Parents, Legislator, Call Out Ron Johnson for Refusing to Lower Costs For Wisconsin Families

MADISON, Wis. – Today, Wisconsin parents Rep. Robyn Vining, Chelsea Powell, Beth Cleary, and Amy Zimmerman slammed Senator Ron Johnson for his fierce opposition to lowering child care costs and for his self-serving agenda that has harmed Wisconsin families. The parents responded directly to Johnson’s recent comments dismissing the cost of childcare, claiming that the high cost of childcare is something people “need to consider” because it’s not “society’s responsibility.”

Johnson’s comments are no surprise given his staunch opposition to President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will lower costs for Wisconsin’s working families and deliver a safer future for Wisconsin’s children.

Watch the full event here and see, in part, what the speakers had to say below:

Rep. Robyn Vining: “Senator Johnson is perfectly fine spending money when it comes to enriching himself and his donors, – that’s why he fought so hard to pass the 2017 GOP tax scam bill that was nothing more than a multi-trillion dollar handout for himself and the ultra rich. But when it comes to lowering costs for Wisconsin families Ron Johnson voted against a middle class tax cut. He believes that Wisconsinites playing by rules and working hard to afford child care should be left to fend for themselves.”

Chelsea Powell: “Ron Johnson has abandoned us parents, essentially telling us that he sees no role for himself in bringing down child care costs. Instead, Johnson will do what he has always done in the Senate – focus on enriching himself.  The vast majority of us can’t afford to put Johnson in our back pocket; we just expect our U.S. Senator to have our backs – that’s not Ron Johnson.”

Beth Cleary: “There are so many obstacles we have on a regular basis and it seems Senator Johnson clearly doesn’t listen to his constituents because he is completely tone deaf. To hear that Senator Johnson is working against us having affordable child care – it seems he doesn’t understand how this works. Senator Johnson out of touch and that he doesn’t have a sense of what reality is.”

Amy Zimmerman: “The reality I see everyday is that families cannot contribute their labor to the economy, their dollars to retirement investments, or their children’s futures without affordable childcare. Sen. Johnson’s gripes with parents staying at home and not working, essentially accusing them of being lazy. The opposite couldn’t be more true – parents are working overtime between taking care of their kids and working as much as they can to provide for their families. Sen. Johnson is nothing more than a spoiled, self absorbed millionaire who completely ignores the hardships facing Wisconsin families.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.