Wisconsin, the land of fried cheese curds and the Green Bay Packers, is one of a half-dozen key battleground states where President Biden Is Trying to make health care a major issue His expected November clash with former Pres. Donald Trump,
After swings in Trump’s favor in 2016, Biden narrowly won Wisconsin in 2020. And while recent polling indicates Trump is now has a slight edgeMany people here are still undecided about who to vote for or even whether to vote at all. Across the state, the rising cost of health care tops their list of concerns.
As a Wisconsin resident, I wanted to find out what was motivating voters. One of the best places to gauge the mood of the state is at the summer polka festivals, which attract voters of all political persuasions.
For example, last weekend I met Bob Prelip79, at Birnamwood Polka Days in Birnamwood, population approx 700,
Prelip, a Republican who served in Vietnam during his time in the Navy, voted for Trump in 2016, then voted for Biden in 2020. Prelip said Trump angered him with his statement. Comments insulting military veterans,
After Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, “I knew I couldn’t vote for him again,” Prelip said. “I can’t believe we can’t find a better Republican nominee. I’m still trying to decide what to do.”
His veteran’s healthcare has improved significantly under Biden, yet he’s still not in favor of voting for him. “I’m not happy with Biden,” he said. “Everything is getting so expensive, even healthcare.”
Birnamwood is in a rural area of the state that is ruby red — with Trump hats in the crowd and Trump flags dotted the landscape. Biden supporters are more visible in liberal, densely populated cities like Madison and Milwaukee.
Gregg LabsTuba players in local polka bands proudly display Trump stickers on their instruments.
“There are thousands of people coming across the border,” Labus said, expressing concern about the Democratic president’s move to grant access to healthcare to immigrants denied legal residency — an idea he relishes Vice President Harris Assistant in 2019 and more California has passed“We cannot support the whole world.”
Meanwhile, Biden and members of his administration are trying to win over voters by touting a major expansion of Obamacare while promising to do more to expand access to care, particularly in rural communities.
“More than nine million people have received health care because of the steps taken by this administration,” Neera TandonBiden’s domestic policy adviser announced the move in a statement last week in the city of Rothschild, saying, $11 million Federal investment in the health care workforce is “a clear choice.”
But at a Rothschild town hall-style event, Wisconsin voters told Tanden and the Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra The state’s closure of hospitals and clinics has cut off access to them.
“A hospital that has served our community for 100 years has suddenly closed,” he said. Michael GolattAn independent voter who lives in the city of Altoona and believes Biden will prioritize healthcare still says the president should do more to expand access to healthcare and mental health treatment. “It really is a crisis here.”
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