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:
Backing Wisconsin Small Businesses
Wisconsin is a proud small business state. Main Streets across the state are lined with brick-and-mortar shops, making our downtowns vibrant and our economy strong. Tammy will always put small business owners first, and ensure they have the necessary resources and funding to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
Recently, Tammy was proud to announce that Wisconsin received nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to bolster legal, accounting, and financial resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state. These federal dollars are expected to impact thousands of Wisconsin small businesses, hundreds of entrepreneurs, and build on Tammy’s announcement earlier this year that Wisconsin would receive nearly $80 million in SSBCI funds. Tammy is always going to work hard to support our small business who keep our proud Made in Wisconsin economy going strong.
Investing in Wisconsin’s Airports
In the midst of the holiday season, Wisconsinites know how critical our regional airports are. Whether it’s to visit our loved ones, go on vacation, or take a business trip, people across the state rely on our airports to get from Point A to Point B safely and efficiently.
That’s why when Tammy helped pass the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, she secured nearly $90 million to improve airports across the state. And last week, it was announced that some of this funding will be used toward a $66 million expansion for the Appleton International Airport, one of the state’s largest and fastest growing airports. Tammy knows that when we invest in our airports, we’re improving the day to day lives of Wisconsinites and driving our economy forward.
Supporting Our Farmers
Tammy knows our farmers work so hard all year long to feed, clothe, and provide for our country. With all this responsibility, farmers in Wisconsin are experiencing mental health challenges at alarming rates. Just like our farmers support us, Tammy is committed to supporting our farmers to ensure that they never have to face battles with mental health alone.
Right now, Tammy is leading bipartisan efforts to pass the Farmers First Act of 2023 in the upcoming Farm Bill. This legislation would reauthorize and increase annual funding for our Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) from $10 million to $15 million over the next five years. These federal investments would be used toward addressing the mental health crisis our farmers are facing by reducing stigmatization and increasing access to mental health care in our rural communities. Tammy is always going to stand by our farmers to ensure they have all the support and resources they need.
Standing Up for Wisconsin Dairy
Tammy knows that Wisconsin isn’t called America’s Dairyland for just any reason. Our proud dairy industry does so much to keep our state and our country’s economy going strong. When Tammy heard from Wisconsin dairy farmers that Canada was undercutting Wisconsin dairy by imposing unfair trade barriers — she called for a federal investigation and urged the USDA to support Wisconsin farmers by helping market Wisconsin milk and purchase surplus dairy products. During trade talks, Tammy made sure that our trade agreements were fair and our farmers have the support they need.
However, last year it was discovered that Canada was still imposing their unfair trade barriers and our agreements were not being enforced. And disappointingly, a ruling from last week excused Canada for their negligence, putting Wisconsin dairy at a disadvantage. Tammy has been the leading voice at the national level to dispute Canada’s failures and push the Biden-Harris administration to enforce the trade agreements. She is going to continue to call out all responsible parties for this unfair decision until Wisconsin dairy farmers and producers are given the support that they expect and deserve.
Cutting Health Care Costs
When traveling across the state, Tammy hears from working Wisconsinites who struggle with affording their prescription medications. Tammy knows this is unacceptable. That’s why last year she got to work to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowers drug prices and caps insulin costs at $35 a month for our seniors on Medicare.
But Tammy knows that there is more work to be done. Right now, she is working across the aisle to pass the INSULIN Act of 2023, which would cap insulin costs at $35 or less for all Americans living with diabetes. Tammy’s efforts to cut life saving medication costs build on her current bipartisan work to hold Big Pharma accountable and require transparency for increasing drug prices. Tammy is going to keep fighting to limit out-of-pocket costs so each and every Wisconsinite can have access to the health care they expect and deserve.
