Hi folks! Welcome back to Tammy Tuesdays, our weekly update email on Tammy’s work and the big fights she’s taking on for Wisconsin families.
Tammy knows that there’s more that unites us than divides us. She understands that Wisconsin’s working families all want good-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, and the same freedoms their parents and grandparents had.
Read below for highlights of what Tammy worked on this week:
Expanding Passenger Rail Across Wisconsin
Whether it’s to travel for work, to visit loved ones over the holidays, or to take a vacation, Tammy knows that Wisconsinites expect and deserve safe and reliable transportation options. When Tammy voted on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law she knew that it would bolster current transportation options, like rebuilding our roads and bridges, and it would open up opportunities for new transportation options.
Recently, Tammy was proud to announce that she secured $2.5 million toward projects that will study passenger rail expansion across Wisconsin. Routes that will be studied include Milwaukee to Green Bay, Eau Claire to the Twin Cities, Chicago via La Crosse to St. Paul, and Milwaukee to Madison to Eau Claire. Tammy is excited to see this first step forward toward getting Wisconsin a statewide, fully functioning passenger rail network because it will increase transportation options for Wisconsinites, spur tourism, and boost our economy.
Winning Big for Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail
Wisconsin is home to so much breathtaking natural beauty, and one of the most famous and beloved highlights is our Ice Age Trail. Every year, over 2 million people utilize the 1,200 mile statewide trail system for hiking, running, backpacking, snowshoeing, and even cross country skiing. Tammy knows how special the Ice Age Trail is to Wisconsinites and has been working hard to preserve it for future generations.
After leading yearslong bipartisan legislative efforts to expand protected lands and improve and promote the Ice Age and North Country National Scenic Trails, Tammy announced that the Ice Age Trail has officially been designated as a National Park Service unit. This new status brings in additional resources and funding, which will be utilized for preservation and expansion projects for the trail. Tammy is proud to see the Ice Age Trail finally get the National Park Service unit designation it deserves and is excited that more Wisconsinites and visitors from all over the world will be able to enjoy it for years to come.
Fighting for Affordable Housing
Right now, our country is experiencing a housing shortage, which is causing prices to skyrocket and making home ownership hard to achieve for our working families. Meanwhile, big investors and corporate landlords are buying up housing to get unfair tax deductions and make a profit at the expense of working Americans. Tammy knows that this is unfair, that’s why she’s working harder than ever to find solutions to solve the housing crisis.
Last week, Tammy called on the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Chicago to prioritize Milwaukee-based lenders committed toward expanding opportunities for first time home buyers and working families. By pushing on the FHLB of Chicago to work with these lenders over big corporate investors, Tammy is working to ensure Milwaukee residents have the resources they need to achieve home ownership. This builds on Tammy’s ongoing work to pass her Stop Predatory Investing Act, which would eliminate the unfair tax break incentives that big corporate investors get when they buy up Wisconsin properties and price people out of their communities. Tammy isn’t afraid to take on anyone if that means doing right by Wisconsin families.
Cracking Down on China
Tammy is committed to putting America first and that means strengthening our trade laws that will boost our economy and keep our communities safe. Right now, a trade tax loophole is allowing China and other countries to import counterfeit and cheap products potentially made by slave labor into the U.S. Additionally, this loophole has allowed for the trafficking of illicit drugs like fentanyl into our communities.
Tammy is working across the aisle to close this dangerous trade loophole through her De Minimis Reciprocity Act. This legislation would protect our American manufacturers who work hard to make the best quality products and would keep illicit drugs from entering our communities. Tammy is committed to working with anyone in order to come up with solutions that put Americans first and keep our communities safe.
Supporting Our Veterans
Wisconsin is the proud home of service members, veterans, and military families who have made incredible sacrifices for our country. Our veterans put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free, and Tammy believes that they deserve everything we can provide. That’s why Tammy is working hard across party lines to do right by our veterans and make sure they have the care, good paying jobs, and community support that they have earned and deserve.
A few weeks ago Tammy’s CVSO Act passed the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support and now it’s currently on its way through the House. If passed, this legislation would establish a grant program to support County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs). Our CVSOs are often the first point of contact for our veterans to access the benefits and services available to them, so it’s important they have the resources they need to properly support our veterans. Tammy knows how much veterans sacrifice for our country and wants to ensure that they are able to cut through the red tape and receive their hard earned benefits when they return home.
