>> THE QUESTION TONIGHT, COULD
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS VETO THE
ENTIRE STATE BUDGET OVER CUTS
MADE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN BUDGET.
>> THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
LATE THIS WEEK VOTED TO CUT $32
MILLION FROM THE UW SYSTEM
OPERATING BUDGET ALONG WITH 188
POSITIONS TO TARGET DIVERSITY,
EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS.
GOVERNOR EVERS HAD THREATENED TO
VETO THE BUDGET IN THE EVENT OF
SUCH CUTS.
BUDGET WRITERS ALSO VOTED TO
APPROVE A $3.5 BILLION TAX CUT,
THE LARGEST REDUCTIONS FOR
PEOPLE IN HIGHER INCOME BRACKETS
LIKE MARRIED JOINT FILERS MAKING
MORE THAN $405,000 OF INCOME.
EVERS HAS SAID HE OPPOSES THE
TOP BRACKET TAX CUT.
REPUBLICANS HERALD THE CUTS AS
THEY WRAPPED UP BUDGET WORK
SENDING IT ON TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
>> WE BELIEVE THIS IS A HISTORIC
BUDGET.
WE INVEST HISTORIC AMOUNTS OF
MONEY IN OUR CORE PRIORITIES
WHILE ALSO PROVIDING FOR A
HISTORIC TAX CUT, LARGEST TAX
CUT IN HISTORY.
>> IT IS MISGUIDED PRIORITIES
ENTIRELY THAT WE'VE SEEN UP AND
DOWN THIS BUDGET AND THE FACT
THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOSE
THEIR JOBS AND
MULTI-MILLIONAIRES ARE GOING TO
MAKE AN ADDITIONAL $1.8 MILLION
BECAUSE OF THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE
SHAME.
>> IN WASHINGTON AND OF
IMPORTANCE TO WISCONSIN,
CONGRESS IS WORKING ON THE FARM
BILL, AND OMINOUS MULTI-YEAR
BILL THAT FOCUSES ON FARM
COMMODITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND
MOST ESPECIALLY ON NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE
LIKE THE S.N.A.P. OR
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WISCONSIN THIRD DISTRICT
CONGRESSMAN DERRICK VAN ORDEN
SITS ON THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE
COMMITTEE AND HAS HELD LISTENING
SESSIONS ON THE 2023 FARM BILL.
WE TALKED WITH HIM EARLIER THIS
WEEK AND STARTED BY ASKING WHAT
FARMERS ARE TELLING HIM ARE
THEIR PRIORITIES.
>> ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND
ACROSS THE NATION, BECAUSE WE'VE
BEEN AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
AROUND THE COUNTRY, TEXAS,
CALIFORNIA, OREGON, FLORIDA, NEW
YORK STATE, UPSTATE NEW YORK,
AND WE'LL BE BRINGING COUNSEL TO
THE DISTRICT, THE CHAIRMAN OF
THAT COMMITTEE COMING UP HERE
NEXT MONTH.
WE HEAR THE SAME THING ACROSS
THE BOARD, THAT INPUT COSTS ARE
HAVING A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON
OUR FARMS.
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING
ABLE TO TURN THEIR FARMS OVER TO
THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMER
AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT IF
WE WANT FAMILY FARMS, THAT'S
WHAT THAT MEANS, PASSING A FARM
FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
THEY'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
LABOR ALSO.
THOSE ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS.
>> SO WHEN YOU SAY INPUT COSTS,
YOU MEAN THE COST OF GROWING THE
THINGS THAT FARMERS ARE
PRODUCING.
>> DIESEL, FERTILIZER, SEED, AND
THEN IF YOU WANT EQUIPMENT COSTS
IN THERE ALSO BECAUSE SPARE
PARTS HAVE GONE UP A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT ACROSS THE BOARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO
IS GET BACK TO BEING ENERGY
INDEPENDENT.
>> BY FAR THE LARGEST
EXPENDITURE IN THE FARM BILL IS
THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR LOW
INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
ABOUT 80%, I UNDERSTAND, OF A
POTENTIALLY TRILLION-DOLLAR 2023
FARM BILL.
WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SEE AROUND FOOD STAMPS OR FOOD
SHARE, AS WE CALL IT HERE IN
WISCONSIN?
>> WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY 81%, AND
I VOLUNTEERED TO BE ON THE
SUBCOMMITTEE FOR S.N.A.P.
BECAUSE I WAS RAISED IN ABJECT
RURAL POVERTY BY A SINGLE MOTHER
AND WE WERE ON WHAT WAS THEN
FOOD STAMPS.
IT'S NO LONGER -- YOU DON'T HAVE
A STAMP ANYMORE.
IT'S THE S.N.A.P. PROGRAM.
SO I USED THOSE PROGRAMS AS A
CHILD AND WE HAD SUBSIDIZED
SCHOOL LUNCHES, HAD GOVERNMENT
CHEESE.
WHEN I WAS BEING SHOT AT AS AN
ACTIVE DUTY NAVY S.E.A.L., MY
WIFE AND I USED WI W.I.C. TO HEP
FEED MY CHILDREN.
I WANTED TO BE ON THE S.N.A.P.
COMMITTEE BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE VITAL
PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE DESIGNED TO
BE A HAND UP, NOT A HAND OUT,
BECAUSE YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GET
BACK ON THEIR FEET AGAIN AND
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN AMERICANS
NEED THIS ASSISTANCE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE GOT
THROUGH THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION SAID WAS A
NON-STARTER WAS THE WORK
REQUIREMENTS, AND WHO THOSE
APPLIED TO ARE ABLE-BODIED
ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS.
WANT 79.5% OF WISCONSINITES
VOTED FOR WORK REQUIREMENTS IN
APRIL.
80% OF THE THIRD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT VOTED FOR THOSE WORK
REQUIREMENTS, AND I THINK IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THE DIGNITY OF LABOR.
I REMEMBER GETTING MY FIRST
PAYCHECK FROM A GUY NAME RALEIGH
BEVANS.
HE HANDED IT TO MY, AND I WAS SO
PROUD BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I HAD
EARNED THAT MONEY AND THAT
STARTED A SYSTEM FOR ME OF
WORKING AND BEING MORE
INDEPENDENT.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO
SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES, IT GIVES US A GREAT
FEELING OF PRIDE.
ONCE YOU CAN TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR
WORK, YOU TEND TO DO BETTER
THROUGHOUT SOCIETY, AND THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN A PLACE
WHERE THEY CAN BECOME PRODUCTIVE
MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATED AND THAT'S
WHY I WANTED TO BE ON THE
S.N.A.P. COMMITTEE, TO SEE HOW
WE CAN SHAPE THE POLICIES TO
MAKE THE MOST SENSE OF THAT.
>> ONE THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND
IS THAT ALREADY THE NEW DEBT
CEILING LAW IMPOSES NEW WORK
REQUIREMENTS FOR OLDER PEOPLE
WHO GET FOOD SHARE OR THE
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE.
WOULD BOTH THINGS BE HAPPENING
AT THE SAME TIME, THEN?
>> THEY'LL HAVE TO BE RECTIFIED.
THE LAW HAS TO BE CONGRUENT.
RAISING THE DEBT LIMIT, I'M 53
YEARS OLD.
I WORK PROBABLY 16 HOURS A DAY
WHEN I'M HERE IN WASHINGTON,
D.C.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 HOURS A
WEEK, 20 HOURS A WEEK EITHER
WORKING, LOOKING FOR WORK,
SEEKING JOB TRAINING OR BEING
KATY FOR A JOB.
THAT'S 20 HOURS A WEEK.
AND AS I SAID, 79.5% OF
WISCONSINITES AND 80% OF THE
THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
VOTED FOR WORK REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE ARE NOT OUT OF LINE WITH
THE THINKING OF THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
I WON BY 3.8 POINTS.
I DIDN'T WIN BY 80%.
THAT MEANS A LOT OF DEMOCRATS IN
MY DISTRICT WANT THESE WORK
REQUIREMENTS, AND I WAS SENT
HERE TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO
REPRESENTED THEM ALONG WITH THE
REPUBLICANS THAT VOTED FOR ME.
>> IS THE INFERENCE THERE THAT
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ACCEPTING
FOOD SHARE DOLLARS TO BUY FOOD
BECAUSE THEY ARE LOW INCOME ARE
JUST LAZY?
>> NO, AND I REALLY THINK THAT'S
WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE THAT YOU
WOULD EVEN ASK ME THAT QUESTION.
THAT IS JUST SILLY.
I TOLD YOU I GREW UP ON FOOD
STAMPS, AND MY MOTHER WAS NOT
LAZY, BY ANY MEANS, SO THAT IS
DOG WHISTLE UNFORTUNATELY THAT
LIBERAL MEDIA TRIES TO ENTICE A
REPUBLICAN INTO SAYING SOMETHING
STUPID.
I VOLUNTEERED TO BE ON THE
S.N.A.P. PARAMETER ON PURPOSE
BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS ARE
VALUABLE, AND MY MOTHER, CAROL
ANN MULLIGAN, WAS NOT LAZY.
SHE WAS FIRE TWO AND HARDER THAN
WOOD PECKER LIPS AND SHE WORKED
AS MUCH AS SHE COULD TO TAKE
SCARE OF ME AND MY BROTHER, SO I
DON'T APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
>> I WOULD SUGGEST THAT I AM NOT
SAYING THAT YOU OR YOUR MOTHER
OR YOUR FAMILY WERE LAZY, BUT
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TIM
MICHAELS SPOKE TO IN HIS
CAMPAIGN RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
>> TEA IT'S 2023, MA'AM, AND I'A
MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS.
I DIDN'T RUN FOR GOVERNOR.
>> ACROSS THE AISLE, TAMMY
BALDWIN WOULD LIKE TO SEE
FUNDING FOR FARMER MENTAL HEALTH
ASSISTANCE.
HOW NEEDED IS THAT FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE?
>> THE NUMBER ONE FACILITY IN
EACH ONE OF MY 19 COUNTIES THAT
HOUSES PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH
CRISES ARE COUNTY JAILS, AND
THAT'S TERRIBLE.
IT'S NOT JUST OUR FARMERS.
IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT
HAVE SPIKED AFTER THESE
INCREDIBLY HORRIFIC INSTANCES OF
SHUTTING PEOPLE OUT OF
EVERYTHING DURING COVID, THEY'VE
JUST SKYROCKETED AND WE NEED TO
GET MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
HOW THAT LOOKS, YOU KNOW, I'M
NOT QUITE SURE, BUT I WENT OVER
TO MARK POCAN'S OFFICE TO SPEAK
ABOUT THIS.
WE DISAGREE PROBABLY 98% OF THE
TIME.
THAT MEANS WE AGREE 2% OF THE
TIME.
PEOPLE SENT ME TO WASHINGTON,
D.C. TO FIND THAT 2% OF THE TIME
THAT I AGREE WITH PEOPLE, AND I
HAVE ACTIVELY SUITING OUT MY
DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES TO SOLVE
SOME OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUES EXPECTED.
>> CONGRESSMAN DERRICK VAN
ORDEN, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
>> YOU CAN WATCH THE FULL