Baldwin Statement on House Passage of Republicans’ Budget Bill That Guts Medicaid, Raises Costs for Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after House Republicans passed their budget bill:

“Today, Republicans chose to put their super-rich friends over working families. They chose to gut Medicaid, decimate our rural hospitals, and terminate health care for 17 million Americans – including more than 250,000 Wisconsinites. They chose to take food from hungry families and raise the cost of going to the grocery store for millions more. These are choices that Donald Trump and Republicans made because they wanted to rig our tax code for big corporations and the wealthiest in our country.

“Instead of listening to hard-working Wisconsin families who are looking for some relief and opportunity to save and live a comfortable life, Republicans turned their backs on them, taking away their health care and raising their costs.

“We can do so much better than this to address the real issues Wisconsin families are facing, but Republicans chose not to.”

The Republicans’ bill will terminate health care for 17 million Americans, including more than 250,000 Wisconsinites. In Wisconsin, Medicaid provides care for more than 1.2 million people, including four in seven nursing home residents, one in three children, and one in three adults with disabilities. While over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care, severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open.
The legislation also makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history. Approximately 700,000 Wisconsin residents rely on SNAP for food assistance.

Senator Baldwin has been speaking out against the harmful impact this bill will have on Wisconsinites – in the press, on the Senate floor, and in Wisconsin communities.

• Baldwin hosted roundtables in La Crosse, Milwaukee, Wausau, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Racine, Waukesha, Superior, Beloit, and twice in Madison, convening Wisconsinites whose health care coverage is in jeopardy under the Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for corporate tax breaks.
• VIDEO: Baldwin spoke on the Senate floor, condemning the Republicans’ budget bill.
• VIDEO: Baldwin held a virtual press conference with impacted Wisconsinites ahead of Senate Republicans bringing up their bill for a vote.
• VIDEO: Baldwin highlighted Congressional Republicans’ efforts to barrel ahead with a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood on the Senate floor.
• Baldwin slammed republicans’ planned cuts to Medicaid, which will devastate our country’s fight against the opioid and fentanyl epidemic and jeopardize treatment for thousands of Wisconsinites.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.