EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – While Congressman Derrick Van Orden once again refused to show up and face his constituents in person, Congressman Mark Pocan was joined Saturday by more than 100 people at a town hall meeting to discuss the GOP Tax Scam—which makes devastating cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and more to pay for corporate and billionaire tax handouts and is backed by Republicans in Congress including Van Orden.
Attendees raised serious concerns about the bill’s massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs that help Wisconsin families, veterans, and seniors access basic necessities, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. The GOP Tax Scam, passed by Republicans in the House with Van Orden casting the deciding vote, makes massive cuts to the SNAP program. Under just one provision alone, 114,000 Wisconsinites, including families with children, seniors, and veterans, could lose access to food. In addition to taking food away from Wisconsinites, the state could be forced to come up with $315 million a year in SNAP costs, as estimated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“Because of Congressman Van Orden’s deciding vote in favor of these devastating cuts, his constituents have serious questions about the future of Medicaid, SNAP, and successful programs that help Wisconsin families succeed. We’re grateful that Congressman Pocan was willing to have an open and direct conversation with Wisconsinites about what these harmful cuts will mean for them,” said Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director Meghan Roh.
WQOW: Rep. Pocan holds Eau Claire town hall in Rep. Van Orden’s district
- Wisconsin Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan was in Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s district Saturday holding a town hall in Eau Claire.
- The event was hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin. Van Orden was invited, but declined to attend.
- Pocan spoke to a crowd of about 100 people about President Trump’s budget, the “Big Beautiful bill” passed by the House this month. Pocan focused on concerns over Medicaid and SNAP.
- Under the bill, the states would be required to take on 5% of the cost for SNAP benefits and 75% of administration costs. Currently the benefits are 100% funded by the federal government and states pay 50% of administration costs. The bill also adds new work requirements to qualify for benefits.
- The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates the state would lose $300 million dollars in food assistance under the bill.
WEAU: Eau Claire town hall discusses President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
- Congressman Mark Pocan hosting a town hall meeting with constituents in Eau Claire. Addressing the U.S. House passing President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’.
- Jodi Emerson, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, explains how this impacts the state after hearing about the bill.
- “We’re seeing some really really fast things moving in Washington.“ she said ”At the state level, we’re trying to build the state budget right now, which is almost impossible when we don’t know what’s happening in D.C.”
- More than 100 people gathering to hear about the bill. Congressman Mark Pocan saying there’s little effort at bipartisanship.
- Pocan said “I think people are just really frustrated about what they can do, right. They don’t like the direction of Washington right now, they don’t like this bill that’s going to hurt people they know.”
- Shifting into healthcare and the areas the federal government will no longer fund if the bill is passed.
- “It will require a half a trillion dollar cut to Medicare. They defund Planned Parenthood, they effectively ban every Affordable Care Act insurance plan from covering abortion. They ban gender affirming care for all individuals on Medicaid in the ACA Exchange Plans. They rescind protections for nursing home residents that ensure adequate staffing.” Pocan said.
Leader-Telegram: Rep. Pocan hosts ‘town hall’ in Van Orden’s district
- Pocan was critical of Van Orden voting for “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed 215-214. The budget proposal now moves on to the Senate for consideration. All six Republicans from Wisconsin in the U.S. House voted for it; Pocan voted against it. Democrats have been critical of the budget bill, saying it will cut funding for Medicaid while giving tax breaks to people earning $1 million or more.
- “It’s a big beautiful bill for billionaires,” Pocan told the crowd. “This bill is a huge debt-buster.”
- Pocan noted that the Congressional Budget Office, which is a non-partisan agency, has said the budget proposal would add $5 trillion to the national debt.
- Pocan noted that one of every three children in Wisconsin gets their health care through Medicaid, and that perhaps 28,000 state residents would lose their health care under this bill. The budget bill also would cut SNAP food share benefits, Pocan said.
- Pocan focused on what President Dondald Trump (R) has called “the Big Beautiful Bill” that was recently passed by the House of Representatives, and which Pocan called “the worst bill I’ve ever seen introduced by anyone, by any political party.”
- He chided Republican supporters for cutting Medicaid benefits for nearly 14 million Americans, raising the premiums for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and cutting food assistance to 11 million mostly low-income children through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- The Republican budget reconciliation package also extends tax cuts passed in 2017 for America’s top earners, resulting in a nearly $5 trillion national deficit over 10 years.
- A May 20 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the GOP budget bill projects it would increase the national deficit by $3.8 trillion and decrease Medicaid spending by $698 billion and SNAP spending by $267 billion.
- A May 22 CBO projection notes the bill would reduce SNAP participation by “roughly 3.2 million people in an average month over the 2025–2034 period.”
- There are different projections on how many people would experience a Medicaid cut, with estimates ranging from 7.5 to 10 million.
