Welcome to our weekly DC Wrap, where we write about Wisconsin’s congressional delegation. Sign up here to receive the newsletter directly.

Quotes of the week

Last week, the House voted on the first round of DOGE cuts, slashing $9B in woke spending. But we can’t stop there. Congress must continue to ensure your tax dollars aren’t subsidizing waste, fraud, and abuse in our government.
– U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua. 

Trump said he would give his “rich as hell” donors a tax cut, and Republicans in Congress fought like hell to make it happen. How will they pay for it? By ripping millions of Americans off of Medicaid. I believe we should tax the rich and that healthcare is a human right!
– U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont. 

This week’s news

— Americans mostly opposed the reconciliation bill President Donald Trump signed into law this month, according to a new Marquette University Law School Poll national survey.   

But the poll found a sharp partisan split. 

Dems have criticized the “One Big Beautiful Bill” for cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, while Republicans have dismissed the criticisms as “fearmongering.” In the July poll, respondents were asked how much they “support or oppose President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’” from what they know about the measure. 

The poll results found 41% of respondents support the reconciliation bill Trump signed into law, while 59% oppose it. Among Republicans, 79% supported the measure, compared to 34% of independents and 6% of Democrats. 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, said he wasn’t surprised by the result, adding he expects the measure “to get even less popular as more people learn about how terrible the Big Ugly Law is.”

“17 million Americans could lose their healthcare, millions more their food assistance. The bottom 30% of Americans are going to be paying more just so billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk can get a tax cut,” Pocan said in a statement. “This bill is about the swamp taking from the average Wisconsinite to give to the wealthy and elite.” 

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said while traveling the state over the past few months, she didn’t hear anyone say they “wanted their health care taken away or to rig the tax code for big corporations.” 

“This polling shows that,” Baldwin added. 

Republicans told WisPolitics they stand by the law, with U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, saying it secured “the largest tax cut in American history.” 

“Without it, the average Wisconsin taxpayer would have been hit with a $2,230 tax increase,” Tiffany told WisPolitics. “It ends taxes on tips, overtime, and most Social Security benefits, increases the Child Tax Credit, and adds commonsense work requirements for welfare—provisions backed by over 70% of Americans.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, said it “makes important investments in Wisconsin workers, families, and seniors.” 

“This legislation secures the border, implements work requirements for able-bodied adults, provides tax relief for seniors, and supports working families,” Steil said. “While the legacy media has intentionally confused people about what is and is not in H.R. 1, this bill will only become more popular as Wisconsin families learn about these important reforms.”

The poll also found 45% of respondents approved of Trump, while 55% disapproved. In a previous poll from May, the split was 46-54. The new numbers indicate continued support from Republicans, with 86% approving of the president, compared to 7% of Democrats. Support from independents was 38%, up from 31% in May. 

Respondents were also asked to weigh in on whether they have a favorable or unfavorable view of the president. Overall, 43% had a favorable opinion of Trump, while 56% had an unfavorable one and 1% hadn’t heard enough to have an opinion. Those numbers align with the May poll. 

The poll was conducted July 7-16 through online interviews using the SSRS Opinion Panel with 1,005 adults across the country. The margin for error is +/-3.4 percentage points. 

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, this week said Trump and Republicans are “making life more expensive and more chaotic for working families and small businesses” as she touted a trio of bills aiming to reduce costs for Americans. 

“He said, and I quote, ‘Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again to bring down the prices of all goods,’ end quote,” Baldwin said of Trump at a virtual press conference. “Fast forward to today, anyone who reads the news knows that not only did Trump not end inflation, but costs are on the rise for folks everywhere.” 

The bills Baldwin introduced with Senate colleagues include:

  • The “First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act,” aiming to reduce costs for first-time homebuyers through a new, refundable tax credit. The credit would be worth up to 10% of a home’s purchase price, with a max limit of $15,000. 
  • The “Price Gouging Prevention Act,” which would allow the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce a ban on price gouging without considering sellers’ position in the supply chain. 
  • The “Child Care for Working Families Act,” seeking to expand child care access and affordability, including providing funding for Head Start programs and worker wages. 

— U.S. Rep. Tony Wied has introduced a bill to prohibit government agencies from restricting firearm magazines. 

The De Pere Republican said the Freedom from Improper Regulation and Enforcement Act would ensure gun owners can own magazines of any size. 

“For too long, the federal government has infringed on American’s Second Amendment rights while maintaining a confusing, inconsistent system that lacks a uniform national standard and invites legal disparity,” Wied said in a release. 

Wied said there have been previous state and local restrictions on “high capacity” magazines and argued these restrictions hurt “law-abiding” gun owners from accessing options. 

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, signed on to the legislation as a co-sponsor. 

“Americans’ right to keep and bear arms has always been at the core of our fundamental freedoms,” Tiffany said. “The Fire Act protects law-abiding gun owners and keeps state and local governments, as well as future administrations, from infringing on your Second Amendment rights.

— U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany told WisPolitics he wants to see better forest management as a way to prevent wildfires across North America after he and fellow Republicans raised concerns Canada isn’t doing enough to stem wildfire smoke that flows into their states. 

The Minocqua Republican said climate change is being used as a “crutch” for lack of management. But environmental groups said climate change is a clear cause for more severe, widespread wildfires, adding the failure to acknowledge that reality is a “dangerous deflection.” 

State Affairs-WisPolitics subscribers can read the Friday REPORT story here. 

Posts of the week

ICYMI

WJFW: Protestors protest in front of Tom Tiffany’s office in Wausau on Thursday

WPR: DOT Secretary Sean Duffy talks new aviation rule, air traffic control modernization in Oshkosh

PBS Wisconsin: ‘Here & Now’ Highlights: U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore

The Hill: Sen. Johnson: Media ‘either duped or complicit’ in Russia election interference ‘narrative

NPR: Trump administration ends 988 Lifeline’s special service for LGBTQ+ young people

The Hill: House beefs up security funds for lawmakers

Print Friendly, PDF & Email