I agree. Kleefisch is conservative, aggressive, intelligent, and a problem solver. There’s no reason to muck around. She has my support.
WAUKESHA — On Thursday, former longtime Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner announced his endorsement of Rebecca Kleefisch.
“From Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, I spent my career working alongside strong conservative icons to accomplish our shared goals, and we had a lot of success. I know what conservative leadership looks like, and Rebecca Kleefisch is the real deal,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement.
“Early on, my late wife, Cheryl, and I spotted Rebecca s unparalleled tenacity and came to know well her leadership abilities. She beat the odds as an outsider running for lieutenant governor in 2010, and she even beat cancer that same year. She has been crucial to the conservative reforms in Wisconsin state government. No one will out-work Rebecca Kleefisch. No one will fight harder for our conservative ideals than Rebecca Kleefisch.”
One of the reasons for Congressman Sensenbrenner’s success and longevity in office is that he never forgot his constituents. Every year, in good times in bad, in power or in the wilderness, in the heat or cold, Congressman Sensenbrenner could be found out in his district. He walked in parades, attended the rubber- chicken dinners of local organizations, worked through local festivals, enjoyed the county fairs, and so much more. There used to be a joke that whenever and wherever three residents of the Fifth District gather, one would find Jim Sensenbrenner.
Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner will be justifiably lauded for his accomplishments. He has truly been an anchor for Wisconsin Conservatism for a generation and an instrumental part of Wisconsin’s history. But I hope he will also be lauded for never losing sight of the fact that he was, first and foremost, a representative, in the full and truest sense of that word.
Jim Sensenbrenner will have a successor, but he will never have a replacement.
Sensenbrenner’s decision will open the door for a crowded primary race in the solidly Republican Milwaukee-area 5th Congressional District.
The dean of the Wisconsin congressional delegation, Sensenbrenner, 76, previously served in the state Legislature before first getting elected to Congress in 1978.
I’ll have more thoughts later, but this will create a frenzy in Republican circles. But before we get to that, we thank Jim Sensenbrenner for 40 years of faithful service. I’ve always been impressed that despite being in office for so long, he always stayed very close to his constituents. He’s been accessible, helpful, informative, a master of the detail, and a conservative lion of the House. His successor has big shoes to fill.
This new trade deal is good for America. I’m encouraged that the Mexican Senate overwhelmingly ratified the USMCA in June and that President Trump has met with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau recently in Washington to shore up more support for the agreement. Now, the United States must act. House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, must bring the USMCA before the House for immediate consideration. There should be no delay.
Failure to do so will leave American workers and businesses playing by an outdated set of rules as our foreign competitors move on without us.
I am hearing from small business owners, farmers, young people entering the workforce, and families who want us to rebalance our trade agreements and keep strengthening the American economy with balanced trade rules. Let’s get it done now.
Congressman Sensenbrenner – my congressman – is one of those politicians that argues against term limits.
Among our most basic tasks as Members of Congress is to cast votes on legislation before the House of Representatives. I take this duty very seriously because it is a way for my constituents in the 5th Congressional District to have a voice in Washington. In 2018, the House of Representatives voted 379 times, and I’m proud to report that I cast a vote each and every time.
Sometimes Members might miss a vote because of family demands, travel snafus or illness. However, I have a perfect record this year. In fact, since 2010, I’ve compiled a 99.5 percent voting record.
My commitment to being present for votes and making myself accessible to my constituents is important for how I manage my priorities. During the 115th Congress, I’ve hosted 176 face-to-face town hall meetings. I’ve also received and responded to more than 100,000 different letters, emails, and phone calls. The feedback I get from my constituents helps with the difficult decisions I’m often faced with when I vote. This is how the system should work. I appreciate it when I hear from those whom I represent when they are sharing their opinions and concerns.
Despite being in Congress since I was five-years-old, he still works both in and out of the district. I see him at local events. His Town Halls are always fantastic. He has a mastery of issues and actively engages with constituents. And he shows up for work in Washington. I run into him at the airport occasionally on his commute to Washington (he’s a Delta guy like me), and he is always working.
I don’t always agree with my Congressman, but I appreciate that he works so hard on my behalf.
BROOKFIELD – After Congressman Mark Pocan tweeted that Paul Ryan challenger Randy Bryce would be his guest at President Trump’s State of the Union Address, fellow Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner had a bit to say.
Bryce is one of the Democrat challengers to House Speaker Paul Ryan. Sensenbrenner found this gesture to be an offense way for Pocan to make a political point.
In a press release Sensenbrenner called the move “a disheartening attempt to cash in on Speaker Paul Ryan’s prominent role in American government.”
He went on to say, “This is an attempt to sow political discourse and deepen a divide in an already fractured political environment. Creating a spectacle like this – regardless of position or party – is disrespectful and out of bounds. Worse, Mr. Bryce is using it as a tool to actively raise campaign funds.”
Hats off to my congressman for his energetic and persistent efforts to engage his constituents. Despite being in office for almost 40 years, he never takes his constituents, or the next election, for granted.
Many Republican members of Congress have avoided town hall meetings since Trump’s election but Sensenbrenner has a history of holding town halls — he said he has averaged about 100 every year since taking office.
“Just because there are controversial issues that come up is no reason for me to discontinue that,” he said. “I think people should be able to come and have a two-way conversation with their elected officials,.
“People who disagree with me, I think, are entitled to have an explanation of why I take the position I do.”
On a related note, attending a Sensenbrenner town hall is worth your time. He has an amazing memory and deep understanding of issues.
Ugh… right after I praise my own congressman, Jim Sensenbrenner, for voting against this last week, he flips and joins all of the other Wisconsin Republicans in the House in voting for it. They are all wrong. Supporting free trade does not mean that this deal, or this president, furthers that agenda or deserves support.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers narrowly approved legislation key to securing a hallmark Pacific trade deal on Thursday, partly reversing a defeat less than a week before, in a boost to President Barack Obama’s goal of strengthening U.S. economic ties with Asia.
The House of Representatives voted 218 to 208 to give the White House authority to close trade deals such as the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which encompasses 40 percent of the global economy and is close to completion.
But the bill, a stripped-down version of legislation which failed at a vote last week, must now go back to the Senate for approval, where a vote is likely next week.
Well, this is disappointing. Not a single Wisconsin Republican member of the house voted against Boehner for speaker. We’ve come to expect this of Paul Ryan, who talks a good game at home and consistently votes for whatever the leadership wants. Jim Sensenbrenner is occasionally willing to stand by his conservative values despite what the establishment wants, but not this time. Perhaps most disappointing is newly elected Glenn Grothman. He built a reputation in Wisconsin as a staunch conservative who was always willing to buck the leadership when they went wobbly. He also railed against Boehner during the campaign. But in his first chance to demonstrate the reasons he was elected, he cast the same vote that his RINO predecessor would have. Congratulations, Republicans of the 6th Wisconsin Congressional District. You apparently reelected Tom Petri after all.
