The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
Wisconsin 3rd Congressional District (CD) GOP Representative Derrick Van Orden has twice voted for legislation with instructions to the House Energy and Commerce Committee (which has oversight over Medicaid) to cut $880 billion. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that finding $880 billion to cut would only be possible by slashing Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and/or Medicare. That’s a fact, despite Van Orden’s smoke and mirrors on both votes to eviscerate Medicaid.
Van Orden is more interested in theatrics to obscure his votes than protecting the Medicaid coverage of 152,900 in the 3rd CD. Van Orden said: “To be explicitly clear: today’s budget resolution did not include any cuts to specific programs. Anyone saying otherwise is lying and engaging in fearmongering of our farmers, veterans, seniors and most vulnerable populations.” Complete nonsense. House Republicans were clear-eyed about their votes to cut $880 billion from Medicaid. Moreover, Wisconsin Catholic bishops and the Wisconsin Medical Society have implored congressional Republicans to back down and not cut Medicaid.
Van Orden and other House Republicans are feeling the heat. On Monday morning, May 5, my column, “Wisconsin bishops and doctors oppose cutting Medicaid”, was posted on WisOpinion. That same day Van Orden sent out a press release stating: “Rep. Van Orden signed on to a resolution that would prevent budget reconciliation from cutting Medicaid and the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits for the most vulnerable populations.” The bill Van Orden signed on was also introduced on May 5 with only 2 other GOP representatives. Coincidence? More likely Van Orden is worried about reelection in 2026. He barely won in 2024, by less than 12,000 votes. Twenty-one percent of his CD is covered by Medicaid. Do the math. Worse, when Catholic Bishops and doctors are speaking out a politician like Van Orden is in big trouble.
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By all means read the bill, H. Res. 382, that Van Orden signed on to. The bill only prevents cuts in Medicaid for those under 19, those 65 or over, pregnant women and the disabled. Here’s the deal, Van Orden is out of step with former Wisconsin GOP Governors Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker. Thompson extended Medicaid coverage to many above the federal poverty level. Walker removed a cap on enrolling childless adults below the federal poverty level (inexplicably Walker used state funds instead of federal funding, available if he had simply expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act).
Under Van Orden’s bill tens of thousands of working, low-income adult Wisconsinites would lose Medicaid coverage. That’s a cruel reality. Similarly, Nebraska GOP Representative Don Bacon, a cosponsor with Van Orden, said he would support $500 billion in cuts to Medicaid. I think Wisconsin Catholic bishops won this argument: “Policy changes that result in low-income families and individuals being worse off are unacceptable.” Unlike Van Orden, the bishops are genuinely concerned about both nutrition and health care coverage for hungry Wisconsinites and those who are uninsured, often despite working long hours. Van Orden lacks a social conscience. Enough theatrics.
-Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.
