As President Donald Trump looks to gather support for his “one big, beautiful bill” in the U.S. Senate this week, your Wisconsin U.S. Senators are looking for changes before they give it. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure 215-214, which issued a cut in taxes and safety net programs and increased funding for military and border security. U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, who represents Door and Kewaunee counties in the U.S. House of Representatives, celebrated the bill's passage by saying that the bill will benefit middle-class Americans and small businesses nationwide. “President Trump and Congressional Republicans were sent to Washington with a mandate to lead, and we are making good on our promises to the American people,” he said in a statement.
Ahead of the Senate’s vote, Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has toured the state as a part of her “Hands off Medicaid Tour,” raising concern about the nearly 230,000 Wisconsinites she says are at risk of losing their health care coverage, including almost 150,000 Wisconsinites on Medicaid. “I’ve travelled across Wisconsin meeting with families who rely on Medicaid to make ends meet and keep themselves or their loved ones safe and well,” Baldwin said. “Every single one of them had a clear message to Congressional Republicans: ‘Hands Off Our Health Care.’ Working families don’t want their care ripped away so the wealthiest Americans can get richer, and I’m fighting to stop this plan dead in its tracks.”
While he has supported much of Trump’s agenda, Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has been vocal about his opposition to the bill because it increases the budget deficit. He hopes to codify the cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The bill was a significant conversation piece of his tele-town hall meeting on Monday, telling participants that he favors a multi-step process that takes a closer look at the bill and cuts deficit spending.
According to The Hill, Senators Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis are among the other Republicans with their reservations about the bill.
