Saturday, January 06, 2024

In 2023, Senator Baldwin Delivered for Wisconsin

 01.04.2024

In 2023, Senator Baldwin Delivered for Wisconsin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a new year begins, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is reflecting on her year fighting for the Badger State and delivering results for Wisconsin in 2023.

“Every year, I’m proud to work with Democrats and Republicans to deliver real results for the people of Wisconsin. Looking back on 2023, I’m proud to say we did just that, investing in Wisconsin Main Streets, fighting the opioid and fentanyl epidemic, and protecting our veterans’ earned benefits,” said Senator Baldwin. “Wisconsin communities are starting to feel the real impact of historic legislation I was proud to support, upgrading our roads, bridges, and broadband, growing our Made in America economy, and cutting prescription drug costs. While there’s more work to do, I’m proud of the progress we made in 2023 to ensure every Wisconsin community keeps moving in one direction: forward.” 

In 2023, Senator Baldwin was working for Wisconsin, including:

Growing the Made in America Economy

  • Baldwin’s Build America, Buy America Infrastructure: In August, the White House released final guidance to boost the use of American-made goods in infrastructure projects — standards that Senator Baldwin successfully fought to include in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure taxpayer dollars are supporting American businesses, workers, and economic growth.
  • New Jobs in Wisconsin: Because of Senator Baldwin’s Buy America provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Nokia announced they are bringing up to 200 manufacturing jobs to Kenosha County to produce key components for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. Senator Baldwin also joined President Biden at Ingeteam in Milwaukee to celebrate the facility beginning to manufacture electric vehicle chargers to meet the needs of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
  • Regional Tech Hub: In October, Senator Baldwin announced with her support that Wisconsin has been designated by the Biden Administration as a Regional Technology Hub (Tech Hub), an initiative created by the Baldwin-backed CHIPS and Science Act. Wisconsin’s designation as a Tech Hub has the potential to bolster the state as a leader in personalized medicine and biohealth technology.
  • Protecting Main Streets: After years of advocating, Senator Baldwin successfully pushed the Securities and Exchange Commission to finalize a rule that cracks down on predatory activist hedge funds and better protects Main Street economies. The change mirrors key provisions of Senator Baldwin’s Brokaw Act, legislation named after a small Wisconsin village that went bankrupt after an out-of-state activist hedge fund bought up the Wausau Paper Company and shuttered the community’s main employer, the Brokaw mill.
  • Country of Origin Requirements: In July, Senator Baldwin’s Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Online Act passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with bipartisan support. This legislation would ensure that all goods sold online list their country-of-origin in order to protect Americans’ right to know where the products they buy are made and promote American-made goods for online shoppers.

Protecting Reproductive Rights and Lowering Drug Costs

  • Cutting Seniors’ Prescription Drug Costs: In August, Medicare announced the first 10 drugs selected for price negotiation under the Baldwin-backed Inflation Reduction Act. The law, which allows Medicare to negotiate the price of dozens of drugs with manufacturers for the first time ever, will cut out-of-pocket costs for seniors, save American taxpayers billions of dollars, and reduce the deficit. In 2022 alone, approximately 9 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries spent over $3.4 billion out-of-pocket on the 10 drugs selected for negotiation.
  • Capping Cost of Insulin: On January 1st, 2023, a $35 cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin for seniors on Medicare went into effect because of Senator Baldwin’s Inflation Reduction Act. Had the insulin caps been in place in 2020, nearly 32,000 people in Wisconsin would have saved roughly $630 per year in lower out-of-pocket costs.
  • Increasing Transparency in Drug Pricing: Senator Baldwin’s Fair Accountability and Innovative Research (FAIR) Drug Pricing Act, bipartisan legislation to require basic transparency for pharmaceutical corporations that increase drug prices, advanced in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) in May. 
  • Restoring Abortion Rights: Senator Baldwin led 48 Senators in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, legislation to guarantee access to abortion, everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans.
  • Protecting Access to Contraception: Senator Baldwin fought to pass legislation that would put into law Americans’ right to contraception and also improve access to contraceptive products, including over-the-counter birth control.

Addressing Public Safety and Taking on the Fentanyl and Opioid Epidemic

  • Supporting Law Enforcement: Senator Baldwin announced in October that Wisconsin had secured nearly $90 million to strengthen crime prevention efforts, invest in community resources to reduce recidivism, and assist victims, funded by the Senator Baldwin-supported Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill.
  • Addressing the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis: Senator Baldwin championed multiple provisions of the SUPPORT Act, bipartisan legislation to address the opioid and fentanyl epidemic. The legislation advanced in the Senate HELP Committee in December. Senator Baldwin successfully included provisions in that legislation to train first responders to prevent overdoses, combat opioid-related infectious diseases, and improve the health of expecting mothers and their children. She also fought to ensure that funding could be used for emerging substances of concern, like xylazine.
  • Keeping Fentanyl Out of Our Communities: In the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act legislation, Senator Baldwin successfully helped include the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation to combat the country’s fentanyl crisis by targeting the illicit fentanyl supply chain, from the chemical suppliers in China to the cartels that traffic the drugs from Mexico.

Working for Wisconsin Veterans

  • County Veterans Service Officers: Senator Baldwin’s Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in November. Baldwin’s bipartisan legislation would expand and support Tribal Veterans Service Officers and County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO), the community-based employees who work directly with veterans to inform them of eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and services, file pension and compensation claims, and help them enroll in job, housing, disability, and education benefits.
  • Delivering for Veterans at Tomah VA: After more than a year and a half of advocating on behalf of Wisconsin veterans, Senator Baldwin successfully pushed the VA to address a disturbing pattern of a doctor misdiagnosing neurological conditions at the Tomah VA Medical Center and to properly compensate those impacted. As a result of the misdiagnoses, these veterans were denied proper benefits and compensation.

Delivering for Wisconsin Infrastructure

  • Roads and Bridges: Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Baldwin has so far secured $3.4 billion for Wisconsin’s roads and bridges. She also helped deliver $11 million to improve safety on roads including in Chippewa County, River Falls, and Milwaukee, and $15 million to replace Madison’s John Nolen Drive. 
  • Airports: In 2023, Senator Baldwin secured $38 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for over 80 airports and over $23 million through last year’s funding legislation for Wisconsin airports like Appleton International, Dane County, and Rhinelander-Oneida to invest in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, terminal upgrades, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects.
  • Rail: This month, Senator Baldwin announced five new routes in Wisconsin have been selected as priorities for passenger rail expansion and will be receiving $500,000 each in planning and development grants for a total of $2.5 million statewide through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including new Hiawatha service from Milwaukee to Green Bay, Milwaukee to Minneapolis via Madison and Eau Claire, and Chicago to St. Paul via La Crosse.
  • Ports: In addition to securing over $15 million for the Port of Milwaukee in 2020, Senator Baldwin brought home over $9 million for the Port’s Agriculture Maritime Export Facility this year.
  • Broadband: This year, Senator Baldwin delivered over $1 billion in federal funds through the BEAD program to connect more Wisconsinites to high-speed internet. The award was based on maps Senator Baldwin fought to have updated to reflect where in Wisconsin reliable broadband was not available. Senator Baldwin also fought to secure additional investments for rural broadband in Southwest Wisconsin, pushing for and bringing home over $14 million for Dairyland Power Cooperative to expand high-speed internet.  
  • Public Transportation: The City of Madison will be receiving $38 million with Senator Baldwin’s support to improve public transportation, accommodate growth, and further the City’s commitment to clean energy.

Supporting Our Farmers and Rural Communities

  • Dairy Businesses: Wisconsin received $23 Million for their Dairy Business Innovation Initiative to support Wisconsin dairy’s with business plan development, marketing, and branding. Senator Baldwin authored the bill creating the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative program, successfully shepherding its passage in 2018 and securing funding in the subsequent years since.
  • Strengthening Food Supply Chains: Through the American Rescue Plan, which Senator Baldwin supported, Wisconsin and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new partnership to strengthen the Badger State’s food supply chains through $27 million in grant funding for projects designed to build resilience.
  • Value-Added Grants: As then-chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees rural development, Senator Baldwin delivered $1.3 million announced this year to help Wisconsin farmers, distillers, and processors add value to their businesses by generating new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. Recipients included businesses in Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Polk, Marathon, and Waukesha Counties.
  • Cutting Energy Costs: By supporting the Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Baldwin helped bring home nearly $6 million for over 50 Wisconsin farmers and rural businesses in every corner of the state to upgrade to renewable energy investments, lowering their energy costs, generating new income, and strengthening the resiliency of their operations.

Investing in Clean Water, Public Lands, and an Environment Free of Toxic Chemicals

  • Upgrading Critical Water Infrastructure: With support from the Baldwin backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Wisconsin’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund received a total of over $200 million in 2023 to make essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades across the state, including replacing lead service lines and addressing emerging contaminants like PFAS.
  • Cleaning Up the Milwaukee Estuary: Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Baldwin helped deliver $275 million to clean up legacy pollution in the Milwaukee Estuary to remove the site from the list of 25 remaining U.S. Areas of Concern – highly environmentally degraded areas found across the Great Lakes basin.
  • Revitalizing Polluted Sites: In 2023, it was announced Wisconsin would receive $9.5 million from the Baldwin-supported Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites, former industrial sites where legacy pollution has hindered future use and poses environmental risks, including in Green Bay, Eau Claire, Calumet County, and Milwaukee. Senator Baldwin also announced she helped deliver $5 million for the City of Green Bay’s Shipyard Project, a development to transform a former brownfield site for recreational use.
  • Ice Age Trail: In December, Senator Baldwin announced Wisconsin’s Ice Age and North Country Trails would receive Unit Status under the National Park Service, unlocking additional federal resources to maintain and publicize the trails. The announcement is in line with Senator Baldwin’s Scenic Trails Parity Act, which she’s introduced since 2014. 
  • Expanding Access to Green Spaces: Wisconsin will receive a total of $13.5 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding Senator Baldwin helped deliver to support two projects to combat climate change, expand access to green spaces, and create healthier communities in the City of Milwaukee and Dane County.

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