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

Let’s be clear: The @USDA has the money and the authority to pay for SNAP benefits. If they don’t, it will be because they chose to let Americans go hungry to score political points.
– U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, criticizing the Trump administration for plans to withhold funding for November food stamp benefits amid the government shutdown. 

Senate Dems have voted 13 times against paying our troops and funding for SNAP. Ridiculous.
– U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, knocking Dem opposition to a GOP measure to extend government funding. 

This week’s news

— Gov. Tony Evers and Dem Congress members knocked Republicans for not renewing enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies as some Wisconsinites could see their premiums more than double when open enrollment begins Saturday.

Those hardest hit would include senior couples, who could see hikes of more than $30,000 in some counties, according to numbers from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.

Evers’ virtual press conference with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, and Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, comes as Democrats push to renew enhanced ACA tax credits, which have lowered insurance costs for millions, amid the government shutdown.

While some Republicans have voiced openness to extending the credits, congressional leaders have said that discussion should come after the government is reopened. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has kept his chamber in recess since Sept. 19.

Evers blamed the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, on Republicans’ refusal to extend the tax credits. He said without the credits, “health care premiums for Wisconsinites are going to skyrocket, period.” 

“Wisconsinites expect their leaders to work together to solve problems. Instead, Republicans in Congress are hell-bent on creating problems instead of working together to solve them, and Wisconsinites are gonna pay the price,” the Dem guv said. 

The enhanced tax credits expanded eligibility so those who earn more than 400% of the federal poverty level could receive financial assistance. 

Some of the annual increases for a family of four nonsmokers on a silver plan making $128,000, 398% of the federal poverty level, include: 

  • $1,153, a 9% hike, in Dane County; 
  • $3,789, a 46% hike, in Eau Claire County; 
  • $ 4,366, a 57% increase, in Barron County; 
  • $ 2,230, a 21% increase, in La Crosse County;
  • $ 2,277, a 22% increase, in Brown County; 
  • $ 768, a 6% increase, in Milwaukee County;
  • $1,928, an 18% increase, in Marathon County; 
  • $1,605, a 13% increase, in Racine County; and 
  • $258, a 2% increase, in Waukesha County. 

Some of the annual increases for a family of four nonsmokers on a silver plan making $130,000, 404% of the federal poverty level, include:

  • $12,562, a 102% hike, in Dane County; 
  • $23,992, a 284% hike, in Eau Claire County; 
  • $24,569, a 312% increase, in Barron County; 
  • $17,561, a 165% increase, in La Crosse County; 
  • $13,380, a $126% increase, in Brown County; 
  • $17,247, a 141% increase, in Milwaukee County; 
  • $17,038, a 160% increase, in Marathon County;
  • $16,685, a 137% increase, in Racine County; and 
  • $12,879, a 102% increase, in Waukesha County. 

The data also show 60-year-old nonsmoking couples on a silver plan making $85,658, 405% of the federal poverty level, could see annual increases of more than $30,000. That includes increases of $32,483 for a couple in Eau Claire, a 683% hike, and $33,152, an 812% increase, for a couple in Barron County. See more highlights in Evers’ release.

During the previous enrollment period, 277,175 of 313,579 enrollees in Wisconsin qualified for premium subsidies, with an average of $664 per month in savings. 

Baldwin has introduced legislation to permanently extend the credits, which she said Republicans have repeatedly shot down. She rejected the idea of passing a “clean” funding measure first.

“This is not something where we can have a wink and a nod that, ‘Well, we’ll talk about the Affordable Care Act tax credits after the government is reopened,’” Baldwin said. 

Baldwin said she knows many of her GOP colleagues want to address the issue, but she said an agreement is needed to extend the credits and reopen the government at the same time.

“We can do both. That’s what this is all about,” Baldwin said. 

Republicans in statements to WisPolitics criticized what they said were flaws in the Affordable Care Act. 

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said premiums are skyrocketing “due to the faulty design of Obamacare.” 

“Both its basic subsidies and the temporary pandemic-enhanced subsidies only hide the ACA’s failure to deliver on its promises. Democrats scheduled the enhanced subsidies to expire, but subsidies for people at or below 400% of the poverty level will continue,” Johnson said. “Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a failed program will not fix it and will further mortgage our children’s future.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, said Dems tried to hide Obamacare’s failures with subsidies for those making up to $500,000 and noted they set the expiration date in the bill. 

“President Trump has said he’s willing to negotiate a solution, but only after Democrats pass the clean budget bill and reopen the government, which Senator Baldwin and Senate Democrats have refused to do 12 times now,” Tiffany said. 

Baldwin has voted for Dems’ proposal to reopen the government. 

— U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, in an interview with WisPolitics’ “Capitol Chats” podcast criticizes Democrats’ approach to the ongoing government shutdown as “political.” 

Asked about his stance on renewing enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, Wied blasted U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, and other Senate Democrats for not supporting Republicans’ continuing resolution to extend government funding. 

Baldwin has supported Dems’ proposal to reopen the government. She’s also pushed for Republicans to pass her bill to renew the ACA tax credits in tandem with reopening the government. 

Wied declined to say directly whether he supports renewing the tax credits generally. He called the ACA “completely flawed.” 

“ I’m in favor of lowering prices for everyday Americans and digging in and finding out solutions and getting back to the free market. The more government’s been involved in our healthcare, the more prices have continued to rise,” Wied said. “Now Democrats are demanding in the Senate that we spend another $300 to $350 billion just to try to stop rates from going up too much because, again, it is a flawed legislation. But it needs, we need to be back together, all of us, in Washington working on  this and many other things to really work for … the American people.” 

House Republicans have been on recess since Sept. 19, before the shutdown began. Wied argued Democrats’ efforts are “political,” saying they are trying to push back against Trump and House Republicans. 

Wied also weighed in on the USDA’s decision to withhold November food stamp benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has argued it can’t legally use emergency SNAP funding to pay for the benefits, a move that spurred a multi-state lawsuit this week. 

Wied didn’t say whether he agreed with the Trump administration that the emergency funding can’t be used. 

“ I’m not in the administration, I think the administration’s doing everything they can. They’ve certainly done things to pay our great military–they’re also not getting paid during the shutdown,” Wied said. “The administration’s already worked on solutions for women, infants and children, which is so important for those young mothers that have children that need that, you know, the nutrition and the care. … There just is probably very little money at this point with the government being shut down.” 

He said the “easy solution” is for five more Senate Dems to support Republicans’ resolution to reopen the government. 

Listen to the full “Capitol Chats” episode.

— U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden testified in support of a state proposal to allocate $1.9 million toward a new matching grant program aimed at helping groups serving homeless veterans after center closures in Chippewa Falls and Green Bay.

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs at Wednesday’s Assembly Veterans and Military Affairs hearing said a matching state grant could put federal funding at risk. 

Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, said it was his second visit to the state Capitol. His appearance comes amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The House has been in recess since Sept. 19. 

Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, said she’s seen news clips of military members waiting in line for food. 

“We should never be treating our veterans in that way,” Sinicki said, though she noted veteran benefits are still being sent out. 

Van Orden called it “unacceptable,” and pointed to Democrats as being at fault for the shutdown and funding being cut off for federal programs like food stamps. 

“That’s 100% on the Democrat minority,” he said. 

Van Orden also said Sinicki’s representative, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, “voted to defund the government.” Sinicki countered Moore “voted for health care.” Moore has blasted Republicans for cuts to Medicaid in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and for not renewing enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. 

Gov. Tony Evers and Dem lawmakers have criticized Republicans for rejecting the guv’s budget request to provide $1.95 million in additional funding for the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program in order to keep the centers open. The GOP-run Joint Finance Committee instead approved a $100,000 increase that was separate from Evers’ larger ask.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awards organizations serving homeless veterans per diem payments of up to $82.73 per day for each veteran housed. 

AB 597 would create a matching grant program to provide payments of up to $25 per day, per veteran, to organizations that receive the federal payments. A separate bill, AB 596, would provide $1.9 million — $950,000 in each year of the biennium – to fund it.

State Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Joey Hoey said the agency supports increased funding for homeless veterans, as it requested in the state budget. But he said the legislation wouldn’t allow DVA to reopen the shuttered facilities in Green Bay and Chippewa Falls, and noted only four organizations would be eligible for funding under the bills. 

He said the agency is also evaluating the possibility that the federal government could take money away from the federal per diem payments if Wisconsin seeks to supplement it with state dollars. 

— Ahead of the hearing, Van Orden told reporters to “call Tammy Baldwin” when asked about food stamp benefits being cut off next month. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it won’t use emergency SNAP funds to help cover November benefits for the approximately 42 million people on food stamps, known as FoodShare in Wisconsin. USDA argues the money is intended to supplement regular monthly benefits and can’t legally be used.

Van Orden affirmed that argument. 

“They can’t legally do it. Read the paper, read the fine print. Here’s what’s got to happen: Tammy Baldwin needs to vote for people over politics, period,” he said. 

Asked if the state should step in, Van Orden said “I would” and noted he’s co-sponsored a bill to fund SNAP. 

USDA had previously said emergency funds could be used to pay for SNAP benefits in the event of a funding lapse. Wisconsin joined a lawsuit yesterday seeking to force the release of the funds to help cover November benefits. SNAP benefits haven’t been cut off in previous shutdowns.

A spokesperson for Baldwin, D-Madison, said President Donald Trump already has the ability to fund the program. 

“Donald Trump has the power and money to fund FoodShare–but he is choosing not to use it, and it’s 700,000 Wisconsinites who might not have food on the table come Saturday because of it,” they said. “While Congressman Van Orden is on day 40 of his paid vacation, Senator Baldwin has been in Washington working with her colleagues to lower health care costs and reopen the government.” 

Baldwin has criticized Republicans for supporting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut SNAP funding by $186 billion. 

— The U.S. Senate confirmed Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Taibleson along party lines for a spot on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

She will replace Diane Sykes, the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who assumed senior status on Oct. 1.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, praised Taibleson after she cleared the Senate 52-46.

“I am confident that she will be a valuable addition to the Seventh Circuit, given her strong commitment to the Constitution and her dedication to applying the law as written,” Johnson said.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, joined her Dem colleagues in opposing the nomination. Baldwin signaled her opposition last week when she voted against cloture, raising concerns that Taibleson hadn’t committed to upholding the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage across the country.

Ahead of her confirmation hearing in September, more than 50 conservatives signed a letter raising concerns about her nomination, pointing to things such as a donation to ActBlue in 2022 that they said was earmarked for then-U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.. But all 52 Republicans who voted Monday backed her nomination.

Posts of the week

ICYMI

Politico: Congress must act before FAA can pay air traffic controllers, Duffy says

ABC News: Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin on government shutdown: ‘The path forward is so clear’

WKBT: Health care workers protest Congressman Van Orden’s support for Trump bill

NBC 26: Green Bay leaders condemn “wanted” posters targeting local and state officials

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin candidates Maria Lazar, Tom Tiffany face criticism after attending events with 2020 election denier

The Hill: Key GOP senator offers proposal to pay essential and furloughed workers during shutdown

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