Washington – Sen. Johnson hosted his first, one-hour Facebook Q&A on Wednesday, Dec. 10. “Thank you to everyone who participated and asked questions concerning our nation’s security, stability and future success — I only wish I could type faster,” he remarked. “I look forward to hosting another discussion soon.” Below is a sampling of the questions Sen. Johnson answered during the Q&A session. Visit the senator’s Facebook page here to view the full discussion.

Constituent question: When is America going to confine itself to the lawful budgetary process?

Sen. Johnson: I had a robust discussion within the Republican conference about how to utilize the budget and appropriations process to start prioritizing spending and getting our debt and deficit under control. This is the first step as we begin grappling with the long-term structural deficits that have been ignored for decades. It will not be easy, but addressing this serious challenge will require public support. It will require better communication from Washington to describe the problem so that we, collectively, as a nation, fully admit we have it by understanding and defining its true depth. That'll be a primary purpose of hearings I will hold in HSGAC.

Constituent question: Why exactly are the GOP who carried the midterms breaking their pledges to stop amnesty and not fund Obamacare?

Sen. Johnson: Republicans -- and particularly me -- would repeal Obamacare in a heartbeat. The practical problem in doing so is that Obamacare is permanent law and mandatory spending. Its funding is not part of the discretionary part of the budget that Congress votes on annually. In order to defund Obamacare, Congress must pass and the president must sign a new law that defunds it. That will require Democrat senators' support and President Obama's signature. Unfortunately, until we have a Republican president, that remains highly unlikely. But we will do everything we can to limit and repair the damage until we can actually repeal and replace Obamacare.

Constituent question: What specific action do you plan to push as the chairman of the homeland security committee to secure the border?

Sen. Johnson: There will be a number of actions required. Additional fencing, increased manpower, latest surveillance technology, and a functioning entry-exit system will be required. We also need to look at enforcing current laws, monitoring visa overstays, a universal e-verify system for employers and a thorough review of current laws that create incentives for illegal immigration -- hopefully, leading to a dramatic reduction of those incentives.

Constituent question: What are your top goals for the next session?

Sen. Johnson: In 31 years in the private sector, I did a lot of negotiating and relationship-building. The best way to start a new relationship is understanding and trying to find agreement and common ground. Overregulation is doing great harm to our economy and limiting the creation of good paying jobs that build a strong middle class. Regulatory reform should be an area where a great deal of common ground can be found, to find Democratic support to actually pass legislation. If we can do so, that would be good for our economy and help people.

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