-- TODAY ON UPFRONT, SENATOR RON JOHNSON, THE NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE, THE INVESTIGATION OF HUNTER BIDEN, AND DEMOCRATS CHARGES THE RUSSIANS MAY BE USING HIM FOR PROPAGANDA. REP. JOHNSON: MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE DEMOCRATS AFRAID OF IN MY INVESTIGATION? ADRIENNE: I WILL ASK HIM ABOUT ALL OF IT. PLUS THE GOVERNORS GAMBLE -- GOV. EVERS: MY JOB AS GOVERNOR IS TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST AND DO IT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE. ADRIENNE: A NEW STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE. WHAT A LEGAL CHALLENGE OF A DIFFERENT OUTCOME THIS TIME? ANNOUNCER: TAKEN ON THE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO WISCONSIN, THIS IS "UPFRONT" WITH YOUR HOST ADRIENNE PEDERSEN. ADRIENNE: PEOPLE RELYING ON COVID RELIEF MONEY TO MAKE ENDS MEET FACE A TOUGH SITUATION RIGHT NOW. THE LAST RELIEF PACKAGE WHICH PROVIDED A $600 PER WEEK JOBLESS BENEFIT RAN OUT FRIDAY. TOP OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON A NEW AND. WISCONSIN EMMA CRADDICK SENATOR, TAMMY BALDWIN SAYS IT IS A CRITICAL MOMENT. SENATOR BALDWIN: WE HAVE KEPT MANY, MANY FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY. HAD THEY BEEN WITHOUT A FEDERAL SUPPLEMENT TO THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, THEY WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO POVERTY BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. ADRIENNE: REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE DIVIDED OVER HOW MUCH TO SPEND. WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN SENATOR RON JOHNSON OH -- OFFERED HIS OWN PLAN WOULD PROVIDE BENEFITS RANGING FROM $200 TO $500 A WEEK OR PEOPLE OUT OF WORK. SENATOR JOHNSON JOINS US NOW AND WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT. I WANT TO GET BACK TO CORONAVIRUS RELIEF. AT FIRST, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP QUESTIONING DELAYING THE ELECTION IN A TWEET. HE CALLED UNIVERSAL MAIL-IN VOTING FRAUDULENT. DO YOU WANT TO DELAY THE ELECTION? REP. JOHNSON: I DON’T THINK ANYBODY IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING DOING THAT. I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT A MASSIVE INCREASE OF MAIL-IN VOTING CREATES REAL PROBLEMS. WE HAVE SEEN IT IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHERE THE RESULTS OF ELECTIONS ARE NOT KNOWN FOR WEEKS AFTER THE ELECTION. THAT’S GOING TO POSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM IF WE DO NOT GET THESE ELECTION JURISDICTIONS UNDER CONTROL. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RAISING. I DON’T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO DELAY THE ELECTION. ADRIENNE: YOU DON’T THINK YOU WANT TO DELAY IT EITHER? REP. JOHNSON: MY GUESS IS HE IS RAISING THE ISSUE AS A LEGITIMATE CONCERN HE HAS. ADRIENNE: DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT WILL ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION EVEN IF HE DOESN’T WIN? REP. JOHNSON: YES. BUT, AGAIN, WE NEED TO BE VERY CONCERNED AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHERE MAIL-IN BALLOT THING -- VALIDATING WAS MUCH LARGER THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST, HOW THAT’S GOING TO PLAY OUT. WE NEED RULES, WE NEED CONTROLS, AND THOSE NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE RIGHT NOW. ADRIENNE: GETTING TO THE CORONAVIRUS RELEASE PACKAGE. YOU PUT OUT YOUR OWN BILL. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE? WHEN DO YOU THINK SOMETHING WILL GET DONE ON THIS? PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR BENEFITS. REP. JOHNSON: I CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT, WHICH IS WHY I WENT TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE YESTERDAY ASKING FOR UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO PASS AN EXTENSION OF A FEDERAL PLUS UP IN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. I WANT EVERYBODY TO REALIZE YOU WILL STILL GET YOUR STATE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT IT’S NOBODY’S FAULT THAT THEY ARE UNEMPLOYED RIGHT NOW. IT IS BECAUSE OF COVID AD WE WANT TO HELP, BUT IN THE CARES PACKAGE, WE PASSED A TWO $600 PLUS UP, WHICH ANY WAY THAT YOU LOOK AT IT ARE MAKING MORE UNEMPLOYMENT THAN THEY MADE ON THE JOB. THAT IS A PERVERSE INCENTIVE TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE ECONOMY AND WE NEED PEOPLE COMING BACK INTO THE ECONOMY AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN START CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY AND START RECOVERING FROM THIS COVID RECESSION. WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE FINANCIALLY BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL SO PEOPLE ARE NOT INCENTIVIZED TO STAY ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND ARE INCENTIVIZED TO GET BACK TO WORK. ADRIENNE: IF ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS IS PEOPLE WON’T LOOK FOR A JOB, ISN’T THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IS TO BE LOOKING FOR A JOB? REP. JOHNSON: THE PROBLEM IS THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED. THE LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT ARE SO OVERWHELMED, STATE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEMS, NOBODY IS CHECKING. EVEN WHEN AN EMPLOYEE GOES AND YOU HAVE A JOB, THAT SHOULD DISQUALIFY SOMEBODY FROM ON UP LIMIT BENEFITS, BUT NONE OF THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. ADRIENNE: ARE THERE EVEN JOBS TO BE HAD CONSIDERING 70 THINGS ARE CLOSED OR STRUGGLING? REP. JOHNSON: THE LAST STATISTIC WE HAVE IS FROM THE END OF MAY. ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THERE ARE 5.4 MILLION JOBS OPEN. I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE END OF JUNE WILL BE LOOKING LIKE BUT WE WILL KNOW THOSE NUMBERS AND PROBABLY A FEW DAYS. WHEN I TALK TO EMPLOYERS WHO ARE TRYING TO OPEN BACKUP, TRYING TO START OPERATING AT 100% CAPACITY, THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THEY CAN’T BRING PEOPLE BACK OUT OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINES OR OUT OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM. WE DO NEED TO BRING PEOPLE BACK INTO THE WORKPLACE. ADRIENNE: I THINK PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED FEELING LIKE WASHINGTON CANNOT COME TOGETHER ON THIS, WHAT IS FOR THE GREATER GOOD. WHAT’S THE TIMELINE? WHEN COULD WE SEE SOMETHING PASS? REP. JOHNSON: PART OF THE PROBLEM IS SO MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS JUST DON’T LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO POINT OUT IS WHEN WE PASSED OUR FOURTH PACKAGE AT THE END OF APRIL, WE ALLOCATED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MAYBE UP TO 3.6 TRILLION DOLLARS. WE ALREADY PAST AND AUTHORIZED SPENDING AT 13 PERCENT OF OUR ECONOMY WITHIN WEEKS. NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER WE HAD DONE THAT, NANCY PELOSI PASSED ANOTHER $3 TRILLION, WHICH WOULD PUT THAT SPENDING AMOUNT CLOSE TO 30% OF OUR ECONOMY. THAT IS A GROTESQUE LEVEL OF SPENDING. IT IS NOT NECESSARY AND THAT’S PART OF THE PROBLEM. WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS GETTING OVERSIGHT, FIND OUT WHAT WORKED AND WHAT WORK AND PASS IT FAST. WE KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE FAR FROM PERFECT, SO LET’S FIX SOME OF THESE THINGS AND SPEND THE ADDITIONAL $1.2 TRILLION BETTER, MORE TARGETED, MORE EFFECTIVELY BEFORE WE EVEN THINK OF AUTHORIZING ANOTHER DIME. ADRIENNE: ARE YOU SAYING YOU DON’T THINK THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CORONAVIRUS RELEASE PACKAGE? REP. JOHNSON: NOT ANYTIME SOON. ADRIENNE: A DEMOCRATIC BACK GROUP CALLED THE CONGRESSIONAL INTEGRITY PROJECT ACCUSES YOU OF ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES THAT WOULD FIT YOU FINANCIALLY. THE REPORT SAYS YOU BROKE A CAMPAIGN PLEDGE TO CREATE A BLIND TRUST FOR THE PLASTICS COMPANY YOU OWN AND LOBBIED FOR TAX CHANGES THAT WOULD HELP THE COMPANY. I WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU IF THAT IS TRUE. REP. JOHNSON: NO. IT IS BASED ON FALSE REPORTS THAT DOUBLE COUNTED ASSETS. WHAT I DID, FIRST OF ALL, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO PUT A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY, MY OWNERSHIP OF THAT INTO A BLIND TRUST. THE WHOLE POINT OF A BLIND TRUST AS YOU CAN DO TRADING IN AND OUT OF THE TRUST. I DID ONE BETTER THAN A BLIND TRUST. I CONVERTED IT ALL TO CASH. THERE IS NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH CASH, SO I HAVE JUST BEEN SITTING ON CASH FOR MOST OF MY ASSETS IN THE COMPANY I STARTED. AS A RESULT, I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN MORE THAN A DOUBLING OF THE STOCK MARKET DURING MY FIRST SIX OR SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS IN CONGRESS. MORE RECENTLY, WHEN I DID SELL MY OWNERSHIP STAKE IN A PRIVATE EQUITY SALE THAT TOOK OVER TWO YEARS TO DO, RATHER THAN REINVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET WHEN I KNEW I COULD HAVE MADE A LOT OF MONEY, I KEPT IT AS CASH BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT ANYBODY COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FACT I WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION. SO I HAVE LOST HUGE SUMS OF MONEY BY STAYING IN CASH AND STAYING OUT OF THE MARKET BY AND LARGE. ADRIENNE: THAT REPORT SAYS THEY BELIEVE YOU HAVE INCREASED YOUR WEALTH 50% TO 100% WHILE YOU HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE. WHY DO YOU THINK THE DEMOCRATS ARE DOING THIS TO YOU? REP. JOHNSON: BECAUSE I’M INVESTIGATING CORRUPTION IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THEY ARE AFRAID OF WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE. THEY ARE TARGETING ME, TRYING TO DESTROY ME SO ANY RESULTS OF MY INVESTIGATION WILL BE MARGINALIZED. BUT AGAIN, IT IS COMPLETELY FALSE. MY NET WORTH HAS NOT GROWN BY THAT MUCH. FOR EXAMPLE, LET’S SAY YOU HAVE A MONEY MARKET WORTH ALMOST 5 MILLION. IF IT GOES SLIGHTLY OVER $5 MILLION, YOU ARE IN $5 MILLION TO $25 MILLION. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. IN ADDITION, EVEN THOUGH WE POINTED THIS OUT TO THE REPORTER, THEY DOUBLE COUNTED NUMBER OF MY ASSETS. IT FALSELY DROVE UP WHAT THEY WERE EVEN LOOKING AT. THESE THINGS ARE MISCALCULATED, THEY ARE USING FALSE INFORMATION, AND THEY KNOW IT’S FALSE, YET THEY STILL PUSH IT. THAT IS WHY NOT ENOUGH GOOD PEOPLE RUN FOR OFFICE. IT IS SO DISHONEST. BUT THAT IS THE WAY IT IS AND I ACCEPT THAT. ADRIENNE: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WE WILL HAVE MORE OF THIS INTERVIEW COMING UP NEXT. ANNOUNCER: "UPFR