Constituents ask Speaker Vos to give permission for Republican Legislators to support Medicaid expansion.

BURLINGTON – Forward Wisconsin, a project of the Wisconsin Legislative Democrats aimed at lifting constituent voices supporting the Medicaid Expansion, held a Day of Action in Burlington at Wehmhoff Park Thursday evening. The event featured Representative Greta Neubauer (D-Racine), Representative Deb Kolste (D-Janesville), Representative Chris Sinicki (D-Milwaukee), Calena Roberts with SEIU, and Jody Spencer, a retired postal carrier.

Dozens of people attended the event, in which constituents signed permission slips to send to Speaker Robin Vos demanding that he give their legislators permission to vote in favor of the Medicaid expansion during state budget deliberations.

“Tonight, we heard from Wisconsin citizens who don’t feel represented by their elected officials. They feel silenced due to Republican leadership blocking Medicaid expansion at every turn. So we went to Speaker Robin Vos’ district to get some answers,” Rep. Neubauer said. “It’s clear that Republican Representatives and Senators need Speaker Vos’ permission to vote for Medicaid expansion, so we brought permission slips. Medicaid expansion is right for Wisconsin, and we won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Dozens of people lined up to get a form asking for permission from Vos on behalf of their Republican elected officials. Despite 70% public support for Medicaid expansion, Vos said he would accept this policy “over his dead body”.

“Speaker Vos has drawn a line in the sand rejecting Medicaid expansion, but the folks that came out tonight know that it’s not too late for him to do the right thing. We will not stop until the voices of the people are heard and these elected officials are held accountable for their failure to listen to the people who elect them.”

Under Governor Tony Evers’ proposed budget, completing the Medicaid expansion would provide affordable, accessible healthcare to an estimated 82,000 people in Wisconsin. It would save over $300 million, reduce private health insurance premiums by 7 to 19%, and the reinvestment of that money in evidence-based health programs would bring $1.6 billion in new federal dollars to Wisconsin and improve quality of care for all Wisconsinites.