GOP Senator Says He ‘Never Really Felt It Was Society’s Responsibility to Take Care of Other People’s Children’

In Wisconsin, it must not take a village.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told WKBT in La Crosse that the Biden administration is to blame for inflation and the shortage of workers. The senator faulted the latter on unemployment benefits, which he’d like to see reduced. He also said he opposes a government role in helping parents find childcare.

“People decide to have families and become parents,” Johnson said in an interview that aired Wednesday morning. “That’s something they need to consider when they make that choice. I’ve never really felt it was society’s responsibility to take care of other people’s children.”

Johnson added that it’s up to society to create good employment opportunities for people so they can support their families.

Child care is a key component of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, which Johnson and every other Senate Republican oppose. The bill, which appears all but dead in the Senate, would give eligible families subsidies to buy child care, which might actually free up some parents with small children to find gainful employment.

The bill also would have extended and expanded the child care tax credit, which expired in December. Eligible families could receive between $3,000 and $3,600 per child per year, depending on their age.

Though passed by the House, the bill has stalled in the Senate thanks to unanimous opposition from Republicans, as well as the fact that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) doesn’t approve of the way the child tax credit is structured. “This is a ‘no’ on this legislation,” he said in December.

Watch above via WKBT

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com