1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am a mother of two school-age children, a teacher, and a proud member of my community in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I stand in firm agreement with Governor Evers' open letter to the Republican Members of Congress, sent on March 4th. In the decisions made over these past weeks by our federal government, I see a distinct pattern of cutting those programs and funding that impact the most vulnerable among us, as well as the middle-class working people of Wisconsin. Our Congress needs to support education, particularly those funds such as Title I that provide supports and greater chance of success for children who desperately need them. Our Congress needs to support food assistance programs like SNAP, which give those kids energy to learn and much needed help for seniors, rural areas, and the disabled. These programs also work with our Wisconsin farmers, giving them a local market for their crops. Our Congress needs to support health programs like Medicaid and research into diseases like Alzheimer's, which impact more and more families each year. Getting needed health care helps our people in Wisconsin to be more healthy and participate more fully in our communities, which benefits all of us. Our Congress needs to stand against mercurial, harsh tariffs and bullying of our nearest neighbors and allies. Wisconsin is especially vulnerable to the consequences of these tariffs in raised prices and less market for our agricultural and manufacturing goods. My own family's budget has grown tighter and tighter lately, even with both my husband and I working, and our family will be directly hurt if prices on our basic needs such as gasoline rise. Please stop laying down quietly and letting the executive branch strip away years of advancements that genuinely help those of us who carefully budget, plan, and make sacrifices in order to live good lives. There are ways to make thoughtful, data-driven decisions that will reduce the federal budget, use resources wisely, and still invest in our people and our future. You are in a position to speak up for myself, my family, and all the others in Wisconsin who rely on you, and who voted for you to be our voice. Thank you for being brave and speaking loudly and clearly for what is right.