As Republicans prepare for next week’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, Democrats and other groups in Wisconsin are poised to mount public challenges in a nationally coordinated push back against Republican policies.
On Saturday, the Milwaukee-based group Voces de la Frontera will lead a march for immigration and refugee rights from its headquarters at 1027 S. 5th St. to the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The rally is part of a National Day of Action held by activists in nine states and Washington, D.C.
And on Sunday morning in Milwaukee, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin will headline an event at Candelas Banquet & Conference Facility to support the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee will be among the featured speakers.
Democrats and others on the left were shell-shocked by the November election results, which left the GOP in complete control in Washington, D.C. Their events amount to a declaration that they’re prepared to mount a sustained grass-roots fight against Trump and the Republicans.
In many ways, the organizing mirrors the conservative tea party movement that erupted eight years ago to challenge President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Moore likened the organizing to non-violent protests of the 1960s.
“I’m so happy to see us revisit that strategy,” Moore said. “The inside game is not going to work for people in the minority.”
“There is a sense of urgency,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera.
Early Thursday, Senate Republicans pushed through a procedural measure to begin the process of unraveling Obamacare. The GOP was eager to highlight Baldwin’s vote to try to block the measure.
“Once again, Senator Baldwin has shown that she’ll side with the Washington establishment over getting results for Wisconsin families,” said Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “Wisconsinites deserve a senator who is going to fight for real reform, rather than support a failed system in Washington that has taken away choices and led to soaring health care costs here at home.”
Baldwin has said she wasn’t sent to Washington to take away people’s health care in Wisconsin. She fought unsuccessfully for an amendment to protect the Affordable Care Act’s provision allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health plan until age 26.
Democrats vowed to fight on for Obamacare. Moore said Sunday’s rally was designed to highlight the gains made under the Affordable Care Act and was part of a nationwide effort by Democrats.
Moore said she took heart from how public outrage forced House Republicans to back down from a move to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics.
“At the end of the day, this is a democracy and we’re all in charge,” she said.
Meanwhile, immigrant rights groups are also trying to get their message out to the broader public, which is a key component of Saturday’s march and rally in Milwaukee.
The groups fear Trump may boost deportations. They also are concerned that Trump will fulfill his campaign pledge to repeal the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. That program enabled young undocumented immigrants to be protected from deportation.
“I’ve heard people talk about the next four years…,” Neumann-Ortiz said. “I think we’re going to see some real radical changes quickly. That’s why we need these radical response networks, that’s why we need these strategies in place to organize at a local level.”
