Senator Pfaff, Medicaid Recipient, and Small Business Owner Call Out Rep. Derrick Van Orden For Voting to Cut Medicaid and SNAP Funding, Deceiving Constituents

MADISON, Wis. — Today, Senator Brad Pfaff (SD-32), Medicaid recipient and Chippewa County Democratic Party Chair Jaime Halfen, and Driftless Seed Supply business co-founder Dylan Bruce participated in a video press conference where they called out Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s for casting the tie-breaking vote to gut Medicaid and SNAP. The speakers not only called out Van Orden trying to deceive his constituents, but detailed the consequences they would face should Van Orden get his way.

While Senator Pfaff detailed the impacts on his district, Ms. Halfen highlighted how her Medicaid caseworker has already called her to tell her that should the bill become law, she would be at risk of losing at least part of her coverage. In addition, Mr. Bruce detailed how his company sells products to SNAP participants, as well as the grander impact the bill would have on Wisconsin’s agriculture sector. 

See below for what the speakers highlighted during and after the press call, as well as background on the impact on Wisconsin should Medicaid and SNAP funding be cut.

Senator Brad Pfaff: “I represent numerous constituents who rely on Medicaid for their health care and SNAP for their food security, as well as the farmers who work with our nation’s biggest food assistance program.While these programs are incredibly vital, there has been a misconception created, particularly by those like Derrick Van Orden, that the system is mostly being used by people who are abusing it. That is simply not true. And what happens to my and Rep. Van Orden’s constituents if this bill becomes law? They are going to suffer the consequences of Van Orden’s deciding vote in the House to move this bill forward. I cannot stress enough too that beyond the devastation it will have on Wisconsinites, it will be horrible for our economy. My constituents, and every Wisconsinite in the third congressional district — Democrat, Independent, and Republican alike — deserves a Representative who will do no harm; that’s not Derrick Van Orden.”

Medicaid Recipient and Chippewa County Democratic Party Chair Jaime Halfen: “…I had kidney failure, a heart attack, and a stroke. Now, thanks to expanded Medicaid, the 30 or so medications I now have to take don’t come with copays or additional costs. I’m able to see doctors and get the treatment I need without worrying I’m going to go bankrupt…But while the budget bill was moving forward on the hill, I got a call from my Medicaid caseworker, who told me that if this bill becomes law, there is a real chance my Medicaid assistance could be cut…It feels like Derrick Van Orden sold us out. Us — his constituents — are having our well beings threatened while a number of billionaires are going to become even richer thanks to the votes of Representatives like him. He’s trying to tell us that up is down, that right is left, that red is blue. But anyone who read the bill, or even a summary of the bill, would know people like myself and my family members are at great risk if Derrick Van Orden gets his way.

Small Business Owner Dylan Bruce: “People can buy my seeds to grow their own food through SNAP benefits. So this isn’t just about food security but also economic security. I’m so tired of Derrick Van Orden gaslighting us. He does not care about small farms. His actions speak louder than his words. What’s more is I think this bill, with its inclusion of expanded commodity supports and cuts to conservation programs – the hallmark of their last farm bill draft – sends a clear signal that Van Orden and the GOP have no intention of prioritizing a real Farm Bill. The budget they just passed is designed to benefit the biggest farmers and it feels like a betrayal of the driftless region. We have pioneered and shown the nation how farming and conservation can and should go hand in hand and Van Orden voted to cut funding for that exact priority. Instead, he and his Republican colleagues are rewarding the status quo.” 

Farmers, families, the elderly, and children will be hurt the most from Van Orden’s vote and deception. Over 150,000 of his constituents rely on Medicaid to get health care, 20,000 of whom are seniors and another 50,000 are children. In addition, 16,000 Wisconsinites in his district who rely on SNAP could see their food security threatened.

Statewide, nearly 1.3 million Wisconsinites rely on Medicaid to get their healthcare, while 3 in 8 Wisconsin children are enrolled in the program. In addition, 705,400 Wisconsinites across the state rely on SNAP. The threats to SNAP could also damage Wisconsin’s agricultural sector, which employs 9.5% of the state’s workforce.

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