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Focus Must be on Expanding Medicaid and Healthy Women Healthy Babies Initiative
MADISON – Just as the Republican controlled Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is getting ready to make some very unpopular decisions related proposals made in Governor Evers budget, the Republican controlled legislative committees rush to hold hearings on four politically motivated bills on abortion in attempt to draw some attention away.
“These bills represent a thinly veiled effort by Republican state legislators to advance their anti-abortion agenda under the guise of protecting women’s health and anti-discrimination legislation,” notes Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health Executive Director Sara Finger. “Sadly their obsession with interfering with the patient-physician relationship, pushing inflammatory rhetoric, and threatening women’s health is nothing new in our state.”
Today, four separate Republican led committees are dedicating hearings to amplify their extreme agenda. Even knowing that Governor Evers has vowed to veto these and other dangerous bills, committee chairs are choosing to expend significant time and energy to score political points with their base.
As healthcare proposals in Governor Evers’ Budget continue to gain momentum and popularity, these hearings are being strategically scheduled to draw attention away from Medicaid Expansion which seventy percent of Wisconsinites support.
“It’s no coincidence that these bills are getting hearings at the same time as GOP JFC members are declaring war on the Governor’s Budget,” adds Finger. “But try as they may to distract us, we are focused on advocating for policies and programs in the budget that can make a powerful and positive difference in the health, lives and economic security of Wisconsin women and their families.”
With the Joint Finance Committee scheduled for a critical conversation this Thursday, the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health and many of our partner organizations and health care allies are applying pressure to decision makers to maintain the Governor’s proposals around health care, transportation, public education, mental health, infant mortality and economic security for all Wisconsinites.
“If our leaders truly want to improve the health of moms and babies in this state, we expect them to fully support the Healthy Women Healthy Babies initiative and to fully Expand Medicaid,” Finger added. “Wisconsinites deserve real solutions and real opportunities to improve their health and lives.”
