Senator Baldwin Wraps Up Week on the Road Highlighting Her Work Delivering for Wisconsin

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin wrapped up a week on the road highlighting her work delivering for Wisconsin. Senator Baldwin made a dozen stops in eleven counties to highlight her work combatting the opioid and fentanyl crisis, cutting prescription drug costs, expanding access to high speed internet, supporting our troops, and strengthening Wisconsin’s rural communities. Senator Baldwin finished her week with stops on Friday in Rusk and Chippewa counties to discuss investments she’s secured to combat the opioid epidemic in Ladysmith and expand access to high-speed broadband in Cornell.

“I’m proud to be working for Wisconsin every day to deliver the resources to keep our communities safe and healthy, cut household costs, and grow our Made in Wisconsin economy,” said Senator Baldwin. “Traveling the state, I get to hear from Wisconsinites firsthand to help inform my work in Washington. I am proud to bring home results for them to address their kitchen table issues – lowering costs, curbing the opioid and fentanyl crisis, and connecting Wisconsinites with good paying jobs.”

In Rusk County, Senator Baldwin met with advocates and local leaders Friday in Ladysmith to highlight federal funding she’s brought home to address the opioid epidemic. Senator Baldwin highlighted her bipartisan legislation to cut off the supply chains for synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which advanced in the Senate as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. Senator Baldwin has also worked to increase access to the opioid reversal drug naloxone and increase resources for local and Tribal communities to better combat the opioid and substance use disorder epidemic, successfully including funding for both programs in last year’s budget. 

In Chippewa County, Senator Baldwin stopped in Cornell to discuss how federal investment is expanding broadband for hundreds of residents. Chippewa County residents received support from the federal ReConnect Program through the Department of Agriculture, which provided over $3 million to expand broadband to nearly 750 households in Chippewa, Rusk and Taylor counties. Senator Baldwin also supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which created the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program through which Wisconsin was allocated more than $1 billion to expand access to high-speed internet.

This week, Senator Baldwin made a dozen stops across the state to highlight her work supporting Wisconsin’s military installations, lowering drug costs for Wisconsin families, investing in Wisconsin’s agricultural economy, bolstering public safety, combatting the opioid epidemic, and growing our Made in Wisconsin economy.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Senator Baldwin toured the existing barracks at Fort McCoy that serve the thousands of reservists who come from across the country to train each year. Senator Baldwin secured the funds for Fort McCoy in the 2022 and 2023 budget process, with a total investment for the project of $98 million to construct permanent barracks that can house nearly 1,000 enlisted soldiers and officers during annual training and mobilization.

Senator Baldwin also visited Volk Field in Camp Douglas to attend the Northern Lightening training exercise and speak with service members. In the recently passed Senate defense funding legislation, Senator Baldwin secured $670,000 for Volk Air National Guard Base for planning and development of a Fire and Crash Rescue Station to replace the current station that is not large enough to house equipment and personnel. Senator Baldwin also stopped in Osseo in Trempealeau County Thursday to highlight federal investments she supported for a new wastewater treatment facility and newly-opened technical education center.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Senator Baldwin toured Gunderson Pharmacy Wednesday with Wisconsin seniors, health officials, and Protect Our Care to see how their 12-week pharmacy technician training program is building Wisconsin’s healthcare workforce and delivering Wisconsinites the medications they need. Senator Baldwin has long advocated for lower prescription drug costs and helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act in August of 2022, which gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month, and requires all vaccines covered under Medicare Part D to be completely free.

Senator Baldwin also joined the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association (WSCGA) at their annual summer field day at the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station in Black River Falls. Since 2016, Senator Baldwin has secured annual federal funding for cranberry research through the Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service. Senator Baldwin also visited the La Crosse REACH Center to highlight $1 million she secured for the Day Center to help prevent and end homelessness, alleviate poverty, and increase self-reliance.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Senator Baldwin toured the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station (MARS) Tuesday to learn how $6 million she secured in federal funding will help expand the facility to better support researchers and the Wisconsin agricultural community. Senator Baldwin also highlighted new projects that have been selected to receive funding through the Baldwin-supported Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Senator Baldwin also toured ND Paper in Wisconsin Rapids, and discussed how the Wisconsin business transitioned to a 100% recycled fiber operation to create more sustainable brown paper used for craft bags, mailers, and corrugated boxes.

Monday, August 7, 2023

Monday, Senator Baldwin started the week in Marquette County with Sherriff Joseph Konrath   to discuss her efforts to support local law enforcement, including advocating for the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program to combat organized and violent crime, gang activity, drug activity, terrorism and violent extremism, human trafficking, identity theft, and cybercrime.

In Portage, Senator Baldwin met with members of PARCC, a group of concerned citizens, including recovery professionals, parents, service providers, law enforcement, schools, and others working to address the opioid crisis.

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