Republican Senator Ron Johnson Talks Russian Sanctions, Federal Employee Pay

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Republican Senator Ron Johnson Talks Russian Sanctions, Federal Employee Pay

Podcast: Bloomberg Talks
Host: Bloomberg
Date: October 23, 2025
Guest: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)

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Overview

In this episode, Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin joins Bloomberg TV & Radio from Capitol Hill to discuss the U.S. government's approach to Russian sanctions in light of the Ukraine conflict, perspectives on ending the government shutdown, and his legislative efforts around federal employee pay during shutdowns. The conversation offers insight into current congressional gridlock and Johnson’s proposals for more “common-sense” solutions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Russian Sanctions and U.S. Strategy

[00:00–02:43]

• White House Stance on Secondary Sanctions

  • Senator Johnson emphasizes that whether to proceed with secondary sanctions on Russia is ultimately up to the President:

    “When he wants that as a backstop to put pressure on Putin, I think that’s when we’ll act.” — Johnson [00:54]

• Johnson’s View on President’s Tactics with Russia

  • Praises the President’s (Trump) focus on pursuing peace, not conflict:

    "This president wants peace... He's not a wartime president. He wants peace. Now, he used to achieve peace through strength. But in the end he wants peace and he's doggedly pursuing it." — Johnson [01:16]

• Cancellation of Trump-Putin Meeting & Situation in Ukraine

  • Johnson blames Putin’s missile attacks (including civilian targets) for collapsed diplomacy:

    “That meeting is canceled because Vladimir Putin keeps lobbying missiles… apparently hit a kindergarten earlier today… Vladimir Putin’s a war criminal.” — Johnson [02:08]

  • Despite strong criticism, Johnson asserts the war will only end in negotiation:

    “He’s not going to lose this war, though. You’ve got to recognize that reality. The only way this war ends is through a negotiated settlement. We’re not going to like the terms of that.” — Johnson [02:08]

  • Highlights the cost of stalemate:

    “Even worse…the bloody stalemate… where we’re losing thousands of people on both sides a week. It’s just untenable.” — Johnson [02:08]

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2. Government Shutdown and Continuing Resolutions

[02:43–06:59]

• Reaction to Full-Year Continuing Resolution (CR) Proposal

  • Discusses the suggestion of a one-year CR extending into December 2026:

    “What would be a much [better] idea would be just pass my Eliminate Shutdowns Act…sets up automatic rolling 14 day continuing appropriations…That’d be a far more common sense approach than a one year continuing resolution for all of government.” — Johnson [03:35]

  • Critiques the shortfalls of the current process and calls for legislative reform:

    “This vaunted appropriation process, which is clearly broken, fails 96.7% of the time…the Eliminate Shutdowns Act does not undermine that process; it just gives us all the time.” — Johnson [04:31]

• The Shutdown Showdown

  • Paints ongoing shutdown as a manufactured crisis:

    “We could have been working with each other, we could have been negotiating. But instead we’ve got this shutdown show and showdown with literally no end in sight.” — Johnson [04:31]

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3. Federal Employee Pay and the "Shutdown Fairness Act"

[05:40–06:59]

• Support for Paying Essential Federal Workers

  • Johnson advocates for immediate pay for essential federal employees affected by the shutdown via his "Shutdown Fairness Act":

    “Let’s not make federal workers who are being forced to [work] pay for our dysfun[ction]…Even the National Active and Retired Federal Employees association…completely supports this piece of legislation.” — Johnson [05:57]

  • Cites stories of workers struggling to get by during shutdowns:

    “So pay them in time so they don’t have to go to food banks. They don’t have to drive doordash to pay for their daughter’s tuition…That’s unconscionable.” — Johnson [05:57]

• Broader Dysfunction in Government Appropriations

  • Criticism of the so-called "uniparty appropriators":

    “Right now we’re being held hostage by quite honestly the uniparty appropriators…This is a very well-honed process…Drop a multi-thousand page appropriation bill on our desk. Take it or leave it or you’re not going to see Christmas. That has to end.” — Johnson [07:11]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He’s [Putin] not going to lose this war... The only way this war ends is through a negotiated settlement. We’re not going to like the terms of that.” — Ron Johnson [02:08]
• “This vaunted appropriation process... fails 96.7% of the time.” — Ron Johnson [04:31]
• “Let’s not make federal workers who are being forced to [work] pay for our dysfun[ction]…That’s unconscionable.” — Ron Johnson [05:57]
• “This is a very well-honed process…Take it or leave it or you’re not going to see Christmas. That has to end.” — Ron Johnson [07:11]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:43: Russian sanctions and Ukraine war, canceled Trump-Putin meeting
• 02:43–06:59: Shutdown politics, Eliminate Shutdowns Act, federal employee pay debates
• 07:11: Critique of the appropriations process, broader government dysfunction

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Tone & Closing

Senator Johnson’s tone throughout was pointedly critical of both Russian aggression and the dysfunction within Congress over government funding. He presents himself as a proponent of so-called “common sense” bipartisan solutions, with a focus on legislative pragmatism and compassion for essential federal employees.

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Useful for listeners who want:

• A concise understanding of current Republican views on Russia policy and government budgeting
• Insight into the intricacies and frustrations of Washington’s shutdown standoffs
• Highlights of major legislative proposals aimed at changing the budgeting and appropriations process

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Transcript

[A]

Indiana University is shaping the future of healthcare, advancing discoveries that become treatments for Alzheimer's, obesity and cancer and training the providers trusted to deliver them. See how IU solves what's next iu Edu Impact Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio news For fresh reaction amid these reports this evening on a potential workaround to end the government shutdown, we're joined now by Republican senator of Wisconsin, Ron Johnson. He's with us live from Capitol Hill. And Senator, it's great to have you back on Bloomberg TV and Radio. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the shutdown here. But I'd love to ask you about this news that's coming from the White House now and whether the moment has arrived for secondary sanctions to hit the floor. I know that John Thune has said they're on pause right now out of deference to the White House, but is it time to vote?

[B]

Well, again, I really will that up to the president. When he wants that as a backstop to put pressure on Putin, I think that's when we'll act.

[A]

Understood. Is that something that you feel like we're moving closer to as he prepares to sit down with the secretary general at Naito? We're just trying to get a sense of which direction the president's leaning in here and how to deal with Vladimir Putin.

[B]

Well, my guess is getting pretty disgusted with dealing with Vladimir Putin. He's giving him every opportunity to end up with a peaceful solution here. Dangled economic benefits in front of him obviously threatened sanctions. Again, this president wants peace. I think there's a hallmark to his administration, even his previous administration. He's not, he's not a wartime president. He wants peace. Now, he used an achieve peace through strength. But in the end he wants peace and he's doggedly pursuing it.

[C]

And you may have heard Joe just go to the go to truth social post from the president. He just shot down a Wall Street Journal report that the US Is allowing Ukraine to use long range missiles in Ukraine. How will that play into what is supposed to be a meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, which is now looking much less.

[B]

Yeah, I think that meeting is canceled because Vladimir Putin keeps lobbying missiles more than lobbying. Launching missiles into Ukraine apparently hit a kindergarten earlier today. Again, Vladimir Putin's a war criminal. There is no reason for him to invade Ukraine. The fact of the matter is he's not going to lose this war, though. You've got to recognize that reality. The way the only way this war ends is through a negotiated settlement. We're not going to like the terms of that. But even like even worse, the, the bloody stalemate that we're in right now where we're losing thousands, thousands of people on both sides of a week. It's just untenable.

[A]

I want to ask you about what's happening with the shutdown here, Senator. I spoke earlier with the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who kind of stopped us in our tracks when he suggested that he might be behind a full year CR in fact one that would get us through December of 2026. When I get to hear what he said earlier on Bloomberg. Let's listen. December 21, 2026 is what I've been hearing up here as a suggestion, as.

[B]

An opportunity of, of a continuing resolution. As as we know we're operating under a year long resolution from last year.

[A]

We're looking at what was appropriated when Biden was president. That was Congressman Jason Smith earlier on Bloomberg. Senator, is this what it's come to and would you support a full year continuing resolution?

[B]

What would be a much idea would be just pass my Eliminate Shutdowns Act. What that does, it sets UP automatic rolling 14 day continuing appropriations for whatever department or Volo government that hasn't been appropriated for. That would give the appropriators time to find areas of agreement, pass the bills they can pass. The ones that don't you just continue to fund at last year's levels. That'd be a far more common sense approach than a one year continuing resolution for all of government. Give the appropriators time. You know the appropriators, some of the Republicans even vote against the eliminated Shutdown Act. They said it would undermine mind the appropriations process. Well here's the alternative, a CR that goes into December of 2026. So hopefully people will come to their senses and realize Eliminate Shutdowns act is the solution to our current fix.

[C]

Senator, it doesn't seem that that bill has gone very far yet. Are you sensing you will get some more support for this?

[B]

Well the good news is Luther Thune switch his vote to no swing for reconsideration. Again. I was very disappointed in Republican appropriators voting, said it would undercut the appropriation process. But let me describe that appropriation process it supposedly undermines. I've been here 15 years. That means we should have passed 180 appropriation bills before the start of the fiscal year you're funding. We've passed six. So this vaunted appropriation process which is clearly broken fails 96.7% of the time. The elimination shutdown act does not undermine that process. It just gives us all the time. We wouldn't be sitting here the fourth week going to the fourth week of a shutdown doing nothing. We could have been on appropriation bills, we could have been working with each other, we could have been negotiating. But instead we've got this shutdown show and showdown with literally no end in sight. Hopefully tomorrow, but hopefully today the Democrats actually vote for the continuing resolution. Doesn't sound like they will. The next best step is let's at least pay the federal workers we're forcing to work. That's the Shutdown Fairness act that I've offered that we'll be voting on tomorrow.

[A]

I want to ask you about that. I know you're reintroducing this to your point there's a vote tomorrow. Do you worry that this makes shutdowns easier that that it removes a pain point that might actually compel lawmakers to end this saga?

[B]

Clearly the current system is utterly broken. Right now we just crossed $38 trillion in debt and definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. So again we're in this dysfunction. Let's not make federal workers who are being forced to pay pay for our dysfun. So again, this makes perfect sense. Even the National Active and Retired Federal Employees association, generally not a association that agree with the Republican bill, completely supports this piece of legislation. So at a minimum, we ought to pass the Shutdown Fairness act and pay the people we are forcing to work. Military, federal law enforcement, air traffic control, people who write our Social Security checks. These people deserve their paycheck. They're working, by the way. They're gonna get paid anyway. We have a law that's gonna provide back pay. So pay them in time so they have to go to food banks. They don't have to drive doordash to pay for their their daughter's tuition. We're hearing stories that that's what federal employees are being forced to do. That's unconscionable.

[C]

You know, you mentioned debt and you mentioned Argentina. Are you concerned the attention to that is get is making problems with Wisconsin farmers when you're dealing with a shutdown?

[B]

I don't remember mentioning Argentina. Maybe I wasn't articulating something. Listen, we've got a problem right now from a standp. Government is shut down. Things aren't moving forward. The there's a common sense solution here. Either just pass the continuing appropriation or the eliminate shutdown Act. Simple solutions, common sense. I think the vast majority of Americans would agree with that. Right now we're being held hostage by quite honestly the uniparty appropriators. You know, this seems dysfunctional. It is dysfunctional. This is a very well honed process. I've seen it time, time again. I've been here 15 years. You use these shutdowns to back us up against a deadline like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Christmas. Drop a multi thousand page appropriation bill on our desk. Take it or leave it or you're not going to see Christmas. That has to end.

[A]

We appreciate it, Senator. And we appreciate your time, Senator. Ron Johnson in business, a gift says.

[D]

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