The events were organized by CAWI, part of the People’s Action national network of grassroots groups, in the districts of two Republican U.S. Representatives – Tom Tiffany (WI-7) and Derrick Van Orden (WI-3) – who refused to meet with their constituents during the March Congressional Recess. While the two Congressmen refused CAWI’s invitations, other elected officials – including State Senator Brad Pfaff and State Representative Tara Johnson, did.
At each of the Town Halls, constituents offered testimony about the harms Congressional Republicans’ planned $880 in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP will have on them and their families. More than a million Wisconsinites rely on these services.
“We know that Medicaid cuts would really impact both our family and many people that we love,” said Chelsey Myhre-Foster, the parent of a disabled child, at the Town Hall in La Crosse. “We felt it was important to share our story.”
“No matter what policy language or accounting techniques or rhetoric they use, no matter what they call it, any cut to Medicaid is going to kick people off the program,” said Timothy Faust, CAWI’s Health Care Coordinator, in Eau Claire. “And this is the choice Congress wants to force Wisconsin to make, increase taxes, spend money we can’t afford, or take away people’s health care.”
CAWI is also going door to door to turn out votes for the April 1 special election, which will determine who controls the State’s Supreme Court, and other important local races. Billionaire Elon Musk is attempting to railroad Wisconsin’s election results by spending as much as $100 million with direct payouts to voters to defeat liberal justice Susan Crawford in the race.
