Congress

Three Wisconsin lawmakers are among hundreds from around the country who signed a letter to Congress opposing a restriction on artificial intelligence regulation.

In Wisconsin almost 1.3 million children and adults are enrolled in Medicaid, and more than 700,000 receive FoodShare. Wisconsin’s Medicaid Director Bill Hanna says under the new legislation, many of those people will likely lose their benefits.

As it heads to the Senate, the bill is expected to face opposition even from Senate Republicans like Ron Johnson.

Wisconsin would lose about $314 million in food assistance from the federal government under the massive budget bill passed by the U.S. House early Thursday, according to an an analysis of the proposed cuts by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

As Republicans in Congress hammer out the details of a massive tax bill that would form a cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s agenda, federal funding for food assistance could end up shifted to the states.

The Trump administration is proposing cuts to Medicaid in its 2026 budget, which would reduce funding for Wisconsin’s federally qualified health centers.

The head of Wisconsin’s Medicaid program says potential cuts to federal Medicaid funding would lead to higher costs and more barriers to coverage for the state’s residents.

“The sooner this can conclude, the sooner that the entire strategy plays out and we end up with whatever the result will be, the better,” Johnson told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”

Political experts say recent events are reminiscent of town halls in 2009 and 2010 when anger about the Affordable Care Act led to a red wave.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will visit Eau Claire next week to rally Democrats ahead of key elections this year and next.