MADISON, Wis. — Earlier this morning, Rep. Derrick Van Orden voted for a budget that could threaten Medicaid and the SNAP benefits that tens of thousands of Wisconsinites in his district rely on for health and food security, respectively. Previously, Derrick Van Orden promised his constituents that their benefits would “not be cut by a nickel,” only to turn on his heel to help give billionaires a bigger tax break.
“Derrick Van Orden voted to sell out farmers, the elderly, families, and children in his district all so a handful of billionaires and millionaires could further stuff their pad their wallets,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Communications Director Philip Shulman. “Promises don’t mean anything to Derrick Van Orden, who has spent the past month trying to deceive Wisconsinites into believing that he would have their back, only to sell us out to give tax cuts to billionaires. Time and again Derrick Van Orden shows us all exactly who he is.”
Farmers, families, the elderly, and children will be hurt the most from Van Orden’s vote and deception. Over 150,000 of his constituents rely on Medicaid to get health care, 20,000 of whom are seniors and another 50,000 are children. In addition, 16,000 Wisconsinites in his district who rely on SNAP could see their food security threatened.
Statewide, nearly 1.3 million Wisconsinites rely on Medicaid to get their healthcare, while 3 in 8 Wisconsin children are enrolled in the program. In addition, 705,400 Wisconsinites across the state rely on SNAP. The threats to SNAP could also damage Wisconsin’s agricultural sector, which employs 9.5% of the state’s workforce.
