“It’s easy to be the parent who says we’re going to Disney World. It’s hard to be the parent who says we can’t afford that.” ~ Senator Ron Johnson.
Sen. Johnson was discussing his opposition to the reconciliation bill, aka “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The reconciliation package championed by the Trump administration passed by a single vote in the House on May 22, with all but 3 Republicans voting YES and all Democrats voting NO. In Wisconsin, votes were distributed along party lines, but in the Senate, matters look a bit different. Wisconsin, the purple state with a trendsetting streak, which elected both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, has one senator from each party. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin both oppose the House-passed legislation; however, their reasons for opposing the package and how it affects Wisconsinites are anything but aligned.
Power Plays & Politics in the Senate
Senator Baldwin has repeatedly taken issue with the proposed adjustments to Medicaid, the ACA, and SNAP, with statements accusing Republicans of attempting to “rip away health insurance” from Wisconsinites. Senator Johnson’s criticism, on the other hand, comes primarily from the proposed increase in spending and raising of the debt ceiling: “It is immoral what we are doing to our children and our grandchildren.” Despite their differences, Senators Johnson and Baldwin are bound to play pivotal roles in the ongoing negotiations that will lead to the final edition of this big beautiful bill. It is rare to see both of the Badger State’s senators agree on policy, but their disagreements are representative of the people they serve and the political battleground that Wisconsin has become.
How the Conversation on Reconciliation Reflects Local Wisconsin Politics
Arguing over budget cuts and tax increases is quickly becoming part of the lifeblood of Wisconsin politics. With the division between a Republican majority in the State Legislature with a Democrat Governor that has been maintained since 2019, Wisconsites are used to these debates.
In February 2025, Governor Evers announced his biennial budget proposal. On May 8th, the Joint Committee on Finance met for an Executive Session to discuss sections of the budget proposal to remove. In this Executive Session, the committee voted once to eliminate 612 budget provisions included by Governor Evers in the budget. Despite this, negotiations between the Governor and Republican lawmakers had been described as “good faith.” However, these negotiations inevitably fell apart as both sides could not come to a consensus, a recurring phenomenon since 2019.
Wisconsinites can expect a budget process similar to previous years, where Republican lawmakers restructure the budget and Governor Evers makes use of his partial veto authority. This power is more expansive than it is in most other states, leading to a unique budget, such as Governor Evers increasing school spending for the next 400 years. Both sides of the aisle have used this power to their advantage and felt its disadvantages. Wisconsinites can at the very least agree that they love to disagree.
Why Wisconsin Shapes National Conversations
The Badger State will continue being in the spotlight of the political narrative as questions are raised as to whether Governor Tony Evers will run for a third term, what the future trajectory will be for the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s new Chair, Devin Remiker, following the end of Ben Wikler’s 6-year tenure, and how the Wisconsin GOP positions itself to the further to the right as Senator Ron Jonnson takes his stand on reconciliation and the national debt.
Wisconsin holds a complex identity and remains a battleground of competing political views and ideologies in a wide array of fields. Even in areas where agreements and disagreements fall along party lines, Wisconsin will find a way to shake it up a bit. No matter who is in the Governor’s office, whether it’s Scott Walker or Tony Evers, who is in the Senate, whether it’s Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold or Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, or who is in the White House whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump, if the finances of a budget are up for debate, Wisconsin is going to be keeping it interesting.
-Alex Saunders, Account Executive