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:
Kicking Off Pride Month
Tammy is committed to making sure Wisconsin remains a place of hope and opportunity for all because that’s just simply put, our Wisconsin values. To kick off Pride Month this year, we wanted to highlight Tammy’s journey to becoming the first LGBTQ+ Senator in our country’s history and the trailblazing work she’s accomplished during her time in office, including passing the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act, which enshrined the recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages into federal law.
Read more about Tammy’s story below and don’t forget to share on Facebook and Twitter for Pride 2023!
Delivering for Our Veterans
Tammy is working hard for our veterans because she knows that they put their lives on the line to keep our country safe and free. That’s why Tammy was proud to help pass the PACT Act last year, which has expanded VA health care and benefits for more than 3.5 million veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. Since the passing of the PACT Act, almost 66,000 screenings have been conducted in Wisconsin alone, which means that our veterans are getting the necessary health care they deserve.
At a round table in Green Bay, Tammy spoke with local veterans and widows who shared their stories about the life changing effects this legislation has had. One widow talked about how she was able to receive benefits from the PACT Act after her husband, a Vietnam War veteran, had passed away from hypertension due to Agent Orange Parkinson’s. The PACT Act is the largest expansion of veterans health care and benefits in more than three decades, and Tammy is proud to see the positive impacts of this legislation right here at home. Tammy will always work hard to do right by our veterans and their families.
Putting Farmers First
Tammy is proud of Wisconsin’s farmers, who work hard to feed our country and keep our economy going strong. But she knows that farming is an incredibly stressful and isolating job, and while our country is facing a mental health epidemic, our farmers are experiencing some of the highest rates of depression and suicide.
Tammy wants our farmers to know that they aren’t alone in this fight. Right now, Tammy is working across the aisle to pass the Farmers First Act in the 2023 Farm bill. This legislation would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to increase helplines, establish support groups, and provide suicide prevention training for people in our rural communities. The legislation would also secure $15 million a year over the next five years, that would be specifically allocated toward mental health support for our country’s rural communities. Just like our farmers always have our backs, Tammy knows that we have to do all that we can to make sure our farmers know that we have theirs too.
Expanding Education Opportunities
Tammy knows that higher education is incredibly important and can be a doorway for many to pursue their passions, good paying jobs, and socioeconomic mobility. But she also knows that higher education is expensive and it’s unfair that some and not others have more access to a college degree because of its high price tag.
Tammy is proud to be working across the aisle to strengthen federal programs that will support first-generation, low income students that are seeking higher education. This bipartisan legislation will work to tear down some of the barriers historically marginalized students face and have deterred their ability to attend college. Tammy believes that if a Wisconsinite wants to attend college, they should have the opportunity to do it and she’s working hard to make sure our students have the support to turn their educational dreams into reality.
Prioritizing Airline Safety
Tammy understands that when you or your loved ones are flying in an airplane from Point A to Point B, safety is the number one priority. Currently, our airplanes are following outdated, unsafe evacuation procedures that have not been tested against realistic conditions, which is putting passengers at risk.
This week, Tammy introduced legislation that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to perform new airplane cabin evacuation tests under real-life conditions, and issue standards that take into account seat size and configuration, carry-on luggage, passengers of different ages, including children and senior citizens, and passengers with disabilities. Tammy is working hard to make sure you have more leg room on your next flight and can have peace of mind while traveling.