As Congress leaves for recess, Van Orden and Steil owe Wisconsinites answers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

As Congress leaves for recess, Van Orden and Steil owe Wisconsinites answers

Opportunity Wisconsin outlines questions constituents deserve answered before their members of Congress return to Washington


MADISON, Wis. — As Congress heads home for recess, Opportunity Wisconsin is calling on Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil to use the time in their districts to actually listen to constituents and to answer for the votes that have made life more expensive for Wisconsin families.

Both congressmen have spent the past year voting for tariffs, backing a war in Iran with no end in sight, and protecting the Republican Tax Law’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP to help pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Now, as they return home, Wisconsinites deserve real answers and accountability.

Opportunity Wisconsin is calling on Van Orden and Steil to answer the following questions from their constituents during recess:

  1. The average American household has had to pay an additional $3,500 because of policies Republicans Congress has passed. How do you expect working families to afford this added burden?
     

  2. Will you fight to stop the Trump administration's new Medicaid proposed rule, which could take away health coverage from Wisconsinites with cancer and other serious illnesses?
     

  3. How will you support Wisconsin farmers who are being squeezed from every direction — as tariffs raise the cost of equipment and supplies, the war in Iran drives up diesel and fertilizer prices, and federal cuts add even more strain to family budgets?
     

  4. The war in Iran has already cost taxpayers more than $37.5 billion, and this week you voted for a $95 billion package that includes tens of billions more to continue funding it. Why are you prioritizing an expensive foreign war over lowering costs for Wisconsin families?
     

  5. Why have you prioritized massive new tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations, while cutting Medicaid, making it harder for Wisconsin families to afford groceries, and making it tougher for small businesses to succeed?

"Congressmen Van Orden and Steil have spent the last year voting again and again to raise costs on Wisconsin families while handing out tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations," said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. "Recess isn't a break from accountability, it's an opportunity for them to explain these votes to the people back home who are paying the price. Wisconsinites deserve real answers, not more excuses."


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Van Orden and Steil vote to keep costly Iran war going, again

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

Van Orden and Steil vote to keep costly Iran war going, again

Van Orden and Steil reject bipartisan resolution to limit a war that is costing billions and driving up prices for Wisconsinites


MADISON, Wis. — The U.S. House voted today to direct President Trump to end the war in Iran, passing 214-208 in a bipartisan vote. Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil voted against the resolution, supporting a continued war that keeps raising costs for Wisconsin families.

"Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil have had multiple opportunities to reign in a war that is costing taxpayers billions and sending prices soaring. Every time they have refused," said Meghan Roh, Program Director of Opportunity Wisconsin. "This war is hurting our economy and making it tougher for families, small businesses, and farmers to succeed.” 

Today’s vote comes as the price tag for the war keeps climbing. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress this week that the war has cost $37.5 billion so far, and Republicans are now preparing a $95 billion supplemental package to keep funding it. Wisconsin families are paying the price for the ongoing war. The national average for gas has climbed back to $4 a gallon, and diesel has topped $5 a gallon as instability in the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global oil supply.

Van Orden and Steil have spent the past year backing the largest Medicaid cuts in history, letting health care tax credits expire, and voting for tariffs that are raising costs for Wisconsin households — all while continuing to support a war that's driving up the price of gas, diesel, and fertilizer.

This is the fifth time Van Orden and Steil have opposed limiting the United States’ involvement in Iran. They also voted against similar resolutions in March, April, May and June.

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ICYMI: GOP's Big Beautiful Bill is failing Wisconsin families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, JULY 13, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

ICYMI: GOP's Big Beautiful Bill is failing Wisconsin families


In a new Cap Times op-ed, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh lays out one year of costs to Wisconsin families under the Republican tax law


MADISON, Wis. — One year after congressional Republicans passed their tax law, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh highlights how Wisconsin families are still paying the price in a new op-ed for the Cap Times. The op-ed details the law's toll on healthcare access, food assistance, and household budgets across the state, and calls out Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Rep. Bryan Steil for continuing to defend their votes. 

GOP's Big Beautiful Bill is failing Wisconsin families
The Cap Times, 7/11/26

  • One year ago, congressional Republicans passed a law they called their greatest achievement. Wisconsin families have been paying for it ever since.
     

  • The Republican tax law was sold as relief for working people. The reality? The biggest cuts to healthcare and food assistance in American history — all funded on the backs of Wisconsin families, while billionaires and big corporations walked away with a trillion-dollar windfall.
     

  • Let’s start with healthcare. The law made the largest cut to Medicaid in U.S. history, slashing more than $900 billion from the program nationwide. In Wisconsin, 54,000 people are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage. 
     

  • And because Republicans also let healthcare tax credits expire, another 56,000 Wisconsinites face skyrocketing costs on the marketplace, or the prospect of going uninsured altogether. All told, 110,000 Wisconsinites stand to lose their coverage.
     

  • In Rep. Derrick Van Orden's district, these cuts mean a 60-year-old couple could see their monthly premium jump by nearly $2,000. In Rep. Bryan Steil's district, that same couple is looking at nearly $1,400 more per month.
     

  • The Republican tax law also guts the food assistance that Wisconsin families rely on to put food on the table. Roughly 49,000 Wisconsinites are at immediate risk of losing some of their SNAP benefits. 
     

  • All of this so Republicans in Congress could hand the wealthiest Americans a $1 trillion tax cut over the next decade.
     

  • One year in, it’s laughable that Republicans in Congress believe this law has been a success. They can’t hide from the reality that 110,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing healthcare. Tens of thousands more are losing food assistance. Grocery prices are up. Gas prices are up. Rural hospitals are closing. And Van Orden and Steil are still defending every one of those votes.

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One year of the Republican Tax Law: Less healthcare access, more hungry families, less support for working families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

 

One year of the Republican Tax Law: Less healthcare access, more hungry families, less support for working families

As the one-year anniversary approaches, Republicans in Congress still refuse to reverse harmful cuts that are making it tougher for Wisconsin families to succeed


MADISON, Wis. — One year after congressional Republicans passed the Republican Tax Law, the damage to Wisconsin families is clear: less access to healthcare, more families going hungry, and costs are higher, all while the ultra-rich and big corporations are benefiting from new tax breaks. Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Rep. Bryan Steil both voted for the Republican Tax Law and have refused to undo the damage it’s causing.

Here’s a look at what the Republican Tax Law has meant for Wisconsin families:


"One year in, this law has done exactly what we said it would: stripped health care from Wisconsin families, cut food assistance, and forced working people to pay more while billionaires and corporations cashed in thanks to new tax breaks," said Meghan Roh, Program Director of Opportunity Wisconsin. "Rep. Van Orden and Rep. Steil made a choice when they voted for this law. Wisconsin families are living with the consequences every single day. A year later it’s clearer than ever that Congress needs to reverse these cuts and start fighting for working families instead."

While cuts to healthcare and food assistance drive costs up, families are being hit again by Republican policies that are making things even worse. Tariffs have raised the price of groceries, furniture, and everyday goods. A war in Iran that Republicans supported was costing a billion dollars a day and could keep gas and diesel prices elevated well into 2027. For Wisconsin families already absorbing cuts to their health care and food assistance, the compounding costs are devastating.
 

"One year later our worst fears about the Republican Tax Law have come true,” said Stephanie from Vernon County. “We’re watching costs continue to climb, while programs like Medicaid and SNAP are torn down. These cuts have real consequences for our family and neighbors here in Wisconsin, but Congressman Van Orden/Steil has refused to do anything to fix it. It’s time for Congress to reverse these cuts, we can’t afford another year of this."

"While working families are being forced to make tough choices about their budgets and struggling to afford basic necessities, billionaires and big corporations are doing better than ever thanks to the Republican Tax Law,” said Tasha from La Crosse. “Republicans in Congress made the choice to put those at the top first, and the rest of us are left paying the price. Too many Wisconsinites are forced to go hungry or forced to go without the healthcare they need to survive. That’s wrong and we need Congress to reverse the damage they’ve done before it’s too late."

 


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"I love the inflation": As Trump cheers rising prices, new data shows electricity up 16%, and families picking up side gigs to pay the bills

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

"I love the inflation": As Trump cheers rising prices, new data shows electricity up 16%, and families picking up side gigs to pay the bills

Steil and Van Orden backed the Republican agenda behind an energy affordability crisis hitting Wisconsin families from all sides


MADISON, Wis. — Across the country, Americans are picking up side gigs and canceling summer plans just to cope with gas prices that are more than a dollar higher than before the Iran war. Electricity bills are up 16% since Trump took office. And Wisconsin Congressmen Byran Steil and Derrick Van Orden have remained silent following President Trump’s confession this week: "I love the inflation."

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump dismissed a report showing inflation has hit a three-year high of 4.2%, insisting the numbers were "great" and declaring his affection for rising prices. This isn’t the first time Trump has ignored the struggles working families face as the economy worsens. When previously asked whether Americans' financial struggles were motivating him to reach a deal with Iran, Trump replied: "Not even a little bit. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody."

A new report from Climate Power shows just how deep the crisis goes. Since Trump's election, 382 clean energy projects have been canceled or stalled, putting nearly 144,000 jobs on the chopping block and driving electric bills up 16% nationwide. Gas and electric utilities have raised, or sought to raise, rates by more than $95 billion, affecting over 111 million customers. Meanwhile, NPR reported this week that the national average for a gallon of regular gas stands at $4.16, with working people taking on second jobs and canceling family trips just to stay afloat.

Steil and Van Orden voted for the Republican Tax Law that gutted the clean energy investments behind these canceled projects and lost jobs. They voted for Trump’s tariffs raising costs on Wisconsin families. And they have repeatedly voted for the war in Iran that is sending gas prices through the roof. As steadfast supporters of policies that are fueling inflation, it’s time for Steil and Van Orden to tell constituents what they think of Trump’s latest comments.

"While Trump brags that he loves inflation, Wisconsin families are looking at taking on second jobs just to cover their gas bills," said Meghan Roh, Program Director of Opportunity Wisconsin. "Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden helped make this happen. They voted to kill the clean energy that would have kept costs down, backed tariffs raising prices on everything from groceries to utilities, and voted for a war that is costing billions of taxpayer dollars while raising prices. It’s time for Steil and Van Orden to demand that President Trump take inflation, and the economic pain of their constituents seriously."


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NEW REPORT: Wisconsin energy and gas prices soar thanks to Reps. Steil and Van Orden’s votes in Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
 

NEW REPORT: Wisconsin energy and gas prices soar thanks to Reps. Steil and Van Orden’s votes in Congress

The Republican Tax Law and war in Iran have stretched household budgets even thinner as energy prices reach record highs


MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin has released a new report detailing how votes by Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden have forced Wisconsin energy and gas prices to soar, as families to tighten budgets and struggle to afford basic necessities. 

“From sky-high gas prices to paying more to heat and cool homes, Wisconsinites are being hit hard as energy rates continue to climb with no relief in sight,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “These price hikes aren’t an accident, they’re a direct result of Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden’s votes in Congress to roll back investments in energy infrastructure and continue the costly war in Iran. We encourage Wisconsinites to learn more about how these policies have made it tougher for them to afford energy costs.”

Last week Opportunity Wisconsin announced gas card giveaways in Kenosha and Eau Claire to help provide relief to working families as gas prices remain well over $4 a gallon. Community members lined up to collect $2,000 worth of gas cards, delivering some relief from skyrocketing prices at the pump.

Read more about how Steil and Van Orden’s votes are impacting Wisconsin energy prices by reading the full report below:

Wisconsin Energy Prices Are Soaring Thanks To Reps. Steil and Van Orden’s Votes

Wisconsin families are paying more to heat their homes, keep the lights on, and fill their gas tanks. These increases are not simply the result of market forces — they are the direct result of specific votes cast in Congress. Here's how.

Utility Bills Are Already Up — And Set to Go Higher

Wisconsin households have already seen utility bills climb sharply. In early 2026, customers of We Energies reported dramatic bill increases after the Public Service Commission approved rate hikes for both 2025 and 2026. Spectrum News 1 found that the average homeowner is now paying about $15 more per month for electricity and $8 more for natural gas than two years ago, with many customers reporting bills that had nearly doubled. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported winter heating bills are up $15 from the prior year.

Federal policy decisions are now set to push costs even higher. According to analysis from the Center for American Progress, Wisconsin household electricity costs will increase by an average of $80 per year starting in 2026. Looking further ahead, Energy Innovation projects those costs will reach $95 per year by 2030 and $300 per year by 2035, as the Republican Tax Law's elimination of clean energy tax credits takes full effect. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities puts the 2035 figure even higher — up to $470 per year — and projects that 27,000 Wisconsin jobs will be lost due to the clean energy cuts.

The Republican Tax Law Cut Clean Energy, Forcing Costs To Increase

In July 2025, President Trump signed the Republican Tax Law into law. Among its provisions, the law eliminated or accelerated the phase-out of clean energy tax credits that had kept electricity costs lower for Wisconsin households, businesses, and utilities. Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost sources of new electricity generation and ending the credits that incentivized their development removes a key brake on rising energy costs.

The law ended or cut back:

  • Tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicle purchases — ended September 30, 2025. Fewer efficient vehicles on the road keeps demand and gas prices higher.

  • Tax credits for home energy efficiency upgrades — ended December 31, 2025. Families replacing HVAC systems will now pay $2,000 more; window and insulation upgrades cost $1,200 more.

  • Tax credits for residential solar and clean energy installation — ended December 31, 2025. Fewer homeowners can afford solar, raising electricity rates for everyone.

  • Wind and solar project tax credits — fast-tracked for phase-out, cutting off most new projects after 2026–2027 and triggering cancellations across the country.

Both Rep. Bryan Steil and Rep. Derrick Van Orden voted in favor of the Republican Tax Law. Steil and Van Orden each voted for the package on May 22, 2025 and again on July 3, 2025 when the final bill cleared the House with only Republican votes.

The War in Iran Has Sent Gas Prices Soaring

Wisconsin drivers are also feeling pain at the pump from the ongoing war with Iran. After the U.S. attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, global oil markets were thrown into turmoil. By mid-March, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline had jumped to over $3.84 — up nearly a dollar from the $2.98 consumers were paying before the conflict began, according to the Associated Press. By the end of March, U.S. average gas prices rose above $4 a gallon for the first time in more than three years, capping the sharpest monthly rise in decades. WISN reported on the surge hitting Wisconsin drivers directly, and analysts at JPMorgan warned that prices could reach $5 per gallon if the conflict drags on.

Congress has voted three times on war powers resolutions that would have required Trump to halt hostilities with Iran until Congress formally authorized military action. Rep. Van Orden voted against all three resolutions: H. Con. Res. 75 on May 14, 2026, H. Con. Res. 38 on March 5, 2026, and H. Con. Res. 40 on April 16, 2026. By voting against these resolutions, Van Orden and Steil voted to continue the conflict that is driving gas prices higher to continue.

Van Orden's Energy Industry Donors

Van Orden has accepted campaign contributions from the same utility companies that are raising rates on his constituents. According to FEC records, his campaign received $1,000 from the Xcel Energy Employee PAC and $1,000 from the WEC Energy Group PAC in December 2025 — shortly after he voted for the Republican Tax Law. Xcel Energy electricity rates increased in Wisconsin by 22.7 percent, or $26.72 per month, in January 2026. WEC Energy Group, which owns We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, serves more than 3.1 million Wisconsin customers and has raised rates as well, and is currently requesting additional rate hikes for 2027 and 2028. Van Orden voted to give massive, new tax breaks to these corporations as part of the Republican Tax law last year.

In the 2025–2026 election cycle alone, Van Orden has received $173,195 from the energy and natural resources industry, according to OpenSecrets.

The Bottom Line

Wisconsin families are paying more for energy because of specific votes in Washington. The Republican Tax Law eliminated clean energy investments that kept electricity costs lower — a decision Steil and Van Orden both made. Van Orden then voted against three bipartisan efforts to end the Iran war that has sent gas prices above $4 a gallon. And the utility companies now raising rates on his constituents have donated to his campaign.

For Wisconsin households electricity bills are already up, gas prices are near a four-year high, and analysts project household energy costs will increase by up to $300–$470 per year by 2035 as a result of these policy choices.
 

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Van Orden and Steil vote to continue costly war in Iran, while gas prices continue to skyrocket

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 
 

Van Orden and Steil vote to continue costly war in Iran, while gas prices continue to skyrocket

After cutting health care and food assistance for working families, Wisconsin Republicans back a billion-dollar-a-day war that is driving up costs at home


MADISON, Wis. — Today, Rep. Bryan Steil and Rep. Derrick Van Orden voted in favor of a resolution to continue giving the Trump administration a blank check for the Iran war, even as this costly war continues raising gas, diesel, food, and energy prices for Wisconsin families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Opportunity Wisconsin Deputy Program Director Rowan Gravlin issued the following statement:

"Congressmen Van Orden and Steil have consistently voted to make life more expensive for Wisconsin families. They’ve voted for cutting Medicaid and slashing food assistance, and failed to stop the expiration of health care tax credits. Now they're again voting to keep spending billions of dollars a day on a war in Iran that is driving up prices at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and squeezing family farmers. Tax breaks for billionaires and blank checks for a war don’t help Wisconsin families and communities succeed. It’s time for our members of Congress to actually focus on lowering costs instead of piling on more."

Since the war began, gas and diesel prices have surged, and energy experts warn prices are unlikely to return to pre-war levels until mid-2027 at the earliest. Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global supplies of oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and food, costs that are passed directly on to Wisconsin consumers. Gas prices in Wisconsin reach an average

$4.51 per gallon and are still climbing. This week diesel reached $5.86 per gallon in Wisconsin, an all-time high, straining local businesses and farmers across the state.

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Van Orden promised to lower gas prices. Now he's telling constituents to deal with it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org 


Van Orden promised to lower gas prices. Now he's telling constituents to deal with it.

Rep. Van Orden joins Republicans nationally in trying to change the topic away from record-high gas prices

 

LA CROSSE, Wis. — With inflation at the highest level in three years, largely driven by skyrocketing gas prices, Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Republicans across the country are trying to shift blame and avoid accountability for their votes that continue to drive costs up. 

A new NOTUS report documents the remarkable reversal playing out in congressional districts across the country, where Republicans who relentlessly hammered Democrats over gas prices are now scrambling to explain the current surge, or simply going silent. 

Van Orden exemplifies the pattern, according to NOTUS:
 

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, whose 2024 message centered on “gas, groceries, and grandkids,” warned energy producers on Fox Business in March that “there’s a difference between profiting and profiteering.” On X the next day, he told a constituent complaining about prices: “I don’t recall you complaining when gas was $5.00 under Biden. Hypocrisy much?”


"Derrick Van Orden spent years telling Wisconsin families that high gas prices were proof that Washington wasn't working for them,"said Meghan Roh, Program Director at Opportunity Wisconsin. "Now that Republicans are in charge and prices are surging, he's dismissing constituents as hypocrites and blaming the oil companies. Wisconsin families are smart enough to see that it’s the policies Van Orden and Republicans in Congress have voted for – including the war in Iran – that are sending costs through the roof."

Gas prices in Wisconsin reach anaverage $4.51 per gallonand are still climbing. Yesterdaydiesel reached $5.86 per gallonin Wisconsin, an all-time high, straining local businesses and farmers across the state. And Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who spent years telling Wisconsin families that high gas prices were a Democratic failure, has failed to take any action to provide relief for his constituents.

"I fill up my tank every week. I go to the grocery store. I see what this is doing to my budget and to the people in my community,"said Stephanie, a constituent of Van Orden’s from Stoddard. "Instead of picking fights with his constituents and telling us to stop complaining, Congressman Van Orden needs to accept responsibility and start working to make things better."

Read More:NOTUS: Republicans Don’t Want to Talk About Gas Prices Anymore.

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