GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin visited Bellin Hospital Saturday to speak out against a newly signed law she said will strip healthcare from hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites and devastate local hospitals.
Baldwin is referring to the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Act, signed into law on July 4 by President Donald Trump. The law includes deep cuts to Medicaid and changes to Affordable Care Act enrollment—measures Baldwin says will leave more than 270,000 in Wisconsin without coverage.
“Most individuals who can work on Medicaid already work,” Baldwin said. “They’re going to impose new reporting requirements that are widely understood to be so cumbersome that many people who are duly eligible for Medicaid will see their coverage terminated.”
The law is also projected to cost Wisconsin hospitals over $264 million a year, with rural clinics reportedly facing possible closure due to lost Medicaid reimbursements.
Baldwin was joined by healthcare providers and impacted constituents, including Jamie Willett, a mother of two children with complex medical needs. Willett said Medicaid is the only reason she can access vital care for her sons, who see more than ten specialists at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee.
“Without Medicaid, we wouldn’t be able to afford to bring them to those specialists,” Willett said. “We wouldn’t have the funds to pay for essential medical equipment.”
In response, Represenatvie Tony Wied (WI-08) pushed back on Baldwin’s criticism, releasing the following statement:
“It’s sad to see Senator Baldwin exploit a local healthcare provider, which we both fully support, as a prop for false political attacks… No amount of fear-mongering from Senator Baldwin will change that fact.”
U.S. Representative Tony Wied
Rep. Wied argued that the law strengthens Medicaid for vulnerable groups while preventing abuse by “able-bodied adults with no dependents and illegal aliens.”
Rep. Wied has previously shown support for Bellin Health, particularly its Oconto Hospital, praising its role in rural healthcare and co-sponsoring federal legislation to improve emergency obstetric services in small communities.
He also submitted a $1 million federal funding request to expand infusion services at Bellin, used to treat conditions like cancer and dehydration.
Wisconsin’s Medicaid program currently supports more than 1.2 million people, including children, nursing home residents, and adults with disabilities.
Every Wisconsin Republican in Congress voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Senator Baldwin voted against it.
