‘A sigh of relief:’ Wisconsin lawmakers react to inauguration of President Biden

CBS 58 - One feeling felt by both Democrats and Republicans on Inauguration Day was a sense of change. For Republicans, questions remain of what the future of the party will look like with the departure of former President Donald Trump. For Democrats, Jan. 20 marked a new era for them to try to accomplish policy goals and address the multiple crises facing the country.

“It really was a sigh of relief more than I could’ve ever anticipated,” Congresswoman Gwen Moore told CBS 58 in an interview.

Moore believes Democrat control of the White House, Senate and House gives her party the opportunity to swiftly move forward with important legislation.

“We have Joe Biden, who’s very qualified, Kamala Harris by his side,” Moore said. “And I think we’re really going to slay the dragons of the pandemic, our economic recession and our racial divide, that they’re going to set up the tone and the framework.”

Governor Tony Evers tweeted his well wishes to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rep Mark Pocan, D-WI, said his biggest takeaway was Biden's overall call for unity.

“I think the president’s inaugural speech hit all the right tones about working together, and moving the country forward. A dramatic difference from four years ago.”

Republican Senator Ron Johnson tweeted his congratulations to President Biden. He also said he hoped Biden kept his promise of trying to unite the country.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wikler said just holding the inauguration was a victory for the country.

“The fact that we had a peaceful transfer of power is a testament to the resolute, intense work of millions of people who refused to give up on Democracy,” Wikler siad.

Republican Party of Wisconsin's Andrew Hitt released a statement saying former President Trump’s administration helped the state’s economy and things like court appointments benefited the Badger State.

“We commend President Trump for his strong legacy of conservative accomplishments and thank him for his four years of service to our nation,” Hitt wrote.

The future of the GOP is up in the air with the end of the Trump presidency.

“I think there will be a reckoning within the Republican Party over the next several months,” David Canon, a political science professor at UW-Madison told CBS 58. “Do they continue to follow Trump? Do they continue to say the election was stolen? Or will they try to tackle the country’s problems the way that Joe Biden has tried to urge people to focus on?”