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. She understands that Wisconsin’s middle-class families all want good paying jobs, affordable health care, and the same freedoms their parents and grandparents had.
Read below for highlights of what Tammy worked on this week:
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 in 2022, 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. And in the first few months after the passage of the PACT Act, almost 66,000 screenings were conducted in Wisconsin alone, which means that our veterans are getting the necessary health care they deserve.
Last Tuesday, Tammy was proud to deliver $4.2 million in overdue benefits for over 100 Veterans who were misdiagnosed at a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and subsequently denied compensation and benefits. Tammy pushed the VA to do right by our veterans and deliver the benefits each and every one of them has earned and deserve. Tammy will always work hard to do right by Wisconsin’s veterans and their families.
Defending Reproductive Freedoms
The overturning of Roe v. Wade didn’t just restrict abortion access, it also opened the door for more legal attacks against long-established reproductive freedoms like contraception access and even emboldened the Alabama Supreme Court to virtually declare the end of IVF access in the state. Tammy has been vigilant to all these attacks on our freedoms and she’s fought back by introducing legislation like her Women’s Health Protection Act to restore the protections of Roe and the Right to Contraception Act to enshrine access to contraception like birth control. Now she’s taking on her next fight to protect in-vitro fertilization (IVF) access because women, not politicians, should make their own decisions on if, how, and when to build a family.
Last week, Tammy, alongside Senate Democrats, voted to advance the Right to IVF Act. This legislation would have established a nationwide right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), as well as lowering treatment costs. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass by just 9 votes, with Republicans blocking it despite the issue having the support of over 85% of Americans. While the Dobbsdecision opened the door for more attacks on our fundamental rights, Tammy is continuing to combat these threats and is going to keep fighting to restore and reinforce our reproductive rights.
Additionally, Tammy also introduced a resolution that supports every woman’s basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care, regardless of where they live. This resolution comes as new reporting revealed that Republican abortion bans have prevented women from receiving lifesaving emergency health care, resulting in preventable deaths. Tammy is the fighter Wisconsin women can always count on, and she’s going to keep fighting until every woman has the freedom to decide what is best for her health, family, and future—without the interference from judges and politicians.
Protecting Our Great Lakes
With 35% of Wisconsinites living along the Great Lakes shoreline, and many getting their drinking water from Lake Superior or Lake Michigan, Tammy knows how important our Great Lakes are. And she knows that our communities that live along these shorelines are in dire need of resources to respond to the harmful effects of weather events and climate change.
On Friday, Tammy was excited to announce that the City of Green Bay will receive $2.4 million in federal funding to install a wildlife viewing platform and shoreline walk at the Bay Beach Amusement Park. This investment, funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), aims to improve the Lake Michigan shoreline and enhance recreation, learning, and community opportunities within the bay. Tammy is committed to preserving Lake Michigan and our Wisconsin freshwaters for generations to come.
Gearing Up for November
This past Saturday, Tammy and Governor Josh Shapiro fired up supporters across South Central Wisconsin, kicking off the day with a meet and greet with Richland County supporters before traveling to the Iowa and Lafayette County picnic. At both events, Tammy and Governor Shapiro discussed the stakes of the upcoming election, addressed key issues for voters this fall, and shared their commitment to focusing on the priorities of all Americans and winning votes in all communities. In 2024, Tammy is working hard to restore our freedoms, bring home more good paying jobs, and make health care and prescription drugs more affordable. Tammy is the fighter Wisconsinites can always count on to take on the big fights and win.
