TODAY: Hundreds gather for in-person town hall while Rep. Van Orden once again dodges in-person questions

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

TODAY: Hundreds gather for in-person town hall while Rep. Van Orden once again dodges in-person questions

As Van Orden continues to avoid meeting with constituents, hundreds of Third District residents will appear in Eau Claire today in hopes of their congressman showing up to answer questions in-person and hear their concerns

Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski will appear as a special guest to meet with constituents 

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – This afternoon in Eau Claire, hundreds of Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s constituents will gather in hopes that he will show up to answer their questions in-person and share his positions on key issues in front of Congress. 

Despite receiving an invitation to this town hall even last week, it appears Van Orden is unlikely to attend, instead scheduling a Zoom town hall for the same time that requires constituents to pre-register and asks them to submit their questions. Opportunity Wisconsin and hundreds of his constituents will still appear and share their concerns about issues in front of Congress. Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski will also attend and speak to the audience.

The town hall is open to the public, those interested may RSVP online here.

TODAY - THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2025

WHO:
Hundreds of Third District constituents
Opportunity Wisconsin
Main Street Alliance
Family Friendly Wisconsin
Working Families Power
Committee to Protect Health Care
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski
Congressman Derrick Van Orden (invited)

WHEN: 
TODAY
Thursday, March 20, 2025
3:30 PM

WHERE:
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library
400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire, WI 54701

MEDIA RSVP:
Media interested in covering the town hall should RSVP to press@opportunitywisconsin.org. 

NEW: Rep. Van Orden dodges another in-person town hall, opts for screened Zoom questions instead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2025

CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

NEW: Rep. Van Orden dodges another in-person town hall, opts for screened Zoom questions instead

Opportunity Wisconsin will still hold in-person town hall meeting Thursday with hundreds of Van Orden’s constituents who demand answers

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Congressman Derrick Van Orden is once again refusing to meet his constituents at an in-person town hall tomorrow, scheduling a registration-only Zoom meeting at the same time and asking constituents to submit their questions ahead of time. While Van Orden appears at his tightly-controlled virtual event, hundreds of his constituents will gather in Eau Claire to share their concerns about issues including Medicaid, Social Security, tax reform, and more.

Last week a grassroots group of Van Orden’s constituents delivered an invitation to his office to join an in-person town hall meeting at 3:30 PM Thursday in Eau Claire. Since receiving the invitation, Van Orden and his office have refused to respond. Today, Van Orden announced a competing virtual town hall at the same time, where participants are required to register in advance and are asked to submit questions.

“It’s unfortunate that Congressman Van Orden continues to hide from tough questions and refuses to meet constituents in-person. Hundreds of people he represents will be ready and willing to hear from him tomorrow in Eau Claire and he’s still welcome to change his mind and accept our invitation – we’ll be there regardless,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “With Congress considering cuts to Medicaid, reduced access to Social Security benefits, and more tax breaks for those at the top, Congressman Van Orden’s constituents deserve an opportunity to hear where he stands.

Media interested in covering Opportunity Wisconsin’s in-person town hall tomorrow should rsvp to press@opportunitywisconsin.org. Members of the public can RSVP online here.

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St. Patrick’s Day mobile billboard reminds constituents that Rep. Bryan Steil wants to “give pots of gold to the wealthy” by passing new tax breaks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

St. Patrick’s Day mobile billboard reminds constituents that Rep. Bryan Steil wants to “give pots of gold to the wealthy” by passing new tax breaks

New Opportunity Wisconsin mobile billboard visits St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Kenosha and Racine

KENOSHA, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin highlighted Rep. Bryan Steil’s support for new tax breaks for the ultra-rich and big corporations over the weekend as a new mobile billboard visited St. Patrick’s Day parades in Racine and Kenosha. 

Steil supported the 2017 Trump Tax plan, which disproportionately benefited those at the top, while working families and seniors saw little relief. Now, Steil and Republicans in Congress are pushing for even more tax breaks, again aimed at letting those at the very top avoid paying their fair share. Opportunity Wisconsin’s new billboard reminds Steil’s constituents that he wants to “give pots of gold to the wealthy” and encourages them to call on him to “stop Dublin down on more tax cuts for the rich.”

“Congressman Steil wants to to double down on economic policies that help those at the top, including billionaires and big corporations, avoid paying their fair share – all while pushing for cuts to programs like Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and more to pay for these new tax breaks,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Working families and seniors shouldn’t have to count on luck to succeed, they should have a member of Congress who will fight for them. Congressman Steil needs to stop fighting for a pot of gold for the wealthy, and start working for his constituents instead.”

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Rep. Van Orden Town Hall? Third District constituents invite their congressman to appear in-person to answer questions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org
 

Rep. Van Orden Town Hall? Third District constituents invite their congressman to appear in-person to answer questions

As Van Orden continues to duck in-person town hall meetings, his constituents have officially invited him to appear next Thursday in Eau Claire

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Yesterday afternoon a group of Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s constituents visited his Eau Claire office to formally invite him to appear at an in-person town hall meeting next Thursday to answer questions and hear their concerns. The invitation also included signatures from more than 400 constituents demanding Van Orden begin holding accessible, in-person meetings.

Rep. Van Orden’s constituents delivering a formal invite and signatures from over 400 Third District residents demanding their congressman appear at in-person town hall meetings

“As constituents living and working in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, we believe it’s more important than ever for our members of Congress to have an open and honest conversation with the people they represent,” constituents wrote in a letter presented to Van Orden’s staff. “Whether it’s rising costs, economic uncertainty, or the future of programs like Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP, the decisions made by Congress in the coming weeks will impact the lives of all Wisconsinites, including families and small businesses here in Western Wisconsin. This town hall will be an open opportunity for you to hear your constituents’ concerns and tell us more about where you stand on critical issues.” 

The planned town hall meeting will take place on Thursday, March 20th, beginning at 3:30 PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire. This town hall is open to the public, those interested in attending can RSVP online here.

In recent weeks Republican members of Congress have been advised to avoid public town hall meetings and Van Orden abruptly pulled the plug on a scheduled event with members of his staff, saying too many constituents were interested in joining the event to express their concerns about rising prices due to tariffs, funding cuts for Medicaid and SNAP, and more tax handouts for corporations and billionaires. 

Van Orden has doubled down on avoiding his constituents by threatening to prosecute them for showing up uninvited and comparing constituents’ demands to tactics from “Nazi Germany.”

Last week Opportunity Wisconsin launched a paid media campaign to demand Van Orden appear at a town hall meeting and launched WhereIsDVO.com for constituents to sign on and submit questions for their congressman.

Media interested in covering the town hall should RSVP to press@opportunitywisconsin.org.

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Educators and parents speak out on Department of Education firings and Trump’s push to close the department entirely

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

Educators and parents speak out on Department of Education firings and Trump’s push to close the department entirely

Trump moves forward with education cuts to clear the way for major tax breaks for the ultra-rich and big corporations

MADISON, Wis. – Yesterday the Trump administration announced massive staff cuts to the U.S. Department of Education in a continued push to close the department entirely. These cuts threaten support for public schools, job training programs, and educational opportunities here in Wisconsin. 

While Trump and Republicans in Congress are threatening public schools, they continue to push for massive tax breaks for the ultra-rich and big corporations. This announcement, along with recent attempts to cut Medicaid and other successful programs, is part of an all-out push from Republicans to funnel money to those at the top while working families pay the price.

“Kids across Wisconsin depend on public schools and programs supported by the Department of Education. These cuts will make it tougher for students to succeed and put even more pressure on parents across Wisconsin, all to funnel trillions in new tax breaks to those at the top,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “Republicans in Congress, including Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, need to stand up to this move and protect resources for Wisconsin public schools.”

In response to Trump’s announcement, Wisconsin parents and educators are speaking out:

“Gutting federal support for public schools, all to pay for more tax breaks for those who are already well off, is just wrong. We should be supporting our public schools and working to ensure that everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable, have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education in their community.” - Teddy Sullivan, teaching student from Spring Valley, Wisconsin

“As a former Head Start teacher, I’ve had the privilege to see so many students succeed thanks to a quality public education. Every kid in Wisconsin deserves that same chance to learn, grow, and thrive. Gutting the Department of Education will hurt our schools and threaten our economic success. Congress needs to stand up to President Trump and ensure Wisconsin students have the support they need.” - Gwen Firmin, a former teacher from Kenosha

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Reps. Steil and Van Orden vote for continuing resolution that threatens access to Social Security, food assistance, and more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

Reps. Steil and Van Orden vote for continuing resolution that threatens access to Social Security, food assistance, and more

GOP-backed spending plan opens floodgates for Trump and Republicans in Congress to gut key programs and keep levying price-raising tariffs

MADISON, Wis. – Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh released the following statement in response to Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden voting in favor of a Republican-backed plan yesterday which would jeopardize critical programs that support Wisconsinites while allowing Trump’s tariffs and trade war to go unchecked:

“Instead of passing a clean funding package, Republicans in Congress have voted in favor of a continuing resolution that allows dangerous funding cuts and gives President Trump and Elon Musk even more power to gut critical programs. Their plan gives a green light for the evictions of vulnerable families from housing, fails to protect access to Social Security benefits, and removes Congress’ power to block harmful cost-raising tariffs from going into effect. Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Byran Steil’s votes today show they’re unwilling to stand up to these devastating cuts and price hikes that will hurt the people they represent. Republicans in Congress are demanding cuts to successful programs and allowing more tariffs just to fund new tax breaks for big corporations and billionaires – it’s time for them to stand up for working families and seniors instead.”

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ICYMI: Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms GOP budget resolution will force Medicaid or Medicare cuts despite Reps. Van Orden and Steil’s claims that programs won’t be cut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2025
CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

ICYMI: Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirms GOP budget resolution will force Medicaid or Medicare cuts despite Reps. Van Orden and Steil’s claims that programs won’t be cut

Last week Congressmen Van Orden and Steil voted to green-light cuts to key programs that their constituents depend on

MADISON, Wis. – In case you missed it, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the budget resolution passed by House Republicans last week will force cuts to Medicaid or Medicare in order to pay for more tax handouts for corporations and billionaires. 

Congressmen Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil both voted for this budget resolution, despite more than 140,000 Wisconsinites in each district relying on Medicaid coverage. Both Steil and Van Orden falsely claimed last week that Medicaid would not be cut under the plan, a claim which has now been debunked by the CBO’s report.

“There were plenty of warnings ahead of last week’s vote that this budget resolution would force steep cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs that help Wisconsin families, yet Congressmen Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden still voted for it,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Megahn Roh. “Now, we have proof that the Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ plan are real, and our members of Congress need to start fighting back. This budget plan will cut programs and raise costs on working families, all to give more tax breaks to those at the very top. It’s not too late for Steil and Van Orden to do the right thing and reverse course.”

Washington Post: GOP must cut Medicaid or Medicare to achieve budget goals, CBO finds
[3/5/25, By Jacob Bogage]

• Republicans in Congress cannot reach their goal of cutting at least $1.5 trillion in spending over the next 10 years for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on taxes and immigration unless they cut Medicaid or Medicare benefits, lawmakers’ nonpartisan bookkeeper reported Wednesday.
   

• Trump and the GOP are seeking to extend provisions of the president’s 2017 tax cut law — which would cost nearly $5 trillion — while also pushing hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending on border security, mass deportation campaigns and national defense investments
   

• But the House GOP’s budget, which passed last week in a hairline vote, asks the committee responsible for federal health-care spending to find at least $880 billion in savings over 10 years. And the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that reducing costs that much won’t be possible without cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
   

• But eliminating fraud and adding new work requirements will probably fall well short of the GOP’s budget goals, according to the programs’ financial reports and nonpartisan projections. That has provoked anxiety among some lawmakers who represent large numbers of people who rely on Medicaid that cuts to the program that are on the horizon.

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Billboard and advertising blitz calls on Congressman Derrick Van Orden to hold in-person town halls with constituents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2025

CONTACT: press@opportunitywisconsin.org

Billboard and advertising blitz calls on Congressman Derrick Van Orden to hold in-person town halls with constituents

After dodging constituents last week, Van Orden has doubled down in recent days and continues to insult constituents who deserve answers from their congressman

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Mobile billboards, digital billboards, full-page newspaper ads, and digital ads from Opportunity Wisconsin are joining the chorus of Congressman Van Orden’s constituents who are demanding he hold in-person town hall meetings to answer their questions.

Last week Van Orden abruptly pulled the plug on a scheduled event with members of his staff, saying too many constituents were interested in joining the event to express their concerns about rising prices due to tariffs, funding cuts for Medicaid and SNAP, and more tax handouts for corporations and billionaires. In the days since, Van Orden has doubled down on avoiding his constituents by threatening to prosecute them for showing up uninvited and comparing constituents’ demands to tactics from “Nazi Germany.”

Mobile billboards traveled across the district last weekend, highlighting Van Orden’s avoidance of questions from the constituents he represents in Congress. Similarly branded “Missing: Have You Seen Our Congressman?” digital billboards also went live this week in high-traffic areas. Opportunity Wisconsin will also run full-page newspaper ads this week in key newspapers, with accompanying digital ads.

Opportunity Wisconsin has also launched www.WhereIsDVO.com, where constituents can sign a petition asking their congressman to hold town hall meetings.

Similar creative is appearing across the Third District on mobile billboards, digital billboards in high-traffic areas, newspaper ads, and targeted digital ads

Congressman Van Orden’s avoidance of tough questions comes after Republicans in Congress gave a green light to massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs last week. Van Orden joined Republicans in passing a budget resolution which will force $1.5 trillion in cuts, including cuts to these successful and crucial programs. These cuts, along with newly enacted tariffs on key trading partners, are all designed to fund new tax breaks for the ultra-rich and big corporations, while leaving working families with little relief.

“Congressman Van Orden apparently doesn’t want to explain why he supports cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and so many popular programs that his constituents rely on,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh. “While other Wisconsin Republicans are willing to face their constituents and explain their positions, Derrick Van Orden has refused. He hasn’t just refused, he has threatened constituents, thrown outrageous insults, and doubled down. We’re joining his constituents in demanding that he reverse course, hold open, in-person meetings with the people he represents, and explain his positions on cutting essential funding that his constituents rely on, tariffs that are raising already high prices on groceries and gas, and more tax handouts to corporations and billionaires.”

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