Rep. Bryan Steil voted against funding for Wisconsin infrastructure projects announced by President Biden today

Steil voted against the Inflation Reduction Act which is lowering costs and funding projects to strengthen Wisconsin

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – As the Biden administration announces $39 million in grants to support local infrastructure projects today, Wisconsinites are reminded that Congressman Bryan Steil voted against the funding that is making these grants possible.

President Biden is visiting Wisconsin today to highlight the grants which will help improve safety, improve affordable transportation access, and help reconnect communities negatively impacted by highway construction as part of the Neighborhood Access and Equity program. The grants include more than $36 million to transform 6th Street in Milwaukee. 

Funding for the Neighborhood Access and Equity program was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Congressman Bryan Steil voted against and Congressman Derrick Van Orden opposed. Additional grants were made possible through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which Steil also voted against.

In addition to funding for critical programs like these, the Inflation Reduction Act is also lowering costs for many Wisconsin families and seniors by capping insulin costs at $35 per month and capping annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients. In his State of the Union address, President Biden also proposed extending many of these provisions to more Americans, including those with private insurance.

“If it were up to Congressman Bryan Steil, funding for these important projects wouldn’t exist. Thankfully, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have continued to support working families and communities by supporting policies like the Inflation Reduction Act that are lowering costs and making critical investments,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “With President Biden’s recent proposals to expand the Inflation Reduction Act, increase tax fairness, and hold big corporations accountable, Wisconsin’s congressional delegation has an opportunity to vote in favor of policies that help working families succeed.”
 

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President Biden returns to Wisconsin after announcing new policies to support working families

Republicans in Congress should support Biden’s plans to lower costs, protect Social Security and Medicare, and make billionaires pay their fair share of taxes

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – President Biden’s visit to Wisconsin today comes just days after he announced new policies aimed at helping working families succeed by lowering costs, protecting key programs, and making the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes.

“President Biden is prioritizing working families and seniors by introducing common sense policies that will help Wisconsinites succeed,” said Opportunity WIsconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “These new proposals will build on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which continue to grow our economy, lower costs, and create jobs. Now, Congress has the opportunity to make these proposals a reality. It’s time for Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden to work with Democrats and support President Biden’s budget to give Wisconsin families the support they deserve.”

In his State of the Union address and FY 2025 budget proposal, President Biden outlined multiple policies that support working families and grow our economy, including:
 

• Lowering Drug Prices: The President’s proposal would expand many of the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions beyond Medicare recipients, including a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs and $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.

• Middle Class Tax Relief: The budget would cut taxes for middle- and low-income Americans by $765 billion in the next decade, including a restoration of the Child Tax Credit. 

• Ensuring Billionaires and Large Corporations Pay Their Fair Share: Changes to the tax structure would promote tax fairness while reducing the deficit. The President’s proposals would require billionaires to pay at least a 25 percent tax rate and crack down on wealthy tax cheats and corporations who refuse to pay their fair share.
  

• Protecting Social Security Benefits: The budget protects Social Security benefits Americans have earned by asking the highest-income Americans to pay their fair share. The President’s plan also ensures Americans can access their benefits by making investments to improve the Social Security Administration. 
  

• Protecting and Strengthening Medicare: The President’s budget strengthens Medicare by closing loopholes in existing Medicare taxes while increasing Medicare tax rates on higher-income earners. These changes will extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund indefinitely.

[Source: FY 2025 White House Fact Sheet]

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Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Congress must work with President Biden to lower costs, hold corporations accountable, and support working families in Wisconsin

Thursday, March 7, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union address this evening:

“Thanks to President Biden and Democrats in Congress, Wisconsin’s working families and seniors are already seeing relief from rising costs, health care is more affordable, and critical investments are being made to strengthen our infrastructure and create good paying jobs. Tonight, we heard directly from President Biden about his vision for our country and the opportunity we have to support working families here in Wisconsin. It’s time for Republicans in Congress, including Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, to work with the president to lower costs, hold big corporations accountable, and protect the programs that are helping Wisconsinites succeed – including Medicare and Social Security.”

The Biden administration and Democrats in Congress are already delivering results for working families and helping strengthen the middle class.

The Inflation Reduction Act is lowering health care costs for Wisconsinites by capping insulin costs at $35 per month. This cap is already estimated to be saving 31,000 Wisconsin seniors $600 per year. Additional prescription drug costs will also be lowered thanks to Medicare’s ability to negotiate for drug prices, and a new rebate program is already lowering costs for 48 prescription drugs whose prices were raised by big pharmaceutical companies faster than the rate of inflation. In his State of the Union address, President Biden called for many of these provisions to be expanded to even more Americans.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also strengthening Wisconsin communities and ensuring workers and families have safe and reliable infrastructure. Wisconsin has already been allocated $6.3 billion in funding for hundreds of projects, including expanded public transit systems, programs to help lower energy bills, and funding for airport projects across Wisconsin to strengthen our economy, cut costs for families, and create good-paying jobs.

Despite the success of these programs, Republicans in Congress continue to propose repealing many of the provisions that are already saving Wisconsinites money and helping our economy grow. Opportunity Wisconsin and its statewide coalition will continue calling on Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to support working families and reject any attempt to undo the progress that has been made during the Biden administration.

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Statement on House passage of appropriations bills

Congress must also reject harmful cuts ahead of the next funding deadline on March 22nd

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement following the passage of six appropriations bills ahead of this week’s deadline:

“After months of gridlock and dysfunction created by Republicans in Congress, the House finally passed six initial appropriations bills earlier today. But after months of shutdown threats and proposed funding cuts that hurt working families and seniors, Congress has more work to do ahead of the next deadline on March 22nd. In the coming days, Republicans in Congress, including Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil, must reject harmful cuts that could cut access to Social Security and Medicare, threaten teachers’ jobs, slash support for small businesses, and more. While both Steil and Van Orden have voted for similar cuts in the past, they need to reject them and pass the remaining appropriations bills without cuts or extreme policy riders.”

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Statement on House passage of new continuing resolution

As Congressional Republicans fight to shortchange food assistance and other key programs, Congress kicks the can on federal funding again

Thursday, February 29, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement after the House passed the latest continuing resolution earlier today:

“Congressional Republicans have had months to introduce proposals that fund the government without harmful cuts to programs that support many Wisconsinites – they’ve failed. Instead, they’ve floated plans to shortchange food assistance programs that help children and mothers, reduce access to Social Security, or force cuts to public education that threaten teachers’ jobs. With the new deadlines now moved back to March 8th and 22nd, it’s time for Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden to fight for spending packages that support working families and seniors here in Wisconsin.”

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ICYMI: Republican proposals shortchange food assistance programs, threatening partial government shutdown

Congressional Republicans are targeting food assistance programs for women, infants, children, and low-income families ahead of Friday’s government funding deadline

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – With just days left to pass federal government funding packages without harmful cuts, proposals from Republicans in Congress are targeting food assistance programs that millions of Americans depend on. 

“Republicans in Congress should be finding ways to support working families and help them get ahead. Instead, these proposals shortchange programs that millions of Americans depend on, making it tougher for too many of our neighbors to put food on the table,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “With another government funding deadline at the end of this week, it’s time for Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden to speak out against these harmful proposals, and work with their colleagues to pass funding packages that reject harmful cuts and extreme policies.”

Last year every member of Wisconsin’s Republican congressional delegation voted for the extreme “Default on America Act,” which would’ve stripped food assistance from at least 24,000 women, infants, and children in Wisconsin, while implementing strict requirements that would restrict access to SNAP benefits.

Punchbowl News: “There’s a dispute over hundreds of millions of dollars in WIC funding — Women, Infants and Children — under the Agriculture Department. The department has warned of a possible $1 billion shortfall in the program unless more money is approved, which could put millions of program participants at risk. Conservatives want to keep this funding flat.”

CNN: “If Congress continues the current funding level for the rest of the fiscal year, about 2 million eligible pregnant women, new moms and young children could be turned away, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.”

POLITICO: “Behind the scenes, GOP negotiators have been pushing for several contentious policy riders, per our colleague Caitlin Emma: (1) cuts to agriculture programs and limits on how USDA spends money, (2) a ban on mail delivery of abortion medication and (3) a pilot program proposed by Rep. ANDY HARRIS (R-Md.) that would restrict SNAP food aid purchases.”

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ONE WEEK AWAY: Will Congress pass funding packages without harmful cuts before the March 1st deadline?

With just days left to avoid a government shutdown, Congressional Republicans must reject harmful cuts and extreme policies

Friday, February 23, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – With a March 1st deadline to pass federal government funding packages and avoid a partial government shutdown, Congressional Republicans’ continued push for harmful cuts and extreme policies is delaying action.

Recent reports detail how the demands of Congressional Republicans are delaying progress on appropriations bills. According to Punchbowl News, Republicans continue to push for strict limits on government spending and other divisive policy measures. Previous proposals backed by Republicans have contained harmful cuts that raise costs, threaten access to Social Security benefits, slash food assistance programs, and more. Earlier this week Axios reported that Republican lawmakers privately expect a partial shutdown to occur at the end of next week.

“By continuing to push for harmful cuts and conditions as part of funding the federal government, Republicans in Congress are once against pushing us to the brink of a government shutdown,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “With just one week before the deadline, Republicans in Congress need to support funding packages without harmful cuts that will raise costs for Wisconsinites or threaten the success of programs they depend on. It’s time for Reps. Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, and the rest of our Republican congressional delegation to stop kicking the can down the road and support a plan that helps working families and seniors in our state succeed.”

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ICYMI: New study shows Medicare drug price negotiation to lower prices by thousands per month

Negotiated prices, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, will lower costs for Wisconsin families and seniors

Thursday, February 22, 2024

MADISON, Wis. – In case you missed it, a new study details how Medicare’s drug price negotiation, which was made possible thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, could lower prices of some critical prescriptions by thousands of dollars each month.

After the Inflation Reduction Act enabled Medicare to negotiate prices for the first time in the program’s history, Medicare selected the initial 10 prescription drugs for negotiation last year. Earlier this month, Medicare announced initial offers for negotiated prices, which would deliver significant savings to many families in Wisconsin and across the country.

The new analysis shows 30-day price reductions could be as much as $6,500, in the case of a life-saving cancer treatment, while many common heart and diabetes medications also show significant reductions:

According to the report, “Medicare drug price negotiation will meaningfully lower the prices Medicare pays for prescription drugs. Medicare and its Part D beneficiaries could save thousands on a 30-day supply of some of the negotiated drugs. Each year, Medicare will negotiate the prices of additional prescription drugs, totaling a cumulative 80 drugs by 2030. The benefits of drug price negotiation will only compound over the years, totaling $25 billion through 2031 and reducing beneficiary costs through lower premiums and cost sharing.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act is already lowering costs and helping families and seniors succeed,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Giving Medicare the ability to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices will help even more Wisconsinites keep money in their pocket and be able to afford the prescriptions they need to stay healthy.”
 

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