Team — Do you recognize the little girl in this photo?

That’s me. Growing up, I was diagnosed with a serious illness and spent three months in the hospital. When I got better, my grandparents, who raised me, began looking for an insurance policy that would cover me in the future.

But they couldn’t find such a policy because of my previous illness. Not from any insurer. Not at any price. They had to pay for my health care out of pocket and make enormous sacrifices to do so — all because I had a pre-existing condition.

That’s why I got into public service. I saw my grandparents stay up late at night, worried sick that I would fall ill again and that they wouldn't be able to afford my care. I thought no one should ever have to go through that.

Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against someone based on their pre-existing condition.

That’s in jeopardy right now because Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to act. They created the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to prevent extending the tax credits that millions of Americans, and 275,000 Wisconsinites, rely on to afford their premiums.

I gave them the opportunity to stop health care premiums from doubling with an amendment that would have added an ACA tax credits extension to their funding bill. 

Every single Republican voted against it.

I won’t stop fighting for your health care. Can you pitch in to help me continue this work?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Health care tax breaks are not just numbers on paper. They are the lifeline that allows us to sleep at night knowing we won't lose everything if one of us gets sick. 

Behind every one of the 22 million Americans who rely on these tax credits is a story, a family who has to put together a budget, who has to make the hard decisions of what they can afford for their family next year. 

That’s who I am working for.

Thanks for your support.

Tammy