Secretary of State Godlewski: “Donald Trump made it clear that he was actually going to lower prices, when the reality is he’s done the exact opposite.”
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Protect Our Care Wisconsin’s Joe Zepecki, Defend America Action Deputy Research Director Joe Miller, and food assistance advocate Julia Bennker participated in a press call to discuss Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ affordability crisis. The call came on the heels of a new report from Defend America Action laying out the crisis and its consequences for Wisconsinites.
The speakers highlighted how, as a result of Trump and Congressional Republicans’ failed policies and broken promises, costs are skyrocketing for everybody in Wisconsin, from families to farmers to small business owners, while big corporations and the ultra-wealthy get even more tax breaks. Trump’s anemic economy is hitting the poorest Wisconsinites the hardest, and his tariff-driven inflation is sending food prices, energy prices, and health care costs soaring. 270,000 Wisconsinites stand to lose their health care entirely after Trump and Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
“We know at least sixty percent of Wisconsinites are living paycheck to paycheck, and the question that they’re asking me as they are working full time jobs and trying to raise a family, is, what are they doing wrong?” said Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski. “The reality is they’re not doing anything wrong. It’s the result of the person in office. Donald Trump made it clear that he was actually going to lower prices, when the reality is he’s done the exact opposite.”
“Twenty-two million Americans lost access to tax credits due to the choices made in Washington. Here in Wisconsin, 22,243 people have already dropped their ACA coverage,” said Protect Our Care Wisconsin’s Joe Zepecki. “More than one million Americans nationally have already dropped that coverage. And here’s the scary part: that’s just the beginning. That number will continue to grow, month after month, as these premium hikes become unbearable.”
“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have sparked an affordability crisis in Wisconsin that has created a disaster for working families and helped the wealthiest get even richer, while leaving everyone else in the dust,” said Defend America Action Deputy Research Director Joe Miller. “Affordability is a huge concern for Wisconsin voters. A whopping 95% are concerned about inflation and the cost of living.”
“[Poverty] has gotten worse because of the underfunding or cutting of social supports like health insurance and food assistance. Now even more people are also unable to afford the things they wish they could, like high quality food, health care, child care, and other basic needs,” said Wisconsin food assistance advocate Julia Bennker. “President Trump is further destroying the social safety net that gives people the freedom to thrive.”
A recording of the press call is available here and Defend America Action’s report is available here.
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