(MADISON, WI) — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:
“All we heard was President Trump doubling down on his broken promises. That won’t fly with Wisconsinites. We know he is going to continue trying to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions while refusing to sign legislation that would lower prescription drug bills. He’ll pretend that our manufacturers and farmers are doing well just as he previously proclaimed we were experiencing a factory revitalization and that, in the middle of a devastating dairy crisis, our farmers were ‘over the hump.’ Wisconsinites can’t afford four more years of Trump’s broken promises, which is why we are working so hard to make sure this is the last State of the Union Address this president ever gives.
See the facts on Trump’s broken promises below.
HEALTH CARE
Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions
Broken Promise: “We will protect patients with preexisting conditions like nobody else.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Milwaukee, 1/15/20]
Truth: USA Today: Last-ditch Obamacare repeal would be poison: “Given up as a lost cause this summer, the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare is back…Like previous efforts, this measure would strip tens of millions of people of their health coverage. It would gut Medicaid, the program responsible for funding nearly half of baby deliveries and most of nursing home care. It would allow insurers in some states to deny coverage based on a previous medical condition. And it would allow insurers to skip coverage of essential services, including maternity care.”
**Nearly 2.5 million Wisconsinites have a pre-existing condition.**
Lowering Health Care Costs
Broken Promise: “We’re going to end Obamacare. We’re going to replace it with something so much better and so much less expensive.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Janesville, WI, 3/29/16]
Truth: Wall Street Journal: Cost of Employer-Provided Health Coverage Passes $20,000 a Year: “The average total cost of employer-provided health coverage passed $20,000 for a family plan this year, according to a new survey, a landmark that will likely resonate politically as health care has become an early focus of the presidential campaign.” [9/25/19]
Lowering Prescription Drug Costs
Broken Promise: Trump in October of 2018: “Republicans want to create better health care through more choice, lower drug prices — and you will see, very soon, drug prices will go plunging downward. You wait, you watch. It’s all in motion. And we’ve created much more competition.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Mosinee, WI, 10/24//18]
Truth: CBS News: 2020 is three days old and drug prices are already jumping: “Pharmaceutical firms are making it hard for President Donald Trump to fulfill his promise to address runaway prescription drug prices. Three days into the new year, drugmakers have already increased the list prices on hundreds of medications, with experts predicting more hikes in the weeks to come.” [1/3/2020]
**Democrats passed H.R. 3, which would allow Medicare to negotiate prices on up to 250 drugs. Trump has vowed to veto this legislation.**
Protecting Social Security and Medicare
Broken Promise: “They Want To Take Your Medicare, Take Your Social Security, Cut The Hell Out Of It. I’m Not Going To Do That.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Appleton, WI, 3/30/16]
Truth: The Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump administration proposes Social Security rule changes that could cut off thousands of disabled recipients: “The Trump administration is proposing changes to Social Security that could terminate disability payments to hundreds of thousands of Americans, particularly older people and children.” [12/12/2019]
ECONOMY
Bringing back Manufacturing Jobs
Broken Promise: “I just had this written out and this is about Wisconsin trade facts. Twenty percent of manufacturing jobs have left since 2000. Nobody knows that. We’ll get you a job. We’ll get you a lot of jobs. We’re bringing our jobs back from China. We’re bringing out jobs back from Mexico. We’re going to stop people from moving to Mexico.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Racine, WI, 4/2/16]
Truth: Bloomberg News: US Rust Belt Swing States Lost Manufacturing Jobs in 2019: “The Rust Belt states that narrowly helped deliver Donald Trump’s presidential victory lost manufacturing jobs in 2019 amid trade wars and a strong dollar, even as their labor markets held up more broadly, data showed Friday…Wisconsin lost 4,100 [factory positions]…National numbers released earlier this month showed that the U.S. added 46,000 manufacturing jobs in 2019, the second-weakest performance since 2009.” [1/24/2020]
Delivering Meaningful Trade Deals for Farmers
Broken Promise: “And we will soon be replacing the NAFTA catastrophe, one of the worst trade deals in the history of the world, frankly with the incredible US MCA, Canada, Mexico, a giant victory for Wisconsin workers, farmers and dairy producers, a tremendous victory.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Milwaukee, 1/15/20]
Truth: Wisconsin Democrats: Local Dairy Farmers, WFU President, Call out Trump’s Trade Deals as Too Little, Too Late: “The U.S. International Trade Commission found that the real economic gain that will come from the USMCA is the removal of uncertainty from Trump’s ill advised tariffs. What’s more is the Congressional Budget Office found the economic impact in 2020 from Trump’s trade wars will have a negative economic impact of up to 40% when compared to the benefit of the USMCA.” [1/29/20]
Improving Farmers’ Lives
Broken Promise: ‘Some of the farmers are doing well … We’re over the hump. We’re doing really well.’ [Trump in Milwaukee, 07/13/19]
Truth: Dairy Herd Management: Wisconsin Loses 818 Dairies in 2019, Largest Decline in State History: “As of Jan. 1, 2020, Wisconsin had 7,292 licensed dairy farms. On Jan. 1, 2019, the number stood at 8,110. In the last decade, the state lost 5,637 dairy farms, a decrease of 44%. That also suggests the rate of dairy farmer loss has more than doubled the last few years.” [1/9/2020]
Cutting Taxes To Spur Economic Growth
Broken Promise: “By the way, my tax plan lowers taxes very substantially for middle income people.” [Trump Campaign Rally, Appleton, WI, 3/30/16]
Truth: NPR: After 2 Years, Trump Tax Cuts Have Failed To Deliver On GOP’s Promises: “In fact, more than 60% of the tax savings went to people in the top 20% of the income ladder, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. The measure also slashed the corporate tax rate by 40%.” [12/20/2019]
