Source: U.S. Government
Mar 8, 2024, 11:44 AM CST
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WLCX) – Wisconsin Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden is being criticized by his political opponents in southwestern Wisconsin after shouting at President Joe Biden during Thursday’s State of the Union address.
Van Orden is heard yelling “lies” during a part of Biden’s speech criticizing former president Donald Trump over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Van Orden, who is in his first term representing Wisconsin’s third Congressional district, said in a statement that Biden was “out of touch” and said the State of the Union “lacked honesty and transparency.”
“No matter how the president attempts to spin it, the truth is that Americans are worse off because of his policies,” Van Orden said.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin had a similar response, rejecting most of Biden’s points made during the speech.
“No matter how rosy a picture he may try to paint of his job performance, nothing Joe Biden says will change the harsh realities facing Americans of open borders, higher prices, and a weaker economy for working Wisconsinites,” Matt Fisher, Republican Spokesperson, said.
Van Orden’s Democratic opponents were critical of his outburst during the State of the Union, with Congressman Marc Pocan demanding an apology for the incident.
“Derrick Van Orden continues to embarrass Wisconsin and the United States Congress with his constant unbecoming behavior,” Pocan said.
One of the candidates running for Van Orden’s seat in Congress, Katrina Shankland, said Van Orden’s behavior was “unbecoming of our representative” and that it wasn’t the first time he’s had an incident.
“With millions watching, radical Derrick Van Orden interrupted President Biden as he shared a positive, pro-democracy vision for our country,” Shankland said. “Radical Derrick is extreme, erratic, and out of control.”
Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke echoed the sentiments of others in her party.
“Derrick Van Orden proved again last night that he is more interested in partisan games than he is in delivering for our district,” Cooke said. “He’s embarrassing us — this time in front of the whole country.”
Van Orden is leading the fundraising race in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, bringing in over $580,000 in his last quarterly filing with the Federal Elections Commission. Van Orden raised more money than his three Democratic challengers combined.
Of Van Orden’s challengers for the seat in Congress, Rebecca Cooke, who leads a non-profit organization in western Wisconsin, raised $329,974. Her FEC filing shows that she spent $139,753 during the final three months of 2023 and ended the year with a banked amount of $496,592.
Assembly Rep. Katrina Shankland was next, raising $212.783, with $69,660 spent and $143,123 in the bank. Eric Wilson of Eau Claire raised $25,684, with $6,356 spent and a banked number of $19,328.
The 2024 Fall Primary is on Aug. 13, while the 2024 General Election will be held on Nov. 5.
To find your voter registration status, see a sample ballot, or look up your voter information, you can visit MyVote Wisconsin.
For information on Wisconsin’s elections, you can visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission. You can also see who has registered to run in different races and see candidate nomination paperwork.
