Walker Touts "Progressive" Nature Of Wisconsin Budget Bill

By Rachel Whitt

Embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) told lawmakers Thursday that his effort to strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights is a “truly progressive” way to reduce his state’s deficit. However, Walker offered few specifics about how the former impacts the latter.

“We’re giving state and local governments the tools they need,” Walker said during a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “[Tools] not only to balance the budget this year, but for generations to come.”

Walker became public enemy number one for Democrats around the county earlier this year when he pushed lawmakers to pass a budget repair bill that required employees to contribute more to their pensions and health benefits. In addition, the bill significantly curtailed the collective bargaining rights of public union members. Despite the fact that Democrats stalled a vote on the bill for weeks by fleeing the state, the bill eventually passed. However, it is currently on hold pending legal challenges against it that are making their way through the Wisconsin courts.

In his testimony today, Walker defended the bill, arguing that cracking down on public unions is necessary to tackle his state’s $3.6 billion deficit.

“In addition to holding the line on spending and finding efficiencies in state government, we are implementing long term budget reforms focused on protecting middle class jobs and middle class taxpayers.”

Several heated exchanges took place during the hearing. One occurred when the committee’s chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), refused to submit for the record a letter from the Wisconsin State Legislative Fiscal Bureau, presented by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). The letter stated that Walker’s efforts to the repeal the rights of state workers is a non-fiscal policy item, and has no effect on the state’s budget. Walker pointedly dodged questions when pressed on the matter by Kucinich.

Issa called the hearing to deliberate the severity of fiscal problems faced by states, and also to explore potential reform tactics states can use to achieve fiscal sustainability. According to Issa, Walker was brought to Capitol Hill because of his “sweeping reforms that will keep his state solvent.”

At the request of the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D) also testified. Shumlin, who has dealt with a projected $170 million shortfall of his own by cutting services and state payrolls, as well as overseeing an effort to implement a statewide single-payer healthcare system, said he disagrees with Walker’s approach.

“There are steps that you can take to significantly reduce the cost to taxpayers without undermining traditional defined benefit plans,” he said. “We get more with maple syrup than with vinigar.”

At one point, Shumlin actually took on the role of a committee member, turning to Walker and grilling him over his efforts to crack down on the unions.

“Are you going to bring people together to solve problems or are you going to go after an assault on a basic principle in America which is collective bargaining?” Shumlin asked Walker. “If you want to go after collective bargaining just come out and say it, ‘Hey we’re taking you on.’”