Senator Baldwin Releases Statement on Opposing Republicans’ Bill to Give Elon Musk and Trump a Slush Fund

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, released the following statement detailing why she cannot support Congressional Republicans’ partisan plan that writes a blank check to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, while selling out Wisconsin’s working families, veterans, farmers, and seniors:

“Republicans control every lever of power in Washington, and it’s their job to figure out a way to govern. Unfortunately, they have decided to walk away from the bipartisan full-year funding bills that we wrote together. Now, without even pretending to negotiate or compromise, they expect Democrats to pass a bill they drafted behind closed doors that gives Donald Trump and Elon Musk a slush fund to spend on their pet projects – all while gutting resources for Wisconsin fire and police departments, our 988 Suicide Hotline, health care, and support for our dairy farmers and veterans. You are damn right I am against that. But, make no mistake, I am and always will be willing to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to find common ground and pass funding bills that deliver for working families, children, veterans, and small businesses. We need to get back to the table and work to do just that.”

The Republicans’ plan, which does not simply extend Fiscal Year 2024 funding through September, would allow Elon Musk and President Donald Trump even greater authority to pick and choose which programs to support and which to cut in order to pay for their tax breaks for big corporations and billionaires, including:  

• Combatting Fentanyl: Allows the Trump administration to steer funding away from stopping the flow of fentanyl and instead spend that money on mass deportation initiatives.
• Substance Use and Mental Health: Gives the Trump Administration the power to significantly cut or eliminate funding for substance use treatment programs. The Republican plan would also allow for cuts or the elimination of mental health crisis response grants, suicide prevention programs including the 988 Lifeline, First Responder grants, medication assisted treatment programs, and more.
• Farmers and Rural Development: Removes protections for programs farmers rely on, including the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, and forces the United States Department of Agriculture to cut $34 million from critical grant and loan programs for rural communities. The bill allows the administration to pick winners and losers across the board, including shortchanging new and beginning farmers, dairy and livestock producers, the organic community and much more.
• Support for Veterans: Grants wide discretion to the administration over funding for veterans’ health programs—allowing it to cut or eliminate funding for homelessness prevention programs, rural health initiatives, suicide prevention, and more. The Republican plan also cuts nearly $800 million from VA facility construction, leaving several facilities without the ability to expand to meet demand.
• K-12 Education, Health Programs, Cancer Research, and More: A full list of programs that are in jeopardy under the Republican plan is available here.   

The Republicans' bill would also strip funding that Senator Baldwin worked to secure for dozens of Wisconsin communities to support public safety, affordable housing, mental health and opioid support, workforce training, and clean water projects.

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