Walker Joins Cruz, Tea Party Supporting Massive Unfunded Mandate on Wisconsin

MADISON — As Scott Walker continues to fight with his own party about the best way to fund education, transportation, and massive tax cuts for the wealthy, he announced his support for Senate Republican efforts to expand Trumpcare’s unfunded mandate, putting undue strain on Wisconsin’s state budget.

Walker has said he supports Senator Johnson’s joining with Senators Cruz and Paul who say the massive cuts to Medicaid included in the Senate version don’t go far enough.

An Urban Institute study of the House version of the bill says that TrumpCare would shift an estimated $500 million in costs to Wisconsin over ten years just to maintain the same level of care. And the same study noted that under Trumpcare, Wisconsin will see 22,500 Medicaid beneficiaries cut off from coverage completely by 2022 and many more see access reduced because of provider cuts and benefits slashed to make up for the huge funding cuts

Governor Walker joined with other conservatives in calling for additional cuts to health care, “I think they need to change it, and I think they will.” Also noting that he hopes Senator Ron Johnson will “hold his position strong until they amend the bill.”

Who would these huge cuts impact? TrumpCare ends the Medicaid guarantee, by capping federal Medicaid funding, jeopardizing health care coverage for more than 1.2 million Wisconsinites. Not only would the 35% of children in the state who rely on Medicaid have their medical care jeopardized, but so would 21% of seniors and people with disabilities in Wisconsin [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Factsheet, 4/13/17].

“Governor Walker, Wisconsin’s children, seniors and disabled don’t deserve this cruelty coming from Washington. Stand up to your party in Washington and stop them from putting Wisconsin’s most vulnerable on the chopping block to pay for more tax giveaways for the insurance corporations benefiting most from the establishment. Stop playing partisan politics and put Wisconsin first, for once,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Brandon Weathersby.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.