On this day in 1965, Medicaid and Medicare were signed into law, two programs that have helped millions of Wisconsinites live longer, healthier lives and achieve economic security.
Yet just weeks before Medicaid’s 60th anniversary, Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil joined House Republicans to cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, ripping away health care from millions of Americans and raising medical costs on everyone – all to fund massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.
Van Orden and Steil’s cruel and decisive vote will wreak havoc on Wisconsinites’ lives:
- Nearly 25,000 people in MI-07 and more than 30,000 people in MI-04 will lose health care coverage
- Hospitals are at risk of closing
- Nursing homes could face staffing shortages
- Health care costs will rise for millions of people
- Millions are at risk of facing medical debt
It’s no wonder Van Orden and Steil have resorted to blatantly lying about their vote – after Van Orden promised for months he’d never vote to cut Medicaid.
ADDITIONALLY: The Big, Ugly Law triggers nearly $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, resulting in additional likely cuts to funding for hospitals and doctors, and higher premiums for seniors.
DCCC Spokesperson Katie Smith:
“For Medicaid’s 60th birthday, it’s a cruel irony that Derrick Van Orden and Bryan Steil decided to pass the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. Van Orden and Steil broke their promise to lower costs for working families, instead choosing to side with the GOP’s billionaire backers. Wisconsinites will remember their betrayal when they reject them in 2026.”
