Tammy Baldwin
Green Bay, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Saturday morning in Green Bay, Senator Tammy Baldwin held an event at Bellin Hospital to speak out against and explain the impacts of the recently passed Republican budget bill.
Baldwin was joined by a flight of speakers, including Emplify Health family physician Dr. Cynthia Lasaecki, who began Saturday’s press conference.
“The recently passed bill does not prioritize people and communities who need healthcare the most. It’s a back-breaking policy for those we serve and for the future of rural health systems like Emplify Health,” Dr. Lasaecki said.
“Millions of Americans stand to lose their health insurance, including some 60,000 people in Wisconsin. It is not just those whose coverage is at risk who stand to lose out, now that this bill is law. Remember, even without health insurance, people still need care. When people cannot afford it, those costs get shifted to everyone else, driving up the total cost of care. It is a lose-lose for our patients and communities,” she added.
“This bill will hurt the over 270,000 Wisconsinites who will have their healthcare terminated. 270,000. That’s just about the entire population of Brown County,” Senator Baldwin said.
Baldwin says that the bill is slated to hurt rural hospitals and disproportionately impact rural communities.
“Because of this bill, Wisconsin hospitals are projected to lose over 260 million dollars every single year collectively.”
Baldwin said that there are at least three rural hospitals in Wisconsin that are already on the brink of closure due to operating at a loss, but didn’t specify where.
The senator said Wisconsin is ‘lucky’ to have Governor Tony Evers, who in signing the biennial budget, she says, will help ‘fend off some of the deepest cuts to our hospitals.’
“Most individuals who are able to work on Medicaid already work. They are going to impose new reporting requirements that are widely understood to be so cumbersome that people who are duly eligible for Medicaid will see their coverage terminated, see their coverage drop,” she added.
8th District Representative Tony Wied responded after Baldwin’s visit to Green Bay.
“It’s sad to see Senator Baldwin exploit a local healthcare provider, which we both fully support, as a prop for false political attacks,” he said.
“Our One Big Beautiful Bill strengthens Medicaid for the most vulnerable Americans it was originally intended for, including children, low-income families, disabled people, and single parents. Our bill simply ensures that able-bodied adults with no dependents and illegal aliens are not abusing the system. No amount of fear-mongering from Senator Baldwin will change that fact.”
Wied’s team also stressed the Representative’s support for Bellin Health, especially its Oconto Hospital, by ‘highlighting its role in rural healthcare and exploring federal avenues to strengthen it.’
“He also cosponsored the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, which aims to improve emergency obstetric care in rural hospitals — legislation that could directly benefit institutions like Bellin Health. In addition, he submitted a request on their behalf for FY26 for $1,000,000 to expand infusion services, which is used to treat many illnesses from cancer to dehydration,” Wied’s team added.
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