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TAMMY BALDWIN:
YOU KNOW, IT WAS SO EXCITING TO HEAR THE OPINION, AND I’VE ALWAYS SAID LOVE IS LOVE AND FAMILY IS FAMILY AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LOVE OR FAMILY IS WRONG, BUT NOW WE HAVE THE SUPREME COURT SAYING IT’S ALSO UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE. AND THIS IS A HUGE MILESTONE IN THE MARCH TOWARDS FREEDOM AND EQUALITY FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
WHAT IS THIS DAY LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY?
TAMMY BALDWIN:
YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS FIGHT, THIS EFFORT FOR FULL FREEDOM, FULL EQUALITY, AND I JUST — I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW HUGE OF A MILESTONE THIS IS. AND THE MARCH GOES ON, TOO.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
DID YOU EVER ENVISION THAT THIS DAY, THIS DECISION WOULD COME, JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO?
TAMMY BALDWIN:
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS BELIEVED THE RIGHT WOULD BE WON FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY DURING MY LIFETIME, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW WHEN, OBVIOUSLY. YOU KNOW, THE PROGRESS IN MY EARLY YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THIS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT SEEMED ELUSIVE. IT SEEMED SLOW. AND NOW WE’VE SEEN SUCH CHANGE IN RECENT YEARS. THIS IS JUST A VERY, VERY EXCITING DAY.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
AS TO THE HIGH COURT RULING ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, YOUR REACTION TO THAT AS WELL THIS WEEK.
TAMMY BALDWIN:
YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE A 6-3 DECISION IN THE SUPREME COURT, AGAIN, UPHOLDING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. IT’S THE SECOND RULING THE COURT HAS MADE AND IN THIS CASE CONFIRMING THAT TAX CREDITS ARE AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES REGARDLESS OF THEIR ZIP CODE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT STATE THEY RESIDE IN. THE CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS — AND I’M NOT QUOTING HIM PRECISELY HERE, BUT SAYING THIS WAS CLEARLY AN EFFORT BY CONGRESS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO THE HEALTH CARE MARKETPLACE. THEY CLEARLY DID NOT INTEND TO CONSTRICT IT OR SEND IT INTO DISARRAY, AND STRONGLY UPHOLDING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. AND IT HAS GREAT CONSEQUENCE FOR WISCONSIN, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY OUR GOVERNOR DECIDED NOT TO CREATE A STATE MARKETPLACE, BUT INSTEAD A FEDERAL MARKETPLACE. 166,000 WISCONSINITES WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR TAX CREDITS, WILL NOT HAVE TO SEE THEIR TAXES RISE BECAUSE OF THIS GREAT SUPREME COURT DECISION.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
SPEAKING OF GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER, HE SAYS IN REACTION TO THIS RULING THAT IT IS A SIGNAL THAT CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS MUST, QUOTE, REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS TO REPEAL AND REPLACE THIS COSTLY AND DESTRUCTIVE LAW. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
TAMMY BALDWIN:
WELL, IT FLIES IN THE FACE OF THE FACTS. FIRST OF ALL, HE’S SPEAKING IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE BEST AND WELL-BEING OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS STATE. 166,000 WISCONSINITES HAVE AFFORDABLE, QUALITY HEALTH CARE COVERAGE BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. AND ALL OF THE GOVERNOR’S PREVIOUS EXCUSES, FOR EXAMPLE NOT TO EXPAND MEDICAID BECAUSE HE DIDN’T BELIEVE THE LAW WOULD LAST, ARE EVAPORATING, AND IT’S NOW TIME FOR HIM TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, NOT ONLY ESTABLISH I HOPE A STATE EXCHANGE, BUT TO EXPAND MEDICAID, BECAUSE IT’S CLEAR THAT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS HERE TO STAY.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
IN A MOMENT, WE WILL ALSO BE HEARING FROM U.S. SENATOR RON JOHNSON WHO SAYS THIS LAW HAS HARMED MILLIONS OF AMERICANS AND HAS COST MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HEALTH PLANS AND DOCTORS THAT THEY CHOSE. DO YOU DISPUTE THAT?
TAMMY BALDWIN:
I ABSOLUTELY DO. IT, AGAIN, FLIES IN THE FACE OF THE FACTS. FIRST OF ALL, THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS RID OUR COUNTRY OF INSURANCE ABUSES THAT PREVENTED PEOPLE WITH PREEXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS FROM EVEN GETTING INSURANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT HAS CUT AND ELIMINATED ABUSIVE PRACTICES THAT RESULTED IN WOMEN BEING CHARGED MORE FOR PREMIUMS THAN MEN. AND IT ALLOWS YOUNG PEOPLE TO STAY ON THEIR PARENTS’ INSURANCE UNTIL THEY’RE AGE 26. THERE’S ALL SORTS OF VERY IMPORTANT PROVISIONS THAT WOULD BE REVERSED IF THIS WERE TO BE REPEALED. AND SO MANY MORE PEOPLE NOW HAVE COVERAGE. THIS IS SO SIGNIFICANT OF A STEP FORWARD. WE NEED TO BE FIGHTING TO IMPROVE IT. BUT THE 50 SOME ATTEMPTS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO GUT OR REPEAL THIS, YOU KNOW, ARE DESTRUCTIVE, AND WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AND MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. AND I HOPE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE GOVERNOR AND SENATOR JOHNSON BEGIN TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY TOWARDS THAT END.
FREDERICA FREYBERG:
AS THIS WEEK COMES TO A CLOSE, YOUR OVERALL RESPONSE TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE HIGHEST COURT OF THE LAND THIS WEEK.
TAMMY BALDWIN:
WELL, THIS HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE SESSION FOR THE SUPREME COURT. THERE’S OTHER CASES THAT HAVE BEEN DECIDED THAT WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO THAT ARE VERY, VERY CONSEQUENTIAL, BUT THESE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE I THINK REALLY BROUGHT US FORWARD TO A MORE JUST SOCIETY.
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