Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., accused Democrats on Wednesday of trying to protect fraudsters by opposing efforts to expose alleged Medicaid abuse.
He told Newsmax the party has become more interested in shielding wrongdoers than rooting out waste and fraud.
On "Ed Henry: The Big Take," Johnson cited a recent Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing featuring conservative social media personality Nick Shirley, who has highlighted alleged Medicaid fraud.
Johnson said that "not one Democrat showed up to question" Shirley, adding that the committee's ranking member attended "mainly to denigrate Nick Shirley's efforts."
Johnson also criticized legislation under consideration in California that he said would limit Shirley's investigative activities.
"They're actually trying to pass a law called the 'Stop Nick Shirley Act,' which really ought to be named the Protect Medicaid Fraudsters Act, because that's what they're trying to do," Johnson said. "They basically protect the fraudsters against exposure."
Johnson argued the issue reflects a broader trend within the Democratic Party.
"That's who the Democratic Party is," he said, referring to what he described as "radical leftists."
Johnson also accused Democrats of refusing to fund key government priorities, including Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the National Defense Authorization Act.
"They refuse to fund CBP and ICE. They refuse to move on to the National Defense Authorization Act. They've completely upended the appropriations process. It's in shambles," Johnson said. "They want chaos."
Johnson said Americans should recognize "the destructive nature of radical leftism" and argued that "the Democratic Party is the party of the radical left."
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