MADISON, Wisconsin — All eyes are on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This week, Wisconsin politicians are taking center stage: Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Kenneth Stribling, retired member of Teamsters Local 200 and president of the National United Committee to Protect Pensions, and Milwaukee residents Deanna Branch and Rashawn Spivey, telling their stories to the nation in prime time. These Wisconsin residents shared how Biden and Harris’ policies have directly impacted the lives of people in the Badger State — and why they know Vice President Harris will continue to fight for their communities.
On Monday night, Lieutenant Governor Rodriguez, a former health care professional, stressed the importance of electing a fighter like Vice President Harris to continue the fight for lower prescription drug costs and reproductive freedom.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson credited the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Biden and Harris for bringing infrastructure investment to the historically black community of Bronzeville. Kenneth Stribling, retired Teamster and chairman of the National United Committee to Protect Pensions, spoke about how he almost lost his union pension, which was saved along with the pensions of 33,000 other Wisconsin residents by the Butch Lewis Act, signed into law by President Biden as part of the American Rescue Plan.
Mayor Johnson was joined on stage by Milwaukee residents Deanna Branch and Rashawn Spivey, who shared how the bipartisan infrastructure bill is helping to remove lead pipes from communities like theirs and expressed their gratitude for Vice President Harris’ commitment to ensuring everyone has access to clean water.
Below are excerpts from statements by Wisconsin DNC spokespeople:
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez: “(The Biden-Harris administration) has negotiated down the prices of ten more life-saving drugs (…) Kamala will continue to take on big pharma and lower the cost of prescriptions for everyone. Of course, health care is not just about drugs and treatment. It is about freedom. The freedom to make your own choices and the freedom to get the care you need without worrying about the cost. Kamala Harris is fighting for that healthy future.”
Mayor Cavalier Johnson: “In Wisconsin, it’s important to keep promises – and also to right mistakes. One of those mistakes happened 60 years ago in a neighborhood called Bronzeville, which was full of black music, black culture and entrepreneurship. And then came urban renewal and the construction of Interstates 94 and 43, which tore our communities apart. Sixth Street was widened and people of color were displaced, homes destroyed, businesses closed (…) Under Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, we are bringing Bronzeville back (…) Thanks to the bipartisan infrastructure bill, opportunity is returning.”
Kenneth Stribling: “After 50 days in office, the Biden-Harris administration passed the American Rescue Plan, including the Butch Lewis Act, to save our pensions and secure our retirement (…) They saved over 1 million pensions, including 33,000 from my state of Wisconsin, 52,000 from Pennsylvania and 61,000 from Michigan. As president, I know Kamala Harris will have our backs. She will fight for our pensions, our Social Security and Medicare.”
Deanna Branch: “When my son Aiden was two years old, he was hospitalized with high levels of lead in his blood. Lead was everywhere: in our pipes, in our paint, in our soil. President Biden and Vice President Harris passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill that removed lead pipes from communities like ours. As president, Kamala Harris will ensure everyone can drink clean water and, in Aiden’s words, will be a lead-free superhero.”
Rashawn Spivey: “When President Biden and Vice President Harris announced their goal to replace every lead pipe in America, (Hero Plumbing) helped make that vision a reality. We went to work replacing lead pipes serving homes and daycare centers in our communities. Since then, we have replaced more than 1,000 pipes. This was made possible thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris (…) Thanks to her leadership, I have been able to grow my business and help children like Aiden live safer, healthier lives.”
