RON JOHNSON

Wisconsin Republicans agreed Saturday to have a “no endorsement” option when voting on whether to throw the party's official backing behind a candidate in the hotly contested governor's race. The top candidates in the governor's race were slated to make their pitch later Saturday for an endorsement to more than 1,500 delegates attending the annual convention near Madison. Winning the endorsement requires support from 60% of delegates.

The Wisconsin senator is taking out of context remarks from almost 10 years ago to make his case.

The House and Senate primaries to watch in the 2022 midterm elections.

The balance of power could be determined in four states where Democratic incumbents are up for reelection: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New Hampshire.

Patrick Remington, a UW-Madison emeritus professor, called Johnson's questioning of medical science irresponsible. "He should stay in his lane."

One of the most powerful people in the country is using his platform to spread fear and lies.

The senator seemed frustrated that Americans understand that coronavirus vaccines are safe. After all, his interviewer’s claim that the vaccines cause AIDS “may be true.”

The former GOP vice presidential candidate resigned as Alaska governor in 2009. Even around her hometown of Wasilla, many Republicans soured as she gained a national following as a culture warrior.

A crowded field of Democrats is trying to figure out a winning strategy to unseat Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin in November.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told backers at a recent event in Wisconsin that his plastics company benefitted from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trump's tax bill in 2017, addressing a line of attack being made against him during his reelection bid. Johnson made the comments in reaction to a question from an audience member at an event Friday in Medford, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday. Johnson said that his company, Pacur LLC, some of his prominent donors and many other businesses benefitted from the small-business tax provision.

Republicans Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson took to the Senate floor on Monday to sound the alarm about what they say are troubling financial entanglements between President Biden’s son Hunter and the Chinese government.

Editor:In a political radio ad, a female candidate boasts, “Vote for me because unlike President Biden, I care about America.” Now why would a wannabe politician say this about President Biden? Is this what Putin and Trump talked about when they isolated themselves in a meeting without any journalists around? At no time has President Biden advocated the involvement of U.S. forces. Comparing the tactic to the presidential election in 2020 would imply that the war was somehow a conspiracy by President Biden to gain a political advantage. Someone explain to me how President Biden convinced Putin to invade Ukraine so the Democrats could win.

Then we have Sen. Ron Johnson on Fox News parroting Trump’s claim that Rep. Adam Schiff was somehow responsible for weakening Ukraine. You see, Trump and his Republican cohorts abhor Adam Schiff because he successfully led the impeachment proceedings against Trump. Both times he was acquitted by Sen. Johnson and his Republican cohorts. Is this what Putin and Trump talked about when they isolated themselves in a meeting without any journalists around? The siege on the Ukraine ultimately will be resolved in Russia by the people of the Soviet Federation.

Democrats in the crowded primary race for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin are trying to distinguish themselves through traditional campaign tactics, like million-dollar television ad buys and policy papers.

Wisconsin liberals on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and two other GOP congressmen are insurrectionists in violation of the U.S. Constitution for their words and actions in support of Donald Trump leading up to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The lawsuit, alleging a violation of the “Disqualification Clause” of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, says Johnson and U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald conspired to undermine President Joe Biden's victory and sow public distrust of the outcome. It prohibits anyone from holding federal office who has taken an oath to protect the Constitution but has also “engaged in insurrection” against the United States or “given aid or comfort” to its enemies.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R. Wisc.) said in an interview Monday that the GOP should repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, if Republicans retake control of the White House and Congress in 2024.The big picture: The last time Republicans controlled the White House and Congress they were unable to successfully repeal and replace Obamacare.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeRepublicans made numerous efforts to rep

Alexander Vindman, a key witness in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump, was with Ron Johnson on a key trip to Ukraine in May, 2019.

Welcome to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's daily news briefing

President Biden's nominee to fill a district court vacancy is hitting a dead end in the wake of pushback from GOP Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.). Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told The Hill on Wednesday that he isn't moving forward with William Pocan's nomination after Johnson indicated last month that he wouldn't support Pocan.The Senate has a precedent, known as the blue slip rule, that allows a home-state senator to...

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.

The senator, who previously called the riot a "peaceful protest," voted to certify the election results despite first saying he wouldn't.

President Joe Biden’s pick to monitor and combat prejudice against Jews around the world finally got her day before the Senate committee that will evaluate her nomination.

"People decide to have families and become parents, that's something they need to consider when they make that choice," the Wisconsin senator said.

"People decide to have families and become parents, that's something they need to consider when they make that choice," the Wisconsin senator said.

Ron Johnson — who has advised using mouthwash to fight COVID and labeled Social Security a Ponzi scheme — is has a new topic: out-of-wedlock births.

The Wisconsin senator said a "standard gargle" of mouthwash "has been proven to kill the coronavirus" or may reduce viral replication.

State Democrats got their message out with billboards hitting Ron Johnson on taxes as the 2022 U.S. Senate race enters a new phase.

New York Rep_ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's office says she has tested positive for COVID-19 and “is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home."

The controversial Republican said he will seek a third term, in what is expected to be a hotly contested race that could determine which party controls the Senate.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters, says he will seek reelection to a third term.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters, has decided to seek reelection to a third term.

His decision ends months of speculation about whether he'd seek a third term.

A top Republican lawmaker in the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin said Friday that there is “zero chance” the GOP-controlled Legislature will take over the awarding of the state's 10 presidential elector votes in 2024, even as Democrats worry that is their goal. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press in an interview that he also opposes dissolving the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which oversees elections, or making wholesale changes to how it operates. There has been an intense focus on Wisconsin and its election laws since President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by nearly 21,000 votes last year.

"So much for God creating us with brains," a Jesuit priest wrote in response.

At a time when Democrats and Republicans can agree on little, they find themselves in rare consensus in Wisconsin: Seemingly everyone there wants Sen. Ron Johnson (R) to run for a third term.Democrats view him as vulnerable, pointing to provocative comments on the coronavirus, 2020 election, racial justice protests and more, and are eager for him to take another crack at the Senate. Republicans see in Johnson a battle-tested incumbent who has...

Johnson said a "standard gargle" of mouthwash "has been proven to kill the coronavirus" or may reduce viral replication.

The "Late Show" comedian also had some choice words for GOP Sen. Ron Johnson following his attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Anthony Fauci on Sunday said Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) comments that the infectious disease expert "overhyped" the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic are "preposterous," adding "I don't have any clue of what he's talking about."Asked about Johnson's comments by co-host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union," Fauci said he did not know how to respond to such a remark considering the high death tolls caused by both AIDS and COVID-19."How...

Hassan Haskins ran for two second-half touchdowns and broke a school record as No. 2 Michigan captured its first Big Ten title in 17 years and a probable playoff berth with a 42-3 rout over No. 15 Iowa.

Some GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin want to strip the state's bipartisan elections agency of its power and give it to the Republican-controlled Legislature. The idea is backed by GOP Sen. Ron Johnson.

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin said the GOP senator "never used to be this insane."

Progressive groups are launching a $2 million pressure campaign against Republican lawmakers to show that a majority of voters support Joe Biden's agenda.

Johnson has been pushing for a vote audit in Wisconsin, but was seen on video saying that there is "nothing obviously skewed about the results."

Over the weekend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a social media warning urging people not to take Ivermectin, a potentially dangerous horse-deworming drug....

46 Republican senators have pledged to abstain from voting to raise the debt ceiling in order to shift the onus to congressional Democrats to pay for their next massive expenditure and prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its obligations.

So far, COVID-19 has killed more than 613,000 people in the US and more than 4.2 million people globally.

The Wisconsin Republican, who's been endorsed by Trump, says he hasn't yet decided whether to run for reelection next year.

He's running for the seat held by Republican Ron Johnson, who has not yet said whether he'll seek a third term.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has joined the crowded Democratic field for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes on Tuesday joined the crowded Democratic field for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, vying to become the first African American from Wisconsin to serve in the Senate. Barnes, 34, is the first Black lieutenant governor in Wisconsin history.

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that one of the reasons some people are unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine is because they "don't trust the Election results" from November 2020.

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Johnson, whose comments aren't backed by science, has also falsely suggested that Greenland froze recently and was named after previously verdant landscapes.

Republican senators are demanding answers from Attorney General Merrick Garland about Susan Hennessey’s role in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, highlighting her “bias” shown in comments critiquing John Durham’s investigation.

Trump tried to blow up a top state lawmaker for failing to vigorously pursue his false election claims. But the attack was a dud.

Last year, the Wisconsin Republican blocked legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

Johnson said it would be too costly to give federal employees another day off, but conceded his efforts on Tuesday.

Consumer prices are accelerating at their fastest pace in 13 years, and that is going to hit major purchases, investments, and more.

Juneteenth, celebrated June 19th, is the date when the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas finally learned they were free following the Civil War.

The bill was passed in both chambers with wide support.

The Senate has passed a bill that would make Juneteenth, or June 19th, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

A missing San Antonio woman whose severed head was found in southwest Louisiana was murdered, according to Cameron Parish Sheriff Ron Johnson.

The Senate is set to approve a big innovation bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries.

The Senate shelved a big innovation bill aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China and other countries.

Senate Republicans are poised to block the creation of a special commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Brian Sicknick’s family wants to uncover every detail about the Jan. 6 insurrection by pro-Trump rioters, when the Capitol Police officer collapsed and later died.

Sen. Ron Johnson is in an uncomfortable class of his own.

Republican Sen_ Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, questioned the need for widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, saying in a radio interview “what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?”.

The insurrection also caused widespread damage and led to National Guard troops being called in to restore order. Johnson's comments sparked outrage among Wisconsin Democrats, including state Sen. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee. “For him to say something as racist as that — it’s ridiculous,” said the state senator, who is Black. Ad“Ron Johnson is a racist and is unfit to serve the people of Wisconsin. Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, said Johnson has reached “a new despicable low” with his comments.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin struck a deal late Friday over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. AdMore significantly, the jobless benefits agreement suggested it was just a matter of time until the Senate passes the bill. The House approved a relief bill last weekend that included $400 weekly jobless benefits — on top of regular state payments — through August. Republicans criticized the overall relief bill as a liberal spend-fest that ignores that growing numbers of vaccinations and signs of a stirring economy suggest that the twin crises are easing. AdIn another late bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to make some higher earners ineligible for the direct checks to individuals.

It’s widely expected the Senate will approve the bill and the House will whisk it to Biden for his signature by mid-March, handing him a crucial early legislative victory. “We are not going to be timid in the face of a great challenge," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Biden and Senate leaders had agreed Wednesday to retain the $400 weekly jobless payments included in the version of the relief bill the House approved Saturday. In another bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to tighten eligibility for the direct checks to individuals. AdAs soon as the Senate began considering the bill, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced the chamber's clerks to begin reading the entire 628-page measure aloud.

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2020 file photo, Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry, left, and then-Bucks guard George Hill walk through a Milwaukee neighborhood during a voter canvassing effort. Democrat Alex Lasry, a Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, that he's running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat currently held by Republican Ron Johnson. (AP Photo/Steve Megargee File)MADISON, Wis. – Democrat Alex Lasry, a 33-year-old Milwaukee Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday that he's running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat held by Republican Ron Johnson. Lasry launched his campaign with a YouTube video that included endorsements from several prominent Milwaukee politicians, including Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson. ___This story has been corrected by removing a reference to Alex Lasry being a hedge fund manager.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):8:20 p.m.House Democrats have wrapped up their first full day of arguments at the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The impeachment trial is set to resume at noon Thursday. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown by Democrats against former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial. Prosecutors at Trump’s impeachment trial on Wednesday played security footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. ___2:20 p.m.Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump “built” the mob that attacked the Capitol.

Not Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. Bishop criticized fellow Republicans like Johnson who parroted claims of illegal election activity, even as he remains a Johnson backer. A number of Republicans are eyeing a run for either Senate or governor, depending on what Johnson does. Potential Republican Senate candidates include U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and Kevin Nicholson, who lost a 2018 Republican Senate primary. Mandela Barnes, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee.

Protesters, newspaper editorial boards and local-level Democrats have urged the lawmakers to step down or for their colleagues to kick them out. The House and Senate can remove members with a two-thirds vote or censure or reprimand with a majority. In St. Louis on Saturday, several hundred people protested against Sen. Josh Hawley, the first-term Missouri Republican who led efforts in the Senate to overturn Biden's election. Johnson initially supported Trump's baseless claims of election fraud, but after the riot, he voted in favor of Biden's win. Perry condemned the Capitol violence.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The group of House and Senate Republicans are echoing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Democrat Nancy Pelosi was set to be reelected as House speaker by her party, which retains the majority in the House but with the slimmest margin in 20 years. Hawley specifically defended himself against criticism from GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania as he challenges that state’s election results. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is set to be reelected as House speaker by fellow Democrats, who retain the House majority but with the slimmest margin in 20 years.

Christopher Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to discuss election security and the 2020 election process on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Republican senators on Wednesday further perpetuated President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, two days after Democrat Joe Biden’s victory was sealed by the Electoral College. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, the committee chairman and one of Trump’s fiercest defenders, said his goal was to have a bipartisan hearing to examine the election. But he repeated Trump’s assertions without evidence and focused heavily on the claims being made by the president's team. There was no testimony from state or local election officials who conducted extensive checks to ensure the accuracy of the election before certifying the results.

Many alumni have posted a letter on social media expressing their opposition to Barrett's nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court after Ginsburg's death last month. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – Shuttered by COVID-19 infections, the Republican-led Senate is refusing to delay confirmation of President Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. With Trump trailing Democrat Joe Biden in polls and their own Senate majority at risk, Republicans hope a Supreme Court vote in the week before Election Day will save their jobs. The Judiciary Committee is planning four days of hearings ahead of a final Senate vote by Oct. 29. However, McConnell could have the full Senate vote to force the committee to discharge the nomination to the floor for final voting.

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on Saturday sought to call off legislative work in the Senate until Oct. 19 as the coronavirus reached into their ranks. But they vowed that hearings for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee would push ahead as planned. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett will still begin Oct. 12, even if Democrats agree to cancel the regular Senate session to avoid further spread of COVID-19. “Certainly, all Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings.”There was no immediate word on whether Senate Democrats would agree to shutter Senate business as McConnell requested. With three Republican senators infected and others awaiting results, McConnell is without a fully working majority of 50 senators.

WASHINGTON – The coroniavirus reached further into Republican ranks on Saturday, forcing the Senate to call off lawmaking as a third GOP senator tested positive for COVID-19. “The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair and historically supported confirmation process,” McConnell wrote Saturday. Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who like McConnell is running for reelection, added that senators can attend the hearings remotely. Republicans in the Senate who had attended GOP events began announcing that they too had tested positive. The news about Covid's march into the White House didn't let up and wasn't flattering after months of complaints that Republicans weren't approaching the pandemic in a serious or organized way.

President Donald Trump has been hospitalized with the virus and Biden was potentially exposed during Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland. ___6 p.m.President Donald Trump has told his longtime friend and sometimes lawyer Rudy Giuliani that he’s “going to beat” the coronavirus. ___5:30 p.m.With President Donald Trump in the hospital, his campaign is launching an effort it’s calling “Operation MAGA” to maintain momentum. One by one, President Donald Trump and a series of GOP lawmakers have fallen ill with the virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. ___12 p.m.President Donald Trump’s doctors say the president is doing well, is fever-free and isn't having difficulty breathing after contracting the coronavirus.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – Two Republican-led Senate committees issued a politically charged report Wednesday alleging that the work Joe Biden’s son did in Ukraine constituted a conflict of interest for the Obama administration at a time when Biden was engaged in Ukraine policy as vice president. Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine remains a prominent line of attack in conservative circles heading into the election. But the crux of the document is that Hunter Biden's lucrative involvement with the gas company Burisma posed a conflict of interest because Biden was vice president at the time and dealing with Ukraine policy. Even so, the report acknowledges that the extent to which Hunter Biden's board position affected Ukraine policy is “not clear." Both Bidens have denied wrongdoing, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is sharply criticizing a Republican investigation into Democrat Joe Biden’s son, saying it's “not the legitimate role of government” to try and damage political opponents. Johnson, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is leading the investigation into Burisma, a gas company in Ukraine that paid Hunter Biden to serve as a board member while Joe Biden was vice president. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma. The president’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate Hunter Biden’s role were at the heart of the impeachment investigation. Johnson’s committee, along with the Senate Judiciary Committee, is also looking into the origins of the Justice Department’s Russia probe.

WASHINGTON – A whistleblower's complaint and a tight timeline are making it increasingly unlikely that the Senate will confirm Chad Wolf as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security before the election. President Donald Trump formally sent the nomination late Thursday to the Senate after announcing his intention to appoint Wolf in a tweet last month. But the full Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote before the election, said two Republican aides granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Trump appointed Wolf acting secretary in November 2019, following the resignation of Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary who took over following the resignation of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. “Their toxic and unethical actions are wholly incompatible with the non-partisan mission of the Department of Homeland Security,” he said.

But the stark warning that Russia is working to denigrate the Democratic presidential candidate adds to questions about the probe by Johnson's Senate committee and whether it is mimicking, even indirectly, Russian efforts and amplifying its propaganda. Evanina said Russia disapproved of Biden because of his role in shaping Obama administration policies supporting Ukraine and opposing Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In May, the committee authorized a subpoena for Blue Star Strategies, a lobbying firm that was a consultant to Burisma. Johnson, meanwhile, announced this week a subpoena for the FBI for documents in its investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has for months scrutinized the Russia investigation.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to examine Department of Homeland Security personnel deployments to recent protests on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Washington. (Toni Sandys/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Johnson's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is one of multiple Republican-led Senate panels scrutinizing the FBI's investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. As always, the FBI will continue to cooperate with the Committees requests, consistent with our law enforcement and national security obligations," the statement said. In a separate statement on Sunday, the FBI said that it was continuing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee's investigation. Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma, and Biden has denied speaking with his son about his overseas business dealings. Biden was representing the official position of the U.S. government, a position that was also supported by other Western governments.

NEW YORK As the Nov. 3 presidential vote nears, there are fresh signs that the nations electoral system is again under attack from foreign adversaries. There is no evidence that America's enemies have yet succeeded in penetrating campaigns or state election systems, but Democrat Joe Biden's presidential campaign confirmed this week that it has faced multiple related threats. When asked directly, the Trump campaign refused to say whether it had accepted materials related to Biden from any foreign nationals. Contrary to their narrative, the Democrats efforts to tear these safeguards apart as they sue in 18 states across the nation would open our election system up to foreign interference, Morgan said. Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, a Republican, described Trump's warnings about mail voting absurd and ridiculous.He should be far more forceful and far more direct in condemning foreign interference, Ridge said in an interview.

WASHINGTON The House Foreign Affairs Committee has subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for documents he turned over to a Senate panel that is investigating Hunter Biden, a son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The committee says Pompeo had delivered more than 16,000 pages of records to the Senate but refused to send the same materials to the Democrat-led House. The subpoena represents another escalation in an election-year battle between Democrats and the GOP Senate committees investigating Hunter Biden. Democrats have criticized Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Ron Johnson, R-Wis., in particular for his probe of Hunter Biden and the gas company Burisma. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, and Hunter Biden has denied using his influence with his father to aid Burisma.

It passed the House overwhelmingly last week on a 417-1 vote, but an attempt by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York to fast-track the bill through the Senate failed after Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., objected. Critics say the pending measure does nothing to ensure that businesses that dont necessarily need PPP subsidies are ineligible, among other problems. If were going to potentially authorize more spending, that program needs to be reformed, Johnson told reporters. We dont have an unlimited checkbook.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., supports the measure, as do most Republicans and Senate Democrats. Schumer suggested that Johnson and other Republicans try to fix any problems when Congress passes another COVID-19 relief bill.