Press Releases
Baldwin, Cantwell, Murray, and Feinstein Introduce Oil Train Safety Legislation
Bill would set new standards for crude volatility, take unsafe tank cars off the tracks, and increase fines for violations Baldwin and Cantwell hold Capitol Hill press conference unveiling legislation (AUDIO, VIDEO) WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced legislation that would set strong new safety standards for trains hauling volatile crude oil, to better protect American communities alo… Continue Reading
03.24.15
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Bill to Help Businesses Move Made In Wisconsin Goods to Market
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today introduced legislation to address challenges faced by Wisconsin businesses when shipping by rail. The Rail Shipper Fairness Act aims to reduce costs and improve service problems faced by a broad coalition of Wisconsin rail shippers, including farmers, manufacturers and utilities. "Our Wisconsin businesses need a quality and responsive railroad system to effectively get their goods to market," said Senator Baldwin. "In order to continue buildin… Continue Reading
03.23.15
Baldwin, 20 Other Senators Call for Crude-by-Rail Safety Investments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined a letter with 20 other Senators calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to support robust investment for a Safe Transportation of Energy Products program to address increasing safety concerns related to the transportation of Bakken crude and other energy products. The Senators also called for increased funding for crude-by-rail safety efforts conducted by agencies such as the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Pipeline and Ha… Continue Reading
03.23.15
Baldwin and Senate Democrats Mark Affordable Care Act Anniversary, Decry Efforts to Roll Back Progress
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) marked the fifth anniversary of the day President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. At a time when the law's successes are undeniable, Republicans are pushing radical budget proposals that would: Invalidate health coverage for over 11 million Americans who signed up th… Continue Reading
03.20.15
Baldwin Stands Up for Wisconsin Brewers with the Fair BEER Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Fair Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act of 2015 (Fair BEER Act) to comprehensively reform the federal beer tax imposed on brewers and help boost Wisconsin's breweries. The Fair BEER Act will promote further growth in the industry and encourage continued investment and job creation through broad excise tax reforms. "Our breweries are vital to our state's Made In Wisconsin economy and our heritage," said Senator Baldwin. "Wisconsin … Continue Reading
03.19.15
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls on Congress to Act on Children’s Health Insurance
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today urged her congressional colleagues to pass legislation that would extend the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) until 2019, preserving effective, low-cost health insurance for thousands of Wisconsin children. Without Congressional action, CHIP will expire in September and up to 74,569 Wisconsin children could be at risk of losing coverage and middle class families could be forced to pay hundreds of more dollars for health care coverage.… Continue Reading
03.19.15
Baldwin Supports Action to Tackle Student Debt Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin signed on as an original cosponsor of the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, introduced by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The legislation would allow those with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at the interest rates that were approved last year for new borrowers. A previous version of the bill was voted on in the 113th Congress, and every Senate Democrat and three Senate Republicans voted to move the bill forward, falli… Continue Reading
03.18.15
Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Effort to Designate “Manufacturing Universities”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to introduce bipartisan legislation to help schools strengthen their engineering programs and meet the growing demands of 21st century manufacturing. The bill would designate 25 universities as "Manufacturing Universities" and provide incentives to better align educational offerings with the needs of modern manufacturers. The in… Continue Reading
03.18.15
Baldwin, Murray, Pocan Introduce Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act to Combat Bullying and Harassment at Colleges and Universities
Legislation would work to reduce the bullying and harassment epidemic at colleges across America LGBT youth are twice as likely to be harassed as their peers WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI), reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing dangerous bullying and harassment that affects one in five students at colleges and universities across the country. The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassme… Continue Reading
03.17.15
Baldwin, Murray, Kind Introduce Bill to Ensure All Same-Sex Spouses Have Access to Benefits They Have Earned
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced the Social Security and Marriage Equality (SAME) Act of 2015 to ensure all same-sex spouses receive equal treatment under the Social Security Act when applying for Social Security benefits, regardless of where they live. Eligibility for spousal benefits provided under the Social Security Act is determined by a place of residence standard. This standard has … Continue Reading
03.12.15
Baldwin, Merkley Introduce Trade Legislation to Level the Playing Field for American Manufacturing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation that would crack down on unfair trade practices, level the playing field for American manufacturing companies, and help create middle class jobs. The Level the Playing Field in Global Trade Act would ensure that when other countries undercut American manufacturers by selling products produced under conditions where workers are paid sub-standard wages, or where workplace safety practices … Continue Reading
03.12.15
Support Grows for Baldwin’s Bipartisan Medicare Data Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, 37 organizations representing patients, providers, insurers, employers and researchers called on Congress to quickly pass U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin's (D-WI) Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act, which would increase the transparency of healthcare costs in Medicare-helping doctors, health systems, private insurers and research institutions provide more efficient, higher quality healthcare and better patient outcomes. Baldwin introduced the legislation with South Dak… Continue Reading
03.10.15
Baldwin Statement on Initial Findings from Tomah VA Prescription Clinical Review
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement regarding the release of findings from phase one of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) investigation at the Tomah VA Medical Center. "These initial findings substantiate the troubling concerns my office has heard from current and former employees and patients at the Tomah VA. As the investigation builds on this troubling evidence and moves forward, it is critical that it be conducted in a detailed, … Continue Reading
03.10.15
Baldwin Introduces NextGen High Schools Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Next Generation (NextGen) High Schools Act, a bill to help high schools that enroll traditionally underserved students in the development and implementation of comprehensive, evidenced-based reform. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined Baldwin in introducing today's legislation. Currently, one-fifth of all students and nearly one-third of all students of color fail to graduate from high school on time, if at all. Unless high … Continue Reading
03.09.15
Baldwin, Thune Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Costs and Increase Efficiency in Healthcare Delivery
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and John Thune (R-SD) today introduced bipartisan legislation that increases the transparency of healthcare costs in Medicare-helping doctors, health systems, private insurers and research institutions provide more efficient, higher quality healthcare and better patient outcomes. "Medicare is the single largest payer of healthcare services in the country, spending over $600 billion each year. But we know very little about what we are paying … Continue Reading
03.09.15
Baldwin, Kind Urge President to Take Immediate Action on Dangerous Oil Trains
In letter to President Obama, Baldwin and Kind express frustration after the Administration missed January 15 deadline to release final rules to address oil train accidents "The danger facing Wisconsin communities located near rail lanes has materialized quickly." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) sent a letter to President Obama urging the Administration to take immediate action and issue final guidance to address oil train sa… Continue Reading
03.05.15
Baldwin, Durbin Introduce Expansion of VA Caregivers Program that Would Help Thousands More Veterans and their Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced the introduction of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Family Caregivers Expansion and Improvement Act, a bill that would open the VA Family Caregivers Program to all eligible veterans who were severely injured while serving our country. The Family Caregivers Program provides home health training, peer support, and a small financial stipend to caregivers of severely injured veterans. The caregivers also have access to … Continue Reading
03.04.15
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Legislation on Strengthening Inspectors General Clears Senate Hurdle
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, during a business meeting of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, a bipartisan amendment authored by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) was unanimously approved. The provision would amend the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2015, which Senator Baldwin has cosponsored, to require all Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports that make recommendations as a result of investigations, audits or other activities to be sent directly to the he… Continue Reading
03.03.15
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Maternal Care Access in Underserved Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today introduced the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act, which aims to reduce maternity care shortages by identifying areas lacking maternal health professionals to help incentivize providers to practice in these underserved and often rural areas. Babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be low birth weight, and are five times more likely to die than babies whose mothers received care. According t… Continue Reading
03.03.15
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Bipartisan Effort to Boost Wisconsin Nursing Programs
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Making the Education of Nursing Dependable for Schools (MEND) Act. This bipartisan legislation addresses a technical issue regarding the way the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) funds hospital-based nursing programs and ensures that our primary care workforce is prepared for the growing demand for health services. Senator Baldwin joined U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), as well as U.S. Se… Continue Reading
