Walker hears praise, criticism during testimony before Congress
Washington — Introduced by fellow Republican Jim Sensenbrenner as a “very polarizing figure,” Gov. Scott Walker lived up to that mantle in a highly charged appearance Thursday at a congressional hearing on state budget problems.
Lawmakers from his own party hailed him as a gutsy politician making tough choices while Democrats seized the chance to cross-examine a governor they regard as a poster boy for conservative overreach.
Democrats called him a union-buster, a divider and a vehicle for corporate interests.
They derided his contention that cutting collective bargaining rights was a fiscal necessity rather than a politically motivated choice.
Walker told lawmakers his policies were “progressive in the best sense of the word” because cutting compensation and benefits would allow the state to avoid layoffs and tax increases.
Walker hears praise, criticism during testimony before Congress Read More »