officials and commentators such as columnist Ramesh Ponnuru have criticized these views as completely unrealistic with the chances of overriding
7811-469: The majority party is named president pro tempore of the Senate , the second-highest office in the Senate and the third in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States . The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses . There are several benefits, including
7918-486: The mid-1980s, Pat Curler left PACUR and Johnson became its CEO. In 1987, the Curler family sold PACUR to Bowater Industries for $ 18 million; Johnson remained the company's CEO. In 1997, he purchased PACUR from Bowater; he remained CEO until he was elected to the Senate in 2010. The 2010 U.S. Senate campaign was Johnson's first run for elected office. According to The New York Times , Johnson said he "did kind of spring out of
8025-440: The morning. So some of that might have factored in." A McCain spokesman called the statements "bizarre and deeply unfortunate." Johnson later said he was "disappointed I didn't more eloquently express my sympathy for what Sen. McCain is going through." In 2022, Johnson said that Republicans should repeal the ACA if they take control after the 2022 elections. In 2011, Johnson co-sponsored a federal bill that would grant all fetuses
8132-529: The movement is not a new political group but simply a re-branding of traditional Republican candidates and policies. An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 87% saying "dissatisfaction with mainstream Republican Party leaders" was "an important factor in the support the group has received so far". Tea Party activists have expressed support for Republican politicians Sarah Palin , Dick Armey , Michele Bachmann , Marco Rubio , and Ted Cruz . In July 2010, Bachmann formed
8239-477: The movement were connected with non-profit organizations that the tobacco industry and other corporate interests worked with and provided funding for, including the group Citizens for a Sound Economy . Al Gore cited the study and said that the connections between "market fundamentalists", the tobacco industry and the Tea Party could be traced to a 1971 memo from tobacco lawyer Lewis F. Powell, Jr. who advocated more political power for corporations. Gore said that
8346-521: The oil where it is, but we need to do it responsibly. We need to utilize American ingenuity and American technology to make sure we do it environmentally sensitively and safely." After criticism from the Feingold campaign, Johnson said in July 2010 that his answer did not mean he supported drilling in the Great Lakes. During Obama's presidency, Johnson was a fiscal hawk who called for federal spending cuts. He
8453-705: The other by former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin . "Paulites" have a Jeffersonian approach that seeks, if possible, to avoid foreign military involvement. "Palinites", while seeking to avoid being drawn into unnecessary conflicts, favor a more aggressive response to maintaining America's primacy in international relations. Mead says that both groups share a distaste for "liberal internationalism". Some Tea Party-affiliated Republicans, such as Michele Bachmann , Jeff Duncan , Connie Mack IV , Jeff Flake , Tim Scott , Joe Walsh , Allen West , and Jason Chaffetz , voted for progressive Congressman Dennis Kucinich 's resolution to withdraw U.S. military personnel from Libya . In
8560-402: The other is the junior senator . This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority. By tradition, the longest serving senator of
8667-483: The perpetrators and those that protect them, not honorable organizations that do so much good for our communities. We must rid our society of people who prey on children." In November 2018, Johnson was one of 12 Republican senators to sign a letter to Trump requesting the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement be submitted to Congress by the end of the month to allow a vote on it before the end of
8774-401: The plastics giant Bemis Company in 1978, and for the first several years of PACUR's existence, Bemis was the company's only customer. According to his campaign biography, Johnson worked as PACUR's accountant and a machine operator. The company later expanded into specialty plastics used in medical device packaging, which involved hiring salespeople and exporting products to other countries. In
8881-420: The platform for seven days over his remarks touting unproven treatments for COVID-19. After Twitter suspended Alex Berenson for making false claims about the pandemic and vaccines, Johnson praised him as "a courageous voice of reason" and encouraged people to continue reading Berenson's writing on another site. In an October 2021 interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight , Johnson falsely claimed that ivermectin
8988-465: The previous Contract with America released by the Republican Party during the 1994 midterm elections. One thousand agenda ideas that had been submitted were narrowed down to twenty-one non-social issues. Participants then voted in an online campaign in which they were asked to select their favorite policy planks. The results were released as a ten-point Tea Party platform. The Contract from America
9095-554: The protests were partially in response to several federal laws: the Bush administration's Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 , and the Obama administration's economic stimulus package the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and healthcare reform legislation . New York Times journalist Kate Zernike reported that leaders within the Tea Party credit Seattle blogger and conservative activist Keli Carender with organizing
9202-431: The research would help balance the federal budget. He supported Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade , calling it a "victory for life." Johnson said did not see that decision "as a huge threat to women's health" and suggested that those who did not like it "can move" from Wisconsin to another state. During the COVID-19 pandemic , Johnson voted against
9309-690: The same rights and protections as people, with no exceptions for fetuses arising from rape or incest. From 2013 to 2021, he supported bills that banned abortion after 20 weeks of conception except in cases of incest, rape, or when the mother's life is in danger. In 2021, Johnson also supported a request for the Supreme Court to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks, with exceptions for "severe fetal abnormality" or medical emergency, but none for rape and incest. Johnson opposes funding research that uses embryonic stem cells . He has said he disagrees with it morally and that eliminating funding for
9416-463: The same state, with no prior government service, no other tie-breaking criteria could be used. The Senate's official records, as well as the Democratic Caucus, thus consider Ossoff, whose name comes first alphabetically and elected to a full six-year term, as the senior senator. Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population,
9523-618: The school massacre, a remark Governor Tony Evers called "breathtaking." Cavuto countered Johnson's claim during the interview, saying that such shootings had "been going on long before CRT and wokeness." Johnson opposes the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare") and has voted to repeal it. In 2013, Johnson declined to support efforts to tie funding the federal government to defunding ACA, noting that such efforts were highly unlikely to succeed given Obama's opposition. In 2014, he criticized Congress's ability to continue using pretax employer contributions to help pay for their medical care and filed
9630-426: The shooting. The alleged shooter then drove directly to Madison, Wisconsin , allegedly intending to continue his rampage at that city's Independence Day parade. Days after a Texas 18-year-old killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers on May 24, 2022, Johnson said he opposed passing new firearms laws. Johnson told Fox News correspondent Neil Cavuto that the failure to teach "values" in schools had led to
9737-2245: The state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States census current at the time that they began service. Republican (49) Democratic (47) Independent (4) 1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011) 113 (2013) 114 (2015) 115 (2017) 116 (2019) 117 (2021) 118 (2023) Tea Party movement Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The Tea Party movement
9844-408: The tea party moniker". The Tea Party movement focuses on a significant reduction in the size and scope of the government. The movement advocates a national economy operating without government oversight. Movement goals include limiting the size of the federal government, reducing government spending, lowering the national debt and opposing tax increases. To this end, Tea Party groups have protested
9951-612: The vote. Despite a pledge in 2016 to retire after two terms in the Senate, Johnson announced in January 2022 that he would run for a third term. He faced the Democratic nominee, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes , in the general election. Johnson debated Barnes in October 2022; when each was asked to say something favorable about his opponent, Barnes praised Johnson as a "family man", while Johnson said Barnes had
10058-424: The world’s most widely used mouthwash products, specifically says the evidence is not strong enough to conclude that it is helpful against COVID-19. In May 2021, Johnson falsely claimed that thousands of deaths were connected to COVID vaccinations. He also falsely stated that there was a risk of death for people previously infected with COVID who received the vaccine. YouTube suspended Johnson from posting videos on
10165-564: The year, as they were concerned that "passage of the USMCA as negotiated will become significantly more difficult" if it had to be approved by the incoming 116th Congress. Johnson has been an unwavering supporter of President Donald Trump , and attacked Senator Mitt Romney for his vote to allow witnesses in a Trump impeachment trial. Asked subsequently about the confrontation with Romney, Johnson told reporters, "those are private conversations," continuing, "That's grotesque you guys are recording," with
10272-428: Was Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative political advocacy group founded by businessman and political activist David Koch . By 2016, Politico wrote that the Tea Party movement had died; however, it also said that this was in part because some of its ideas had been absorbed by the mainstream Republican Party. CNBC reported in 2019 that the conservative wing of the Republican Party "has basically shed
10379-745: Was a cosponsor of S. 570, a bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking and cataloging the purchases of multiple rifles and shotguns. In April 2013, Johnson was one of 12 Republican senators to sign a letter threatening to filibuster any newly introduced gun control legislation . That month, Johnson joined 45 other senators in defeating the Manchin-Toomey Amendment, which would have required background checks on all sales of guns, including between individuals. Johnson had received about $ 1.2 million in contributions from firearms interests since his 2010 Senate campaign. His 2022 campaign had
10486-468: Was again endorsed by the fiscally conservative Club for Growth ; that month, he said he would not self-finance his reelection bid. In December 2014, the Washington Post rated Johnson the most vulnerable incumbent U.S. senator in the 2016 election cycle. In May 2015, Feingold announced that he would run to win the Senate seat back. In the November 8 general election, Johnson was reelected with 50.2% of
10593-418: Was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. The movement formed in opposition to the policies of Democratic President Barack Obama and was a major factor in the 2010 wave election in which Republicans gained 63 House seats and took control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Participants in the movement called for lower taxes and for
10700-635: Was being suppressed as a COVID-19 treatment in favor of expensive COVID-19 drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry, and that "the Pfizer vaccine available in the U.S. is not FDA-approved" because it was not the "Comirnaty version" . "Comirnaty" is the United States Adopted Name that was assigned to the Pfizer vaccine after it the FDA approved it. Doses produced before the approval contain no formulaic differences from those produced afterward, and are interchangeable. In September 2024, Johnson wrote
10807-411: Was born in Mankato, Minnesota , the son of Jeanette Elizabeth (née Thisius) and Dale Robert Johnson. His father was of Norwegian descent and his mother of German ancestry. Growing up, Johnson delivered newspapers, worked as a caddy at a golf course, baled hay on his uncle's dairy farm, and worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant. He attended Edina High School but skipped his senior year and graduated from
10914-487: Was composed of a mixture of libertarian , right-wing populist , and conservative activism. It sponsored multiple protests and supported various political candidates since 2009. According to the American Enterprise Institute , various polls in 2013 estimated that slightly over 10% of Americans identified as part of the movement. The movement took its name from the December 1773 Boston Tea Party ,
11021-481: Was good for the environment, as it "helps the trees grow." In dismissing the effects of climate change, Johnson falsely claimed that Greenland was green when it was discovered and had become white and snow-clad over time as a result of cooling temperatures. In August 2015, Johnson baselessly claimed that "the climate hasn't warmed in quite a few years. That is proven scientifically," although record world temperatures were reached that year and in 2014. Johnson co-sponsored
11128-449: Was involved in the deals to raise the debt ceiling in July 2011 and January 2013. Johnson said that the 2011 debate over whether to increase the US debt ceiling presented an opportunity to establish hard caps on federal spending. He argued that Congress could not keep raising the debt limit , and needed to prioritize spending. Johnson called for open negotiations over the debt ceiling, saying that
11235-483: Was met with some support within the Republican Party, but it was not broadly embraced by GOP leadership, which released its own ' Pledge to America '. In the aftermath of the 2012 American elections , some Tea Party activists have taken up more traditionally populist ideological viewpoints on issues that are distinct from general conservative views. Examples are various Tea Party demonstrators sometimes coming out in favor of U.S. immigration reform as well as for raising
11342-594: Was to include then-host Glenn Beck, though Fox came to discourage him from attending later events. Opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has been consistent within the Tea Party movement. The scheme has often been referred to as 'Obamacare' by critics, but was soon adopted as well by many of its advocates, including President Obama. This has been an aspect of an overall anti-government message throughout Tea Party rhetoric that includes opposition to gun control measures and to federal spending increases. Activism by Tea Party people against
11449-537: Was unconstitutional and "created incentives for children from Central America to take great risks to enter America illegally." Trump's decision made eligible for deportation, after a six-month waiting period, the approximately 800,000 unauthorized immigrants who entered the country as minors and had temporary permission to stay in the country. In 2021, Johnson lent credence to the " Great Replacement " conspiracy theory promoted by white supremacists that holds that white people are being purposely replaced by nonwhite people in
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