Protect Our Care: Gwen Moore, Mitchell Berman join Protect Our Care Wisconsin to expose the toll of Congressman Bryan Steil’s devastating cuts to health care 

More Than 65,000 Wisconsinites Have Lost Coverage; $2.4B loss for Hospitals over next decade putting access At Risk

Watch the Full Event Here

WISCONSIN – On Thursday, September 24th, Gwen Moore, Mitchell Berman and 1st Congressional District residents impacted by healthcare choices in Washington, D.C. joined Protect Our Care and Main Street Action to discuss a new report laying bare the damage being done across Wisconsin after Congressman Bryan Steil voted with Donald Trump to slash more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for lavish tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations. 

While the ultra-wealthy rake in even more, working families in Wisconsin are paying the price. For many families, getting care means traveling farther, waiting longer, paying more — or going without it altogether. Speakers called on Steil to end the GOP health care crisis by restoring the ACA tax credits, reversing Medicaid cuts and lowering health care costs for working Wisconsin families. 

While Congressman Steil lines the pockets of billionaires, families across SE Wisconsin are struggling to pay their bills and access the care they need. These attacks on health care are putting lives at risk as over 45,000 Wisconsinites have dropped ACA plans due to skyrocketing premiums while nearly 20,000 have already lost their BadgerCare or CHIP coverage. Because of Donald Trump and his Republican allies like Congressman Steil, everyone, everywhere, will pay higher costs, regardless of where they get coverage.

“Bryan Steil made it more difficult for folks to be able to access affordable healthcare,” said emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman. “Even if you don’t get your care through Medicaid, even if you don’t buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange, this is going to affect you.” 

“Bryan Steil voted to slash $1.2 trillion out of Medicaid, and Wisconsin families are going to pay the price,” said Gwen Moore. “Come December 31st, you really will see it. They were so cynical. They made these cuts effective after the election, but people are already experiencing the consequences of that decision. 

“The bill for Bryan Steil’s vote for OBBB is already coming due,” said Protect Our Care Wisconsin Director Joe Zepecki. “We have seen more than 40,000 Wisconsinites lose coverage through the Obamacare marketplace. We’ve seen nearly 20,000 Wisconsinites lose access to BadgerCare or CHIP for children. And the worst is yet to come.’

“My wife and I own two small business in Janesville on Main Street,” said Richard Neeno, a member of Main Street Action. “I spoke with Representative Steil (last year) and he told me he could not support any expenditure, and that included the ACA tax credits, which is pretty ironic given that he voted in favor of, what, $50 billion or a new war?”

”I was able-bodied up until I was about 12 years old, and now I am fully disabled and reliant on government social services,” said Emma Widmar. “I am part of the only minority that anyone can become a part of at any point in time. So I don’t understand why we have this willingness, especially from Bryan Steil, to strip us from our healthcare services.” 

You can watch the full event here, and learn more about GOP attacks on health care in Congressman Steil’s district here.