Tammy Baldwin is the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a fierce defender of working families.
I’m Tammy Baldwin, and I’m proud to represent Wisconsin in the United States Senate. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about myself, why I ran for U.S. Senate, and why our campaign in Wisconsin is so important. When I was a child, I was diagnosed with a serious illness and spent three months in the hospital. I was raised by my grandparents, and when I got better, they looked for an insurance policy that would cover me in the future. However, because of my previous illness, they couldn’t find such a policy. Not from any insurer. Not at any price. They had to pay for my health care out of pocket — and they had to make enormous sacrifices to do so — all because I was a child who had been labeled with those words: “pre-existing condition.” I got into public service because I saw my grandparents stay up nights, worried sick that I would fall ill again and they wouldn't be able to afford my care. No one should ever have to go through that. Like 133 million Americans, I know what it's like to have the label "pre-existing condition" attached to my care — and before the Affordable Care Act was passed, many of us could be denied coverage. Today, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against someone based on their pre-existing condition. I championed that health reform and fought to allow young people to stay on their parents’ insurance plans up to age 26. These policy changes have led to millions more Americans getting the health insurance they need. So, you can imagine my frustration whenever Republicans launch a new attack on our health care or threaten protections for folks with pre-existing conditions. They’ve spent years playing politics with people’s lives. And if they’re successful, countless Americans could find themselves in a place where insurance companies, once again, write all the rules. The people of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take people’s health care away, which is why I fought against Republican repeal efforts and why I will never back down. Folks like you deserve leaders who work tirelessly to ensure every single person has access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of whether or not they have a pre-existing condition. I am going to keep fighting to make sure we get those leaders elected, but I need your support. We must protect the Affordable Care Act and elect more leaders who will fight to ensure every American has access to quality, affordable health care — regardless of whether or not they have a pre-existing condition. If you agree, sign your name alongside mine today.... I am not going to let anyone make me forget where I came from or why I got into public service in the first place. My own personal experience has always inspired my work to do everything I can to make sure that every American has quality, affordable health care coverage. It is time to move forward toward the day when we make good on the guarantee of high quality, affordable health care coverage for every American. That is a goal worth reaching, and, as Americans, we shouldn’t let anyone tell us we can’t. So long as you're with me, I know we can overcome any challenge we may face on the road ahead and stop the Republicans from taking away health insurance from millions of Americans once and for all. Thank you for standing with me. — Tammy |
