As we continue to monitor the progress of the Reconciliation bill as it moves through Congress, it’s important to remember that everything in this bill is a choice. It is a choice to cut taxes while increasing spending in other areas. It is a choice on what federal spending cuts are made to pay for tax cuts. And of course, it is a choice on who is impacted the most by these federal spending cuts.
The Senate will be back in session next week (June 3rd) and they will start negotiations on the bill. They are currently not planning to have any public markup meetings, meaning all edits and negotiations will be happening behind closed doors and not communicated to the public. The Senate has changed their goal of passing the bill from August to July 4th.
The Senate can only afford to lose three Republican votes on this bill. The bill needs 50 votes to pass and there are 53 Republican Senators. If negotiations cause the vote on this bill to be delayed, it gives constituents more time to share with their Senators how these cuts will impact their lives. Additionally, if the Senate’s version of the bill is significantly different from the bill that the House passed, it will have a harder time being approved by the House for a second time and could die altogether.
What can we as advocates do?
For starters, we can continue to hold our members of the House of Representatives accountable for their vote. The Republican House members voted “yes” on the bill that the Senate is now considering, and they will have to vote “yes” on it again if/when the Senate makes changes to it. We can continue to remind our members of the House why we are against this bill and how it will hurt us/our loved ones. All of the Democratic House members voted “no” on this bill. We can still reach out to these members to thank them for their vote and to let them know we are continuing to monitor this situation and we will appreciate their “no” vote in the future.
Continue to reach out to your Senators to share your stories and your concerns. If you are receiving automated replies with false information, start making your corrections and sharing these untrue statements to educate others. This is how lawmakers and the public learn. Remember we have two Wisconsin Senators that you can reach out to:
Senator Ron Johnson: 202-224-5323
Senator Tammy Baldwin: 202-224-5653
Many people are still unaware that Medicaid cuts are a big part of the Reconciliation bill. This makes us teachers! Continue to share your story and educate those around you on these proposed cuts and what the loss of Medicaid means for us in Wisconsin. This is a great way for us to inspire others to speak out and advocate to their Senators before the final vote.