1. President Biden & Senator Schumer Advance Infrastructure Deal
Democratic President Biden and a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators have reached an agreement on the details of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal — a once-in-a-generation investment in our country’s infrastructure. It will represent an investment in our future of about $1 trillion.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal represents the largest federal investment in public transit ever, the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, and makes the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. The legislation will create good paying union jobs, deliver clean drinking water to millions of families, and ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet.
President Biden’s bill builds on Gov. Evers’ historic investments in Wisconsin’s infrastructure. Between 2019 and 2020 alone, there were repairs made to over 1,000 miles of highway and more than 800 bridges have repairs completed or underway.
There is a group of Republicans, thankfully too small to mount a filibuster, determined to grandstand for the Trump-dominated GOP and create pointless delays in the passage of the bill. Their position: If Democrats are for something, no matter how vitally needed it is in America, we are against it. Their mindless opposition to upgrading our infrastructure is a threat to the quality of life of us all.
Message to the US Senate on the infrastructure bill: “Get ‘er done.” Then on to the larger, more transformative part of the package.
2. We Should All Celebrate the 56th Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid
Wisconsinites across the state are celebrating the 56th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid this week, two federal programs that provide critical health care coverage for over two million Wisconsinites. Democrats have been fierce advocates for protecting and strengthening these benefits that support Wisconsin seniors and working families.
Over 1,193,000 Wisconsinites receive Medicare, and another 1,353,000, including children, receive Medicaid.
The 1965 passage of Medicare legislation is a landmark event. It marked a turn from the ugly policy that said only those living in wealth or those with high-benefits jobs deserved healthcare access. It identifies two groups of individuals—seniors and selected subgroups of those with low incomes—to have access to healthcare. It paved the way for the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act/Obamacare—which provided financial support and mechanisms for those with limited incomes to buy into health insurance plans.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson continues to argue that healthcare is a privilege and not a right, and uses every possible opportunity to vote against healthcare coverage government assistance.
There is much that still needs to be done. The cost of healthcare—including services, devices, and pharmaceuticals—continues to spiral out of control. Democrats will not stop working on healthcare access until and unless we join the rest of the industrialized world in providing a health insurance plan for all.