MADISON – Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) released the weekly radio address on behalf of Wisconsin Legislative Republicans.
I’m Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Recently, Republicans on the Joint Committee on Finance
removed Governor Evers’ budget request to expand welfare in Wisconsin. There is no reason to expand Medicaid here in the state. BadgerCare already covers people earning up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Eligible individuals can apply for heavily subsidized coverage on the federal insurance exchange once they’ve already reached that level.
In 2018 the Wisconsin Health Insurance Stability Plan became law with bipartisan support. That ensured lower premiums for those who are on that federal exchange. The bottom line is that everyone who wants insurance in our state already has access and options.
Medicaid expansion would add over 90 thousand childless, working age, able-bodied adults onto state government assistance even though they are already eligible for federal subsidies. Under the governor’s plan, people would be trapped in poverty where a single person couldn’t even work a lower paying job and qualify for coverage. This is just another example of the disincentives that the governor is putting in to getting people back to work, much like the enhanced federal unemployment benefits that are keeping people on the sidelines.
Over the last decade, Republicans in the Legislature developed responsible budgets that funded Wisconsin’s priorities while protecting taxpayers and making sure we provide for the most vulnerable. We will continue to provide those essential BadgerCare services to those who truly need it and help provide an environment that promotes a thriving economy for all of Wisconsin.
Audio: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/eupdates/asm63/Vos_Radio_5.27.2021.mp3
Video: https://youtu.be/-XYYZWHl9jU
