Press Releases
Baldwin Demands Answers from the Nation’s Largest Meat Processors on Failing to Protect Workers from COVID-19
5,000 workers in the meatpacking industry either have COVID-19 or have been forced to self-quarantine and 20 workers have died WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today demanded answers from the CEOs of the nation's three largest meat processors, JBS USA Holdings, Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods, on reports of unsafe working conditions and facilities failing to follow recommended safety guidelines to protect frontline workers. In Wisconsin, outbreaks at meat processing plants have … Continue Reading
05.05.20
Baldwin Joins Colleagues in Call for Tax Credit Expansion to Help Working Families During Coronavirus Economic Downturn
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with 38 senators, in a letter to Senate leadership calling for a temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the next coronavirus relief package. As the economic effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are expected to last into next year, this would put money back in the pockets of … Continue Reading
05.05.20
Senator Baldwin to Trump Administration: Wisconsin Farmers Need Better Access to Paycheck Protection Program Now
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is calling for action from the Trump administration to help Wisconsin farmers access the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Senator Baldwin has heard from struggling family farmers that are falling through the cracks in the PPP because of how the program determines applicant eligibility. The PPP bases loans on either the business' payroll costs or its net earnings. Businesses that lost money in 2019 are allowed … Continue Reading
05.04.20
Baldwin Joins Colleagues in Push to Strengthen Food Assistance During COVID-19 Crisis
Senator is Urging Senate Leadership to Address Needs of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Next Coronavirus Relief Package WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues in urging Senate leadership to support and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In a letter sent to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Baldwin urged her colleagues to address the needs of SNAP in the next coronavirus relief package… Continue Reading
05.04.20
BALDWIN, SENATE COLLEAGUES: TRUMP DECISION TO REOPEN MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES WITHOUT CLEAR SAFETY STANDARDS PUTS WORKERS, NATION’S FOOD SUPPLY AT RISK
President Trump Used Defense Production Act to Compel Meat Processing Facilities to Reopen Despite Poor Health & Safety Record; Without Comprehensive Efforts to Ensure Health & Safety of Workers, Plants will Remain Significant Vector of Infection Senators: Facilities Should Reopen Only After they have Met All Health & Safety Guidelines Issued by OSHA and CDC WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is urging President Trump to take immediate action to amend his Executive Order… Continue Reading
05.01.20
Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators Urging USDA to Target Relief to Local Farmers in Finalized Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Earlier this Month, Senators Outlined Steps that USDA Can Take to Ensure that CARES Act Relief Programs Reach Local Farmers Senators are Following up on Their Initial Request and Urging USDA to Ensure Provisions for Local Food Producers are Specifically Included in the Newly Created Coronavirus Food Assistance Program WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of senators, led by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Susan Collins (R-ME), in urg… Continue Reading
05.01.20
Baldwin and Senate Colleagues Ask About Political Interference In COVID-19 Response Following Ouster of Vaccine Development Head
20 Democratic Senators write to Sec. Azar about concerns that political interference is hindering COVID-19 response efforts Trump Administration reportedly removed Dr. Rick Bright as head of BARDA due to his insistence on scientifically vetted treatments Recent reports also raise questions about whether other personnel chosen for key leadership roles had relevant qualifications Senators: "Our response to this crisis cannot be steady if its leadership is being constantly shuffled and if expert… Continue Reading
04.30.20
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Applauds U.S. Navy’s Selection of Wisconsin to Build New Ships
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin released the following statement applauding the U.S. Navy's announcement today that Wisconsin's Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard has been selected to build a class of up to 10 multimission guided-missile frigates (FFGs) for the Navy's FFG(X) program. "I take great pride in representing Wisconsin's shipbuilding industry because our workers have helped sustain America's security for generations, boasting a successful history of building ships for… Continue Reading
04.30.20
Baldwin, Murray, Heinrich, Democrats to Scalia: Do Your Job and Protect Workers Before Reopening the Economy
As the Trump Administration pushes to reopen economy, Senate Democrats insist that worker protections must come first In a letter to Labor Secretary Scalia, Democrats demand that OSHA put in place standards, guidance, enforcement, and outreach to protect workers Senators to Scalia: "In advance of states reopening, you have a responsibility to direct OSHA to take steps to ensure workers are protected, which will further protect public health." WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, … Continue Reading
04.29.20
Senators Baldwin, Hawley Ask FTC to Open Antitrust Investigation into Meatpackers Amid Plant Closures
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to open an antitrust investigation into the meatpacking industry. The industry is currently dominated by just a handful of large, multinational firms that have concentrated meat processing into fewer and fewer facilities, leaving America's food supply chain vulnerable to disruptions. In the bipartisan letter, the Senators note that the closing of three pork plants because… Continue Reading
04.29.20
BALDWIN, MURPHY, SCHUMER, SENATE DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE LEGISLATION TO FEDERALIZE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN, INCREASE NATIONAL PRODUCTION AND CREATE AN EQUITABLE AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR DELIVERY OF NECESSARY SUPPLIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), both members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, as well as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, on Wednesday announced legislation that lays out a framework for an effective COVID-19 response by federalizing and adding critical oversight and transparency to the supply chain for critical medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery A… Continue Reading
04.28.20
Baldwin Joins Effort to Repeal GOP Tax Giveaway to Million-Dollar-Plus Earners in Coronavirus Relief Legislation
Legislation would unwind GOP changes in CARES Act that cost taxpayers $160 billion, were more than was given to hospitals and more than to state and local governments Provisions allow a wealthy few to receive an average benefit of $1.6 MILLION - dwarfing COVID relief bill's $1,200 payments for working Americans If left in place, GOP handout for hedge fund managers and real estate moguls may benefit Trump family businesses WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined bicamera… Continue Reading
04.28.20
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for HHS Inspector General Investigation into Trump Administration’s Promotion of Hydroxychloroquine as a Treatment for COVID-19
Hydroxychloroquine has not been approved as a treatment for Coronavirus Baldwin also raises questions about shipments of hydroxychloroquine to Milwaukee WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the Trump Administration's promotion of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19, despite the fact that it has not been approved as a treatment. Senator Baldwin also raised a … Continue Reading
04.27.20
As Trump Seeks to Limit Governors’ Ability to Spend COVID-19 Relief Funds, Baldwin and Senate Democrats Urge Administration to Remove Needless Restrictions
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues, led by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), in responding to the Trump administration's needless bureaucratic restrictions on how governors can distribute Coronavirus Relief Funds to their states, sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin calling on him to revise initial guidelines so that they can provide essential public services amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, as the law intends. Congress unanimously passed the C… Continue Reading
04.27.20
Senator Baldwin, Colleagues Call for Establishing 9-8-8 Suicide Hotline in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin is helping lead a bipartisan, bicameral push in Congress with 22 U.S. Senators and 17 U.S. Representatives to include the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act in the next COVID-19 relief package. Baldwin's bipartisan legislation would designate 9-8-8 as the three-digit number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. Baldwin introduced this bipartisan legislation with Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and … Continue Reading
04.27.20
Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Administration to Take Action to Ensure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds Reach Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined 20 of her colleagues, led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), on a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, calling on the administration to develop strong supervisory mechanisms to identify instances of unjust enrichment and ensure that Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds reach struggling small businesses who truly need the money. Recent reports indicate that the initial distributio… Continue Reading
04.24.20
Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Group of Senators Calling for Relief for Rural Broadcasters, Local Newspapers During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of 74 of her colleagues, led by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), in calling for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought to support radio and television broadcasters and local newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senators said in part, "Our radio and television broadcasters and rural newspapers… Continue Reading
04.24.20
Baldwin, Senate Colleagues Call for Administration to Fully Utilize Defense Production Act & Protect Veterans from COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In order to better protect veterans, health care professionals and all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and 14 of their colleagues in calling on the Administration and its Coronavirus Task Force to make full use of the Defense Production Act (DPA). The depletion of medical supplies nationally and a broken federal procurement and distribution pro… Continue Reading
04.23.20
Senator Baldwin, Colleagues Push to Ensure Families Receive Promised COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Their Children as Quickly as Possible
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues, led by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), in calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to ensure that families who are not required to file taxes and will automatically receive their COVID-19 stimulus payment do not need to wait until next year to receive the additional $500 payment per dependent child that they were promised. "We write to express our concern tha… Continue Reading
04.23.20
Senator Baldwin, Colleagues Call for $3.6 Billion to Expand Vote-By-Mail, Early Voting in CARES 2 Relief Package
Senators: "The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy - a right that generations of Americans before us have fought to secure, and a right that we must protect now." Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Leaders McConnell, Schumer, and McCarthy calls on leaders to include the funding and direction necessary to expand vote-by-mail and early voting in the fourth stimulus package (CARES 2) WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined her colleagues, led by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Am… Continue Reading
