By Erik Altmann

Freshman Sen. Ron Johnson caught the U.S. Senate off guard, when he threatened to tie up all Senate matters until the budget issue is resolved.

Speaking out on Tuesday, July 28, Johnson made it clear he was not happy with the lack of progress in the Senate.

"'Business as usual' is bankrupting America" Johnson said. 

Johnson asked for ten minutes of the Senate's time to address the lack of a budget consensus and provided some observations on Washington since becoming a Senate member last January.

"I have been here for almost 6 months now, but I have been carefully watching Washington for the last 32 years while I have been running my manufacturing business in Oshkosh, Wis. watching how increasingly broken Washington has become over the years. Nothing I have seen in the last 6 months has changed that evaluation," said Johnson.

Johnson proceeded to threaten to tie up all Senate matters, by withholding his consent and objecting to all calls for unanimous consent and he immediately acted on that threat.

Following his speech, when fellow Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions asked for "unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded," Johnson objected and withheld his consent, forcing a full roll call quorum of all Senate members.

He also forced a procedural delay in a vote on the conflict in Lybia, and threatened to block the Fourth of July recess; the recess was cancelled later so the Senate can continue to work.

Johnson later backed off on his threat to tie up Senate proceedings, albeit temporarily. However, he provided no hint as to whether or not he would continue to withhold his consent in future Senate proceedings until a budget agreement is reached.

Johnson also caught the attention of the media this week, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal recently reported he had received a $10 million payment in deferred compensation from his Oshkosh plastics company, Pacur.

Johnson told the Journal Sentinel that "it's a private business. I've complied with all the disclosure laws, and I don't have to explain it any further ..."

The payment is approximately $1 million more than the $9 million Johnson spent out of his own pocket on the campaign trail.

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