(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) has introduced The Insulin Cost Reduction Act, a bill that will help drive down insulin costs for Medicare Part D participants who depend on it. This bill has been endorsed by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Minority. “For many people with diabetes, having insulin is as important as breathing,” said Grothman. “The way the system is set up, however, the deck is stacked in favor of increasingly high list prices.” The Insulin Cost Reduction Act works to target the perverse incentive structure currently present in the insulin market. The system is set up to have drug manufacturers

Contact: Jim Flaherty, Communications Director Office 608/ 286-6308 – Cell 608/ 698-0928, jflaherty@aarp.org AARP calls for increased boosters in nursing homes MADISON, WISCONSIN – Less than 30 percent of nursing home residents and just over one in 10 nursing home staff in Wisconsin had received a COVID-19 booster as of mid-November, according to the latest data from AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard . With holiday gatherings on the horizon, these numbers are a cause for concern, AARP says, as more than a year and a half into the pandemic, rates of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are rising again nationally,

MADISON – The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has closed the application process for the Living Independently Through Financial Empowerment (LIFE) program and will begin distribution of the $14 million of emergency funds allocated to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. The LIFE program received strong interest from domestic violence survivors with over 4,000 applications in process, which fulfills the program funding available. The funds are scheduled to be distributed to approved applicants over the coming weeks. “The large number of applications for this funding shows how much support is still needed to help domestic abuse

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released the following statement expressing his support for the nomination of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to be U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. “I’ve worked with my Republican colleagues to ensure no Republican objects to the nomination of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to be U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.  I expect his confirmation will now proceed in the Senate and wish him the best in his continued service. “

MADISON- Today, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and Representative Sondy Pope (D-Mount Horeb) released legislation requiring all school buildings to provide free menstrual products in bathrooms. Senator Agard and Representative Pope released the following statements: Senator Agard “For far too long, menstruation has been stigmatized, hidden, and treated with shame and derision. Menstrual products are necessities, not luxuries. No one should have to miss work or school, risk their health, or compromise their dignity because they menstruate. No person should have to be without the products necessary to care for their health. “It is well past time for the conversation of menstrual product

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary employment estimates for the month of November 2021. The data shows that Wisconsin’s total nonfarm jobs increased by 10,200 in November 2021 when compared to October 2021 while Wisconsin’s private-sector jobs increased by 12,300 in the month of November. Wisconsin’s unemployment rate in November was 3.0%, down 0.2 percentage points from October’s rate of 3.2% and tied with the previous record-low 3.0% rate from November 2018. Place of Residence Data: Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate in November was 66.4%, steady from the

MADISON, Wis. – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the Biden-Harris administration is investing $114.5 million to build and improve infrastructure in Wisconsin’s rural communities. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Wisconsin will see an influx of federal funds dedicated to delivering clean drinking water and wastewater management, providing green energy resources, and rebuilding Wisconsin’s roads and bridges. “When we invest in rural infrastructure, we invest in the livelihoods and health of people in rural America,” Vilsack said. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is committed to Building a Better America by

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) joined more than 100 of his colleagues in calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on a Congressional Review Act resolution eliminating the Biden administration’s private-sector vaccine mandate before the holidays. The move comes after the Senate passed the same resolution in bipartisan fashion on December 8, 2021. In part, the lawmakers wrote, “Given the great consequence, this matter has for all our constituents, the House of Representatives has a special responsibility to vote on S. J. Res. 29. The OSHA mandate represents an unacceptable and unlawful overreach by the federal government, and it will cause irrevocable

MADISON, Wis. — Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has indicated he expects the sham election inquiry he authorized, headed by right wing former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, to drag into 2022 and cost even more than the nearly $700,000 already allocated. Vos’ comments come on the heels of continuing revelations showing an utter lack of professionalism, ethics and judgement on the part of Gableman and in his conduct of the sham inquiry. According to publicly released documents and news reports, Gableman has recently: Sought taxpayer reimbursement to visit conspiracy theory conferences and the corporate headquarters of right wing

Madison, WI – Medical debt collection actions and lawsuits against patients continued during the COVID-19 pandemic at several Wisconsin hospitals. These providers continued to sue patients for unpaid medical bills, despite efforts by state and federal officials to provide flexible eligibility for Medicaid, ACA Marketplace coverage, and certain COBRA requirements. “Several hospital systems went ‘on the record’ saying they would stop medical debt lawsuits against patients during the pandemic, and some only paused the collection actions only to re-engage the process later, while others never stopped the process,” says Bobby Peterson, Public Interest Attorney at ABC for Health, Inc. (ABC). On

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public review and comment on a draft environmental impact statement for a proposed pipeline relocation project in Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties. Enbridge has applied for waterway and wetland crossing permits and a construction site erosion control permit from the DNR to relocate its Line 5 pipeline. The purpose of the environmental impact statement is to inform decision makers and the public about the proposed project, alternatives and the associated environmental and socio-economic impacts. The DNR will host a virtual public hearing regarding the environmental impact statement on Feb. 2,

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Wednesday and Thursday joined Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” and Newsmax’s “Spicer & Company” to discuss how Democrats’ reckless policies are affecting the economy and rising crime. The interviews can be found here and here, and excerpts are below. On rise in crime: “There is a leniency toward crime. We not only have catch and release at the border, fueling that border crisis, but we have catch and release in our criminal justice system. And again, there are six people dead, 60 people injured in Waukesha, that should be having a blessed Christmas right now with family and they won’t be.

MADISON – State Representatives listed above released the following statement regarding Monday’s  Growing Threats to Election Professionals in Wisconsin news conference:   “Senator Bernier announced the Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) would be providing  free legal defense attorneys for election officials. This effort is funded by a non-profit organization  called the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR). We question the ethics and legality of  clerks receiving pro-bono assistance from non-profits.”   “It is relevant to let the people know that of the $300 million that Mark Zuckerberg donated for elections  in 2020, $250 million went to the Center for Tech

After a number of years leading Dane County’s transition from Coroner to Medical Examiner, Dr. Vincent Tranchida will step down at his request as Chief Medical Examiner in mid-January, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today. Pending Dane County Board approval on a pair of resolutions, Dr. Tranchida will become a Deputy Medical Examiner and Dr. Agnieszka Rogalska, who currently serves as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, will become Chief Medical Examiner. “We are incredibly grateful for Dr. Tranchida’s more than decade of service to the Dane County community as Chief Medical Examiner,” said County Executive Joe Parisi. “His leadership and

BLOOMER, Wisc., Dec. 16, 2021 — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $114.5 million to build and improve critical infrastructure in rural Wisconsin (PDF, 279 KB). The investments will help expand access to clean water and reliable electricity in people’s homes and businesses in rural communities across the state. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Biden-Harris Administration releasing its Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. The plan represents a historic effort of unpresented ambition that will deploy catalytic resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while leveraging every tool across federal, state, and local government