Interviews in Washington D.C. with Van Jones, Pramila Jayapal, and Ai-jen Poo at the People’s Action Founding Convention.

MILWAUKEE - This week we have a special edition of the Battleground Wisconsin Podcast featuring exclusive interviews with 3 rising progressive leaders who have unique perspectives on how to build the political power to achieve the full promise of American life. The interviews were recorded this week in Washington, D.C. at the People’s Action Founding Convention.

The interviews include: (1) Van Jones, a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean-energy economy. He served as a special advisor to the Obama White House and is currently a political contributor on CNN. (2) Pramila Jayapal, a newly elected Congresswoman from the state of Washington who had already made a huge splash on the national scene. She is an Indian immigrant who came to America when she was 16. Pramila attributes her election to her bold, progressive agenda and not being afraid to stand up to corporate and special interests. 3) Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Co-director of the Caring Across Generations Campaign. Ai-Jen is considered one of the top progressive strategists in America. She has been organizing immigrant women workers for over two decades, forging pathways to sustainable quality jobs for the caregiving workforce and fighting to guarantee access to affordable care for the nation’s aging populations.

Rep. Duffy outburst reveals fear of government control overrides public good.

ANTIGO, WI - In an emotional outburst at a town hall meeting yesterday in Antigo, Congressman Sean Duffy said much more than he intended about why conservative politicians who control the House of Representatives are reneging on their campaign promise to make health coverage more affordable and accessible.

At the town hall meeting, which was dominated by questions about the unsuccessful attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Dora Gorski asked Duffy to support a single payer health care system to reduce costs and to guarantee health coverage to every American.

As was reported by Wisconsin Public Radio, Duffy responded with an emotional harangue:

"I would argue, 'Hell no,' to that. When the government controls your education, they control your food, they control your housing, they control your health care, they control you."

Audio of the exchange here.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin Executive Director Robert Kraig made the following statement in response:

“Congressman Duffy’s outburst unintentionally reveals a dangerously constricted view of government that if fulfilled would eliminate Medicare and BadgerCare, which are single payer systems, and would abolish public schools. By stating this anti-government extremism plainly, Duffy has actually helped explain why the conservative majority in the House of Representatives delivered a health care bill which forces 24 million people off health care and legalizes discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. The modern conservative drive to radically limit the role of our democracy is incompatible with guaranteeing that everyone in America has somewhere to go to get health care no matter what. Insurance and pharmaceutical corporations are not in the business of securing affordable health care, they are driven by profit imperatives dictated by Wall Street. That’s why insurance companies will deny coverage to sick people and pharmaceutical corporations will price gouge if we let them. It is a simple truth that only “we the people, through the agency of our own democratic government, can guarantee health care to everyone in America.”

Millions of Americans, including 49,300 in the Fox Valley/Green Bay area and nearly 240,000 statewide in Wisconsin Congressional districts held by Republicans could be harmed by ill conceived American Healthcare Act.

MADISON - Before the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans lacked access to quality, affordable health insurance, and even those who did have coverage had little protection against insurance company abuses. It seems that Wisconsin's Republican members of Congress want to drag us back to the dark age before President Obama's landmark legislation. 

Tomorrow, the House is expected to vote on the widely-panned Republican Wealthcare bill, led by Rep. Paul Ryan, that kicks 24 million Americans off of their health insurance and forks over huge tax giveaways to insurance companies and the super-wealthy.

For some, the bill isn't bad enough, Rep. Grothman recently introduced an amendment to unfairly kick 26-year-olds off their parent's health care insurance, only allowing them to stay on their parent's plans until age 23. 

For others, like Rep. Sean Duffy, cajoling their colleagues for tomorrow's vote is more important than ensuring health care for those in his district who need it the most. 

Even those who have heard opposition to the proposal from their constituents are choosing to simply ignore them, like Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and Rep. Mike Gallagher, who both still plan to vote for the Wealthcare bill tomorrow.  

Even Koch-brothers darling and 'repeal and replace' candidate, Sen. Ron Johnson, opposes the House's Wealthcare proposal. Johnson recently told reporters that “skeptical” was an “understatement” in describing his attitude toward the plan.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/aca-save-s5.jpgSpeaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans proudly introduced their health plan last night, and it provides less coverage, higher costs, huge tax giveaways to those at the top. This took six years?

A People For the American Way (PFAW) TV ad urges us to call our senators to oppose President Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch. He has criticized courts being used to advance core constitutional rights.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - People For the American Way (PFAW) announced a TV ad on Thursday urging viewers to call their senators to oppose President Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch. The ad, which features an image of judge ripping up the Constitution, details why Judge Gorsuch is unfit to sit on the nation’s highest court. The ad will run for one week in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia.

“Americans know we need Supreme Court justices who will protect the most fundamental American freedoms, and Judge Gorsuch cannot be trusted to do that,” stated PFAW President Michael Keegan. “We’re releasing this ad to shine a spotlight on the threat Judge Gorsuch poses to the America Way. We urge Americans across the country to call their senators and make clear that they expect their senators to stand up against Gorsuch, a Supreme Court nominee who prioritizes corporate interests over the constitutional rights that Americans rely on.”

“Judge Gorsuch has criticized courts being used to advance core constitutional rights, e.g. the rights of LGBTQ people, but he does think the courts should be used to prop up corporations at the expense of everyday Americans. That’s absurd.” said PFAW Executive Vice President Marge Baker. “Supreme Court justices serve for life—Trump could devastate fundamental rights for decades if the Senate confirms Judge Gorsuch, but we have the power to stop him by calling on our senators today to oppose this extreme nominee.”

Unclear why Cramer would issue statement, as Environmental Impact Statement is still incomplete. Decision would be a huge setback for the Standing Rock Sioux and others who have opposed the pipeline route.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer said on YouTube Tuesday that the Army Corps of Engineers will be granting the easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross beneath Lake Oahe.

This approval would be needed to complete construction of the project, and follows President Trump’s Jan. 24 memorandum to the Secretary of the Army, directing that all federal agency reviews and approvals be expedited to complete the remaining portions of the pipeline.

It is unclear why Cramer would issue this statement at this time. According to the FEDERAL REGISTER, the Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection With Dakota Access, LLC's Request for an Easement To Cross Lake Oahe, by the Army Department on 01/18/2017, sets the North Dakota Army Core of Engineers' comment period for the Environmental Impact Statement as open until February 20, 2017. Are they are approving the Easement before they finish their own review?

Congressman Cramer's YouTube Statement is presented below: