Statement on passage of new continuing resolution

As Republicans continue to delay funding packages, Wisconsinites must demand no cuts to crucial programs

Thursday, January 18, 2023

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement following House passage of the latest continuing resolution which sets new government funding deadlines in March:

“With yet another extension in government funding deadlines, Republicans in Congress like Reps. Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden have an opportunity to finally stand up and reject harmful cuts to programs their constituents depend on. Ahead of a similar deadline last fall, both Steil and Van Orden voted to raise costs for Wisconsin families by gutting food assistance programs for children, their mothers, and seniors. They’ve also voted for funding packages that cut access to Social Security benefits, threaten teaching positions, reduce child care access, and more. With six weeks left to pass additional appropriations bills and keep the government open, Republicans have an opportunity to start fighting for working families and seniors. Wisconsinites are watching and we expect Congressmen Steil and Van Orden to oppose harmful cuts that jeopardize important programs, raise costs, and make it harder for families to succeed.”
 

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WATCH: New ads highlight Reps. Steil and Van Orden working against families and seniors, while pushing for handouts to big corporations

Opportunity Wisconsin kicks off 2024 with continued seven-figure paid media campaign asking Wisconsin Congressmen to fight for their constituents and oppose harmful policies

Wednesday, January 10, 2023

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin, a grassroots coalition advocating for policies that support working families and seniors in the state, has launched two new ads calling on Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden to oppose harmful policies instead of voting to support large corporations.

“Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden need to start fighting for working families here in Wisconsin, not prioritizing tax breaks for large corporations and the wealthiest Americans,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “As they return to Washington this week, and with critical government funding deadlines just weeks away, it’s crucial that our congressmen oppose harmful cuts that will hurt Wisconsin families, our seniors, and weaken our economy.”

In Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, a new TV ad features Jim, a Navy veteran from Racine, who is concerned about Rep. Bryan Steil’s ties to a group pushing devastating cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Steil is a member of the extreme Republican Study Committee, which has proposed a federal budget which would cut $718 billion from Social Security, raise the retirement age, and more. 

Opportunity Wisconsin also released a new digital ad in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District highlighting Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s support for additional tax cuts for large corporations. Darin, a third generation dairy farmer from La Crosse, highlights the challenges facing family farmers in Wisconsin who play by the rules while Van Orden prioritizes large corporations instead. 

These ads are part of Opportunity Wisconsin’s previously-announced seven-figure paid media campaign across the state, which includes TV, digital, radio, and direct mail. Wisconsinites can view these ads and contact their members of Congress about these critical issues by visiting Opportunity Wisconsin’s advocacy hub here.

Full Transcript “Jim”:

I’m a U.S. Naval veteran and I worked as a millwright down the road here. I paid into Social Security and Medicare for 60 years. Bryan Steil is part of a group that wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, that would be devastating. And Bryan Steil is pushing huge tax breaks for wealthy corporations. I earned my Social Security and Medicare benefits. Not given, not entitled, earned. Bryan Steil has no business touching them.

Full Transcript “Darin”:

I was born and raised in farming, so I’m a third generation dairy farmer. You know, we’re seeing dairy farms go out of business every day here in the state of Wisconsin. Derrick Van Orden is not looking out for us. He voted for tax cuts for large corporations that don’t even need them. It’s not right that those of us that play by the rules get left behind. Derrick Van Orden shouldn’t be able to throw away our future while siding with large corporations. We deserve better.
 

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One Year Ago Today: Reps. Steil and Van Orden’s first vote in the 118th Congress to protect wealthy tax cheats by repealing key IRA provision

Steil and Van Orden have voted multiple times to repeal funding that has already helped recover $160 million in delinquent taxes from wealthy individuals and big corporations

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – One year ago today, Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden took their first of many votes in the 118th Congress in favor of repealing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act designed to hold wealthy tax cheats and big corporations accountable for not paying their fair share.

On January 9th, 2023 Congressional Republicans took one of their first votes of the year in favor of removing Inflation Reduction Act funding designed to increase enforcement and ensure those at the top pay their taxes. As of October of last year, these increased efforts had already recovered $160 million from wealthy tax evaders, including 175 delinquent tax cases for millionaires. This wasn’t the only vote Steil and Van Orden took to protect wealthy tax cheats last year. They voted to do so three more times, and several of House Republicans' appropriations bills would rescind this Inflation Reduction Act funding, too.

“While working families and small business owners pay their fair share and play by the rules, too many big corporations and wealthy individuals have refused to do the same,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Last year Congressmen Steil and Van Orden voted multiple times to make it easier for wealthy tax cheats to avoid paying what they owe. Wisconsinites believe in fairness, but Steil and Van Orden’s votes would let those at the top continue playing by a different set of rules, while the rest of us shoulder the burden. It’s time for our members of Congress to start fighting for working families instead of prioritizing the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”


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One year after Rep. Derrick Van Orden sworn in, Opportunity Wisconsin delivers a record of his accomplishments to his office

Van Orden has failed to prioritize working families, seniors, and children during his first year in Congress, while voting for harmful cuts that would raise costs and make it harder for them to succeed

Friday, January 5, 2024

LA CROSSE, Wis. – As Congressman Derrick Van Orden approaches his one-year anniversary of being sworn in, Opportunity Wisconsin delivered a commemorative book – a nod to the traditional first wedding anniversary gift of paper – to Van Orden’s office highlighting what the congressman has delivered for working families and seniors in the Third Congressional District.

However, given Congressman Van Orden’s multiple votes in favor of harmful cuts to programs that families, seniors, and children depend on – and his continued support of the wealthiest Americans and big corporations – the pages of the book are blank. While failing to deliver for his constituents, he has voted in favor of legislation that would increase energy costs, strip funding that protects thousands of energy industry jobs, make it harder to hold wealthy tax cheats and corporations accountable for failing to pay taxes, and cut access to Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Opportunity Wisconsin also included a message to Van Orden, asking him, “In 2024, please start fighting for your constituents instead of voting for harmful cuts that jeopardize programs they depend on.”

 
Opportunity Wisconsin delivered this book to Van Orden’s La Crosse office today. Click here for an Instagram Reel showing the blank pages inside.
 


“This should be simple: Wisconsinites expect our members of Congress to do their jobs, look out for working families, and deliver results. Unfortunately, Congressman Van Orden has failed working families and seniors during his first year in office by voting against them and refusing to stand up to the wealthy and big corporations,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “In the New Year, we hope Rep. Van Orden will start fighting for the people he’s supposed to represent and support economic policies that help the Third Congressional District succeed.”

Although Van Orden has kicked off the New Year more than a thousand miles away from the Third Congressional District on the US-Mexico border, Congress is facing critical government funding deadlines when they return to Washington next week. Republicans in Congress have proposed a series of harmful cuts that are incorporated into spending proposals, which Van Orden has the opportunity to oppose when they come before the House in the coming weeks.


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Opportunity Wisconsin statement on President Biden’s visit to Wisconsin

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit to Wisconsin today: 

“President Biden and Democrats in Congress continue to deliver for Wisconsin’s working families by lowering costs, supporting small businesses, and growing the middle class. Today, seniors are able to keep more money in their pockets thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s cap on insulin costs and prescription drug pricing reforms, new good-paying jobs are being created thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s investments, and 178,000 new business applications have been filed in Wisconsin since President Biden took office. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, including Reps. Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, continue threatening to undo this progress by removing popular initiatives like these. It’s time for members of Congress to work with their colleagues and President Biden to lower costs for families, create good-paying jobs, and help move Wisconsin forward.”


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Six years after Trump’s Tax Scam secured billions for big corporations and the wealthy, Reps. Steil and Van Orden want to extend its most harmful provisions

Republican Congressmen continue their push to give more handouts to those at the top, risking Social Security and Medicare

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

MADISON, Wis. – Six years ago this week Republicans and former President Donald Trump passed a massive tax handout to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans, with little benefit to working families in Wisconsin. Now, after trillions have been added to the national debt thanks to this package, Republicans in Congress continue fighting to extend these handouts even further.

“The first Tax Scam was bad enough. It saddled our nation with more debt, all to give the richest Americans and big corporations a massive handout they didn’t need. Now, six years later, Republicans like Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden want to extend even more handouts to big corporations, like oil and gas companies, and the ultra-wealthy,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Meanwhile, Steil and Van Orden have spent this year voting for harmful bills that threaten the success of families and seniors here in Wisconsin. While trying to secure more handouts for those at the top, they would threaten access to Social Security and Medicare, raise food and utility costs, and more. It’s time for our members of Congress to focus on helping the people they represent.”

Penny Fassler, a small business owner in La Crosse, added, “For years, Republicans in Congress have rolled out the red carpet for big, successful corporations, who are doing just fine. It’s time for our members of Congress, including Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil, to start supporting small businesses here in Wisconsin, along with giving working families the tools they need to succeed and support our local economy.”

Congressmen Steil and Van Orden have supported multiple measures that would add even more handouts to those at the top.

Earlier this year, Steil co-sponsored a bill to make many provisions of the original Tax Scam – also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – permanent. This bill would make permanent the law’s individual tax cuts, provisions that gave a $49,000 annual tax cut to the top 1 percent , 100x larger than what those in the bottom 60 percent would receive. This proposal would also make the 2017 laws pass-through deduction permanent. This deduction helps wealthy business owners avoid paying their fair share, lowering taxes for the richest one percent of Americans by $34 billion.

This fall, both Steil and Van Orden saw another opportunity to look out for those at the top, co-sponsoring a bill that would extend the pass-through deduction that primarily benefits owners of large companies. According to ProPublica, an analysis of the original Tax Scam found that “the top 1% of Americans by income have reaped nearly 60% of the billions in tax savings created by the provision. And most of that amount went to the top 0.1%. That’s because even though there are many small pass-through businesses, most of the pass-through profits in the country flow to the wealthy owners of a limited group of large companies.”
 

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“Don’t be a grinch:” Mobile billboard asks Rep. Bryan Steil to oppose repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act this holiday season

Steil has previously voted against the Inflation Reduction Act and other measures to lower health care costs for Wisconsin families and seniors

Monday, December 18, 2023

KENOSHA, Wis. – As families completed last-minute shopping and celebrated the holiday season over the weekend, a grinch-themed mobile billboard from Opportunity Wisconsin highlighted Congressman Bryan Steil’s opposition to capping prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare, which was part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Opportunity Wisconsin’s mobile billboard highlighted Rep. Steil’s votes to keep prescription drug costs high at events across Kenosha over the weekend.

“Congressman Steil has a long record of voting against capping prescription drug costs, but as we know, it’s even possible for a grinch to have a change of heart,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “This holiday season, we hope Congressman Steil will finally listen to the chorus of working families and seniors in his district who support lowering health care and prescription drug costs. Instead of being a grinch and threatening to steal back the progress we’ve made under the Inflation Reduction Act, including a cap on insulin costs and out-of-pocket prescription expenses, we hope he’ll start fighting to protect seniors and help them keep more money in their pockets.”

Steil previously voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which reduced health care and prescription drug costs for millions of Americans. The legislation included a cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses for Medicare recipients, gave Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, and established a $35 monthly cap on insulin prices for seniors.

In fact, Rep. Steil’s vote against the Inflation Reduction Act was only the latest example of his support for keeping insulin prices high. In addition to opposing the Inflation Reduction Act, Rep. Steil previously voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act, a bill designed to cap the cost of insulin at $35. 

While repeatedly voting against a cap on insulin, Steil received more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry.

With legislation, including H.R. 812, introduced in the House of Representatives, Republicans have continued to advocate for a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act, which would raise costs for millions of Americans.




The mobile billboard greeted Steil’s constituents at holiday events and shopping areas in Kenosha over the weekend.

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As Congress takes the rest of the year off, government funding deadlines and harmful cuts loom in 2024

As the House recess begins today, work is left unfinished on government funding bills that could threaten programs Wisconsinites depend on

Friday, December 15, 2023

MADISON, Wis. – With the House of Representatives officially in recess until January 2024, the beginning of the New Year will require swift action on government funding legislation, which might contain harmful cuts that could hurt Wisconsin families, workers, and seniors. 

In recent months, Wisconsinites have watched as Republicans in Congress, including Reps. Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden voted for spending packages that contain harmful cuts, including a September proposal that would’ve forced disastrous cuts to nutrition programs, access to Social Security benefits, and even heating assistance for low-income families during the winter. 

Now, as Congress continues to consider funding bills, they may again vote on cuts that would force Wisconsinites to pay more out-of-pocket for things they need. Potential upcoming appropriations bills contain additional cuts to education, access to Social Security, and other programs Wisconsinites depend upon—all so House Republicans can give more unnecessary handouts and tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans. 

With funding deadlines set for January 19th and February 2nd next year, Congress will have to quickly act on remaining packages. 

“Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden continue to back funding proposals that contain harmful cuts to programs Wisconsin families, seniors, and children depend on,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “When they return to work in 2024, instead of voting to raise costs and threaten essential programs, Wisconsinites expect their representatives to start finding solutions that support our neighbors and communities.”


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