Senate Republican leader Ron Johnson said Thursday a recent Supreme Court decision rejecting race-based redistricting constitutes a “correct” constitutional interpretation, restoring authority over congressional district boundaries to state legislatures rather than federal courts.
In an interview, Johnson emphasized that states—not federal judges—are responsible for determining election procedures, including district apportionment based on census data. He referenced Chief Justice John Roberts’ stance that ending racial discrimination requires eliminating race-based distinctions in redistricting: “If you want to stop discrimination on the basis of race, stop discriminating on the basis of race,” Johnson said.
Johnson noted no barriers exist preventing additional states from redrawing electoral maps and stressed that while partisan districting is permissible, race-based considerations are prohibited. The ruling coincides with projections that Democrats could lose multiple House seats and state legislative actions—such as Florida’s plans—to bolster Republican representation ahead of midterms.
The senator also addressed a monthslong Department of Homeland Security funding impasse, attributing the deadlock to Democratic refusal to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Johnson urged House lawmakers to adopt the Senate’s strategy for resolving the issue, which would fund most DHS operations through budget reconciliation while addressing immigration enforcement. “Keep it simple, keep it targeted, get it done,” he said.
Johnson further expressed support for reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as it faces imminent expiration, criticizing Congress’ legislative process as “so broken.” He backed a House provision banning central bank digital currency, warning such systems could enable excessive government surveillance: “We do not want a government, a central bank, digital currency. Then the government could track everything.”
