Johnson has spread misinformation and opposed efforts to boost the pandemic recovery
According to a new report from the Wisconsin Examiner, local and tribal health agencies in the Badger State will receive more than $58 million under President Biden and congressional Democrats’ American Rescue Plan — part of an effort to help the departments “absorb the added costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The funding will be distributed despite total opposition from Wisconsin Republicans in Congress — including U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, who opposed and delayed the legislation to improve “testing, contact tracing, vaccination programs, public health staffing […] as well as services to address health disparities.”
Johnson, who voted against the American Rescue Plan back in March, has been a vocal opponent of pandemic relief, saying on multiple occasions that he is “not a real fan” of the expanded Child Tax Credit’s historic tax cut for working families.
In addition to opposing the American Rescue Plan, Johnson has further worked to impede Wisconsin’s recovery from the pandemic by promoting discredited “treatments” like Ivermectin and casting doubt on the safe and effective COVID vaccines, even though he last October argued that “undermining” COVID vaccines “will cause people’s deaths.“
The Wisconsin Examiner: Local, tribal health agencies to get $58.4M for COVID-19 response efforts
By: Erik Gunn | September 14, 2021
Key Points:
- “Local and tribal health departments will share in $58.4 million awarded from Wisconsin’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act to help them absorb the added costs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- “Gov. Tony Evers announced the public health funding program Monday morning. Each department’s share will include a base amount and an additional sum based on the size of the population that the agency serves.”
- “The governor’s office stated that the money will be used to help meet emerging COVID-19 public health needs, as well as needs exacerbated by the pandemic. Among the possible uses are testing, contact tracing, vaccination programs, public health staffing and improved technology, as well as services to address health disparities.”
- “The ARPA funds announced Monday can be used for expenses incurred from March 3, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2024. In a joint statement, the Wisconsin Public Health Association and the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards praised the grants, but also cautioned they were a one-time infusion. ‘While this new funding is a major investment in public health, it is not permanent,’ the organizations stated. ‘We urge the State Legislature to significantly increase public health spending in future state budgets.’”
Read the full report here.
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Published: Sep 14, 2021