Oshkosh Residents Urge Congress to "Stop the Billionaire Giveaway" as part of National Bus Tour Event

14-State National Campaign Rolls into Wisconsin to Highlight the Harmful Impacts of the GOP’s Federal Budget + Tax Bill

Oshkosh, Wis. (July 1, 2025) – Yesterday afternoon, not even 24 hours before the Senate strong-armed its reconciliation bill to passage, residents gathered to speak out in opposition to the harmful legislation as part of the “Stop the Billionaire Giveaway” national bus tour by Fair Share America and Unrig our Economy. The House is expected to vote this week on final passage.

The 45-foot tour bus, wrapped in a giant trillion-dollar bill made 3 stops in Wisconsin to send a clear message to elected officials: working families should not have to pay the price so billionaires and big corporations can get more tax breaks.

To request video or photos from the event or to set up an interview, please contact kristin@fairshareusa.org.

Kristen Crowell, Executive Director of Fair Share America, emphasized both the urgency of the moment and the stakes for Wisconsin families:

“The cuts that are on the table for Medicaid alone are about $1.3 trillion. Guess how much the billionaires stand to gain in their tax cut? $1.3 billion. It is not hyperbole to say this is the worst piece of legislation in the history of our country. You don’t have to take my word for it—Sunday night on the Senate floor, Republican Senator Tillis from North Carolina said the exact same thing. This will harm the states. This will harm our communities.

“We need to call the members of Congress who aren’t meeting with their constituents, who aren’t facing folks. That’s why we were in Racine this morning, and why we’ll be in La Crosse tomorrow. We are calling them to look us in the eye as they potentially do harm to us. We are asking them—and demanding—that they vote no and side with the American public, their constituents, their voters.”

State Representative Lori Palmeri, who represents the 54th Assembly District, explained how cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would impact her constituents:

“As a single mom 20 years ago, I also benefited from Medicaid while working part-time and going to college full-time. I have friends and family who wouldn’t be alive today without that critical access. A reduction in federal Medicaid funding would increase the number of uninsured residents, strain our hospitals, and ultimately impact public health—even in places like Oshkosh, where access is already limited. Cuts to SNAP would also hit hard, that’s food off people’s tables. It’s support for farmers and grocers. Federal cuts would ripple through our economy—reduced healthcare access, fewer groceries sold, local businesses hurt. We must contact our representatives and demand they protect Medicaid and SNAP. These are our communities, our neighbors, and our families.”

Dr. Candace Danae Steele, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, who treats high-risk pregnancies, described the life-or death stakes of gutting Medicaid:

“Almost half of my patients are on Medicaid. Women in their 20s and 30s are having babies in this country—but many work jobs that don’t offer health insurance. Others can’t afford childcare. One of my patients recently developed severe preeclampsia, a life-threatening disease. Because she had Medicaid, we caught it early. She survived, and her baby is thriving. But now, Senator Johnson and his allies want to rip that care away. If this legislation passes, more conditions will go undetected. More babies will be born too early and too small. And somehow, Senator Johnson thinks these cuts don’t go far enough. I took an oath to do no harm. I implore Senator Johnson to remember who he represents and vote no.”

Drew Mueske, a local small business owner of Hype Visual, spoke about building his business from the ground up—and why the GOP’s plan would hurt Main Street:

“I’ve owned Hype Visual for 18 years, just a few blocks away. I became self-employed after being laid off and nearly evicted. I’ve started four businesses from scratch, I wasn’t given anything. I didn’t marry into a business, I built it. This bill is bad for small businesses. It’s bad for Oshkosh and it's bad for Wisconsin. Ron Johnson was given a business, he didn’t build one. And now, he wants to give even more tax breaks to billionaires while families here are struggling to stay afloat.”

The full swing through Wisconsin includes three stops:

Monday, June 30

Tuesday, July 1