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:
110,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing health care, 54,000 through Medicaid cuts and 56,000 more as health care tax credits expired
Healthcare premiums are spiking: Thanks to expired tax credits, a 60-year-old couple in Van Orden's district could pay nearly $2,000 more per month; in Steil's district, nearly $1,400 more per month
Three rural Wisconsin hospitals are at risk of closure
49,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing SNAP food assistance benefits
Nearly 900 Wisconsin grocery stores face financial hardship as SNAP cuts ripple through local economies
New bureaucratic red tape has reduced food assistance for veterans, foster youth, and people experiencing homelessness
All while the wealthiest 1% of Americans pocket a $1 trillion tax cut over the next decade
"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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