FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2025
CONTACT: PRESS@OPPORTUNITYWISCONSIN.ORG
BROKEN PROMISES: Steil and Van Orden vote for Republican Tax Scam which will rip health care and food away from Wisconsinites, raise costs, and slash local jobs
Wisconsin Congressmen double down on massive cuts to pay for billionaire and corporate tax breaks
MADISON, Wis. – Today, Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden voted for the Republican Tax Scam, a devastating bill that takes health care away from Wisconsinites, raises costs for working families, and threatens thousands of good-paying Wisconsin jobs. The bill makes massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and cost-saving clean energy tax credits that help Wisconsin families survive, all to pay for new tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.
Steil and Van Orden's constituents reacted to today's vote:
“Earlier this year, I sat across from Congressman Van Orden in his Washington D.C. office, and he promised that he would never vote to cut benefits for his most vulnerable constituents. Now, people like me who need Medicaid benefits to access health care and SNAP to put food on the table are left without any doubt: Congressman Van Orden broke his promise,” said Oliver Winn, Van Orden’s constituent from Eau Claire. “His vote for these devastating cuts means hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites risk having their health coverage ripped away. Our members of Congress are supposed to fight for us and work to make our lives better, but Van Orden chose tax breaks for the ultra-rich and big corporations over what’s best for us.”
“As a stroke and cancer survivor who depends on Medicaid coverage, the cuts Congressman Steil voted for today are devastating and could jeopardize my ability to afford the ongoing care I need,” said Stephanie Depew, Steil’s constituent from Kenosha. “For all of Steil’s promises that he wouldn’t cut health care and benefits for constituents like me, his multiple votes to slash Medicaid and tear down SNAP show his true priorities. Giving billionaires and big corporations another new tax break instead of being our voice in Congress is a betrayal.”
With House passage of the bill and President Trump all-but-guaranteed to sign it into law, Wisconsinites are bracing for the devastating consequences as a result of the Republican Tax Scam’s cuts, including:
Over 276,000 Wisconsinites could lose vital health care coverage through cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Wisconsin families could be forced to pay over $400 more each year on their energy bills
Families who lose health coverage risk taking on tens of thousands in medical debt
Insurance premiums for many Wisconsin families could skyrocket by as much as $1,200 per year
Thousands of good-paying Wisconsin jobs could be slashed
"Congressmen Van Orden and Steil turned their back on working families and seniors by voting for massive cuts that could rip health care away from 276,000 Wisconsinites, just to give new tax breaks to the ultra-rich and big corporations," added Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. "Van Orden and Steil had an opportunity to show their constituents that they were willing to fight for them, and instead they chose billionaires and corporations. Over the coming months, Wisconsinites are going to feel the devastating impact of this bill and will have no doubt about which members of Congress are responsible for it."
###
