Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin narrowly won reelection in 2024, defeating Republican Eric Hovde, who conceded the race two weeks after the vote. As a member of the U.S. Senate, Baldwin said she takes seriously her role to offer ‘advice and consent’ on President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations.
 

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
(D) Wisconsin

• Some of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks have caused bipartisan consternation – especially that of former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, for Attorney General. Gaetz dropped out after discerning he would be unlikely to get enough votes in the U.S. Senate to be confirmed. Other cabinet nominees seemed to be chosen as change agents, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Baldwin expressed concern over Kennedy’s experience level and ideas about childhood vaccinations.
• Baldwin: “I’m already thinking about the type of questions I would want to ask somebody like the nominee Kennedy to head Health and Human Services. Wisconsinites rely upon vaccines to prevent things like measles and mumps. We rely upon the National Institutes for Health to be doing cutting-edge research to try to create better treatments for cancer and cures for disease. We rely on the Centers for Disease Prevention for preventative measures. I want to have a clear understanding of how these nominees would steward these agencies. And so I expect that the process of advice and consent will take place. And I will fight for that, and I will scrutinize these nominees very carefully.
• Baldwin is a strong proponent of the Affordable Care Act and speaks to her role in allowing adult children under 26 years old to be covered by parental health insurance. She said she’s worried about Republican moves to dismantle the ACA.
• Baldwin: Within the last year, President-elect Trump talked about repealing the Affordable Care Act. It would have devastating results. There are tens of millions of Americans who have health care because of the Affordable Care Act. The fact that we have told the powerful insurance companies that you can no longer discriminate against people based on a preexisting health condition or existing health condition has meant that so many can now get health care who couldn’t in the years before the Affordable Care Act. But I think we also have to build upon it. And so we have to fight against any efforts to repeal. But we also have to make it even more accessible and affordable for Americans.

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