Town Hall Recap

One of my priorities as a Member of Congress is to be available and accessible. So far this year I’ve hosted in-person listening sessions in Janesville, Beloit, Racine and Kenosha as well as monthly telephone town halls.

This past Monday, I hosted my third telephone town hall of the year, which more than 5,000 residents joined. We took questions from every county in the 1st Congressional District and discussed topics ranging from Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and government spending.

It was a productive conversation and a great opportunity to address topics of concern to all of us.

Preventing Fraud and Scams

During the call, Brenda in Franklin asked about ways that we can ensure Wisconsinites, particularly our seniors are not falling victim to fraud or scams.

Scammers always look for new ways to obtain our information and rip us off. Roughly 21 million Americans reported having been personally victimized by scams in 2023. That same year, the Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost more than $10 billion to fraud, a 14% increase and the first time that fraud losses have reached the $10 billion benchmark. As part of my work in Congress, I have held several fraud prevention workshops, and my staff is always available to assist any individual who believes they may have been a victim of fraud.

Discussing Medicaid

On another call, Lauren from Janesville asked about what was happening with Medicaid and some of the recent reporting surrounding actions in Congress.

I stressed that Medicaid is an important program that helps provide health care to vulnerable individuals and their families, such as those with disabilities, children, pregnant women, or people in challenging economic circumstances. I believe it is essential that we protect the core mission of this program and ensure that poor administration of the program does not risk its viability.

While we work to protect Medicaid for those that need it, we should also work to remove waste, fraud, and abuse from the program. One troubling finding from a recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that taxpayers were billed twice for patients who had moved across state lines. This billing error resulted in billions of dollars of taxpayer funding being sent to insurers over just three years. Preventing duplicative billing for payments is common sense and something that government at every level should pursue.

I'm focused on making sure the program is targeted towards those who need it. Some states, such as California, have taken advantage of federal funding of the Medicaid program and expanded coverage to healthy, working-age, childless adults without the use of an asset test. This means that if a resident of California wins the lottery, they can still receive Medicaid coverage and have their insurance paid for by working-class families. 

Finally, besides ensuring that these programs provide critical care for the individuals they were intended for, government can focus on lifting individuals out of poverty and help them find gainful employment. Ensuring able-bodied, childless adults on Medicaid are either working, looking for work, or receiving job training is a broadly popular policy, with support in Wisconsin reaching nearly 80%.

In Congress, I will continue my work to support Wisconsin families and ensure that our taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.

Delivering Tax Relief for Wisconsin Families

Susan from Racine asked my views on the upcoming expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

As you may be aware, at the end of this year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is set to expire. That means if Congress does not act, 207 million Americans will see a 22% tax increase, more than  $1,500 per household. More than 80% of American taxpayers received a tax cut and paid, on average, $2,100 less in taxes as a result of the 2017 tax cuts. If these tax cuts are not extended, Americans will be burdened with an additional $4.5 trillion in taxes beginning in 2026. As Wisconsin families and seniors continue to struggle with the costs of inflation, I am working to ensure taxes do not increase because of legislative inaction.

As always, feel free to contact my office if you have any questions, want to share an opinion, or are having trouble with a federal agency.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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