Bill Kaplan: Are Republicans listening?

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

In 2024, Trump and Republicans won the Catholic and rural vote. Are they listening to them? Their continued tone deafness on immigration, foreign policy and healthcare affordability and coverage spell trouble for the GOP in the 2026 midterm elections. Will Republicans listen to Minneapolis, Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Health Association of the U.S. and the National Catholic Reporter?

Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have been crystal clear about immigrants since Trump and the GOP-led Congress were sworn in: “Our nation will continue to face challenges without implementing immigration policies that are balanced and humane. Mass deportation of millions of people is not the answer. Distinctions must be made between immigrants who present genuine risks and dangers to society and therefore may be lawfully expelled, and those who have been here for years, have no criminal record, and have lived peacefully and contributed to the common good.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops agrees: “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” Moreover, can U.S. farmers survive without immigrant labor?

On U.S. foreign policy the top 3 U.S. Catholic cardinals denounced military force against Venezuela and threats of military force to seize Greenland. They said: “War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined.” This is aimed at Trump, but also at Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, Archbishop Broglio, top Catholic chaplain for the U.S. military, said it would be “morally acceptable” for troops to disobey “questionable” orders (Greenland).

Catholics have also spoken up about healthcare affordability and coverage. The Catholic Health Association supports extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits: “Healthcare is a basic human right – not something reserved for those who can afford it.” And, the National Catholic Reporter editorialized: “At the heart of today’s crisis lies the … expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies (tax credits) … (that) make coverage affordable for some 24 million people. … This isn’t a blip in the market. It is engineered suffering.”

The Wisconsin Medical Society, American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association (AHA) also strongly urged the GOP-led Congress to extend the ACA enhanced tax credits. The AHA said not extending the tax credits would result in “36% more uninsured individuals in rural communities.” Note: 27% of farmers and ranchers are covered by ACA private insurance with almost all relying on ACA tax credits.

What will the GOP-led Senate do? GOP Senators Collins, Hawley, Murkowski and Sullivan voted to extend ACA enhanced tax credits. Only 9 more GOP senators are needed for passage. What will Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson do? Note: 57% of people covered by ACA private insurance live in GOP congressional districts (NYT). Does Johnson really grasp the economic hardship caused by not extending these tax credits? Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin said “there is a lot of room for negotiation”; that’s leadership. Are Republicans listening to voters?

– Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.