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During our U.S. Senate debate, my opponent, megamillionaire California bank owner Eric Hovde, was asked his thoughts on the Farm Bill, a crucial piece of legislation for the tens of thousands of farmers across our state. Hovde said he was “not an expert on the farm bill” so he “can’t opine specifically” on it. It was clear to everyone watching at home that he had no idea what the farm bill does.
Days later he was asked about his answer on the debate stage. He said, “Why in God’s green Earth would I know all the details in a farm bill?”
I’ll tell you why.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin waves after speaking onstage during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 22, 2024 in Chicago. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
One in nine jobs in our state are supported by agriculture. It’s a $100 billion a year industry and a core tenet of our state’s economy. The farm bill supports our farmers and critical nutrition programs. Our farmers need it to succeed. I’ve worked on the bill before and I’m working again to ensure it provides the consistency and support our farmers rely on.
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As a three-time winner of Orange County’s most influential and a man who voted from his California mansion last year, I’m not surprised Eric Hovde is more at home on his private beach in California than a family farm here in Wisconsin. His comments on the Farm Bill make that abundantly clear. And the fact that Eric Hovde had no idea what this bill does speaks to the choice Wisconsin voters face in our election.
They face a choice between myself, a public servant who has worked year after year to deliver for them and Eric Hovde, an uber-rich California bank owner who wants to cut his own taxes and pay for it by slashing working families’ benefits. They face a choice between someone who knows what it takes to deliver for Wisconsin, and someone who can’t even be bothered to read a bill.
Vice President Kamala Harris takes a picture with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on July 23, 2024, in Wisconsin. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Take health care. There are millions of young people who have stayed on their parents’ health insurance until they were 26 because of the provision in the Affordable Care Act I wrote. But Eric Hovde called that provision “stupid.” And while I’ve spent my career fighting against the Big Pharmaceutical companies and the health care giants to lower costs for working families, Eric Hovde wanted the big pharmaceutical companies to keep their sweetheart deal that made it illegal for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. I helped get rid of that deal, laying the groundwork to lower costs on medication used to treat diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
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Or manufacturing. There are thousands of new manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin because of the Buy America rules I have pushed through in bill after bill, working with both the Trump administration and the Biden administration to get it done. In Neenah, Wisconsin, workers are making manhole covers used around the country, supporting hundreds of jobs. In Clinton, we’re making parts for submarines and spaceships, letting Americans explore the sky and the sea. But Eric Hovde won’t even say if he supports Buy America. And he made millions investing in companies that shipped American jobs overseas.
Or our hard-earned benefits. I’ve fought to protect our Social Security and Medicare, pushing the rich to pay their fair share so the next generation receives the benefits they’ve earned. But Eric Hovde’s “Hovde Plan” would slash Social Security by $500 per month, $6,000 per year. It would cut Medicare and nursing home care. All to pay for a $4 trillion tax break for the wealthy like himself and the largest corporations in the country.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin speaks at a bill enrollment ceremony for the Respect For Marriage Act at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 8, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
On the issues, the contrast is clear as day.
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But public service is about more than just issues. It’s about standing up for your community, respecting your neighbors, or at the very least showing that you like them.
Eric Hovde has insulted Wisconsin women, saying it was “deplorable” how much time they spent “focused on Hollywood” instead of keeping themselves “informed.” Wisconsin women can pay attention to out-of-touch politicians and enjoy entertainment just fine. He said those struggling with their weight should face “consequences” and be forced to pay more for their health insurance. That’s one in three Wisconsinites. And he said that seniors in nursing homes are, “not in a point to vote.” I took care of my grandmother when she was in a nursing home and she was so proud to cast her ballot for her granddaughter. She was absolutely in a point to vote.
Eric Hovde has not stood up for us, he has disrespected us turn after turn, and he has made it known that whether you’re young or old, a man or a woman, if you’re not as rich as he is, he probably doesn’t like you very much anyway. I’m fighting for the people of Wisconsin, the very people Eric Hovde has insulted.
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And that’s what the people of Wisconsin deserve. They deserve to know they have a representative who understands them, who likes them, and who knows how to work with Republicans and Democrats to make their lives better. That’s what I’ve done, that’s what I’ll continue to do.
That’s what a California banker who asks why on God’s green Earth he should read the farm bill will never do.