Johnson on the Newtown shooting

A friend of mine, upon reading this letter, called it “a whole lot of nothin’.”  I have to agree.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding your thoughts on federal gun control measures in light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut.

A terrible and incomprehensible act of violence took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We are all deeply impacted by the horror of little children and brave adults being murdered. There are many serious issues that will need to be discussed and considered in the weeks and months to come. But right now, our primary concern should be for the families and the community of Newtown.

At moments like this, America comes together to mourn and support one another. We will do so again in the coming days, and then search for answers on how to prevent such tragedies in the future

As your Senator, I believe it is my primary responsibility to uphold the Constitution and the Second Amendment is no exception.  I will continue to strongly support our Second Amendment rights.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.  It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve. Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can further assist you or your family.  It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson
United States Senator

Johnson opposes the Great Ape Protection Act

After a long silence (perhaps due to staff turnover?) I suddenly got about four letters in two days from Senator Johnson. Here’s one. Personally, I think animal experimentation is wrong so I’m not terribly happy about this one.

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act (S. 810).  S. 810 was introduced by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on April 13th, 2011 and now awaits consideration in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

This legislation would harm medical research that helps both humans, great apes and other species of animals.  S. 810 would halt a number of ongoing biomedical research studies, particularly on hepatitis C, as chimpanzees are currently the only existing animal model.   Currently, chimpanzees no longer used in research are not euthanized; rather, they are humanely maintained in retirement facilities until their natural deaths.

The Great Ape Protection Act defines invasive research to include “any research that may cause death, bodily injury, pain, distress, fear, injury or trauma.” This broad definition encompasses any research that involves tranquilizing the animal, removing the animal from its natural social group, or taking simple blood samples.   The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology states that “this broad definition could not only have a negative impact on biomedical research on human diseases but also research that is designed to benefit the great apes themselves, such as the development of an Ebola virus vaccine for wild chimps or the treatment of heart disease in captive gorillas.”  As currently written, I will oppose the Great Ape Protection Act.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.  It is important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve.  Since taking office, I have received over 400,000 pieces of correspondence and have had over 200,000 participants in live forums and telephone town hall meetings.  Please feel free to contact me in the future if I can further assist you or your family.  It is an honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson
United States Senator