Van Orden voted for House Republicans’ budget framework, which directed the House Energy and Commerce Committee to make $880 billion worth of cuts. It has been widely reported that House Republicans would have to cut Medicaid in order to achieve that goal. More than 90,000 Wisconsinites, or 15.5 percent, in Van Orden’s district were covered by Medicaid or CHIP.
Van Orden defended Trump’s tariffs, which were creating higher costs and uncertainty for Wisconsin farmers. One farmer noted the cost of his farming equipment doubled because of the tariffs. A soybean farmer expressed concerns and thought their products were sell for less than what they planned for – the top three countries that bought Wisconsin soybeans were China, Canada, and Mexico. A farmer in Athens, WI said the rapidly changing economic conditions made it difficult to invest in her farm.
Van Orden also supported the “tumultuous” nature of DOGE, at one point saying he “would rather shake the tree than water the tree with the blood of liberty.” An Athens, WI said cuts to federal agricultural programs were affecting her bottom line. The Trump administration’s cuts have also resulted in layoffs, longer wait times, and frequent website outages at the Social Security Administration. More than 175,000 Wisconsinites in Van Orden’s district relied on Social Security benefits. Van Orden also defended Trump’s mass layoffs of federal workers, even going so far as to bully and threaten a veteran who had been fired who messaged him on LinkedIn asking Van Orden to help stop the firings.
Van Orden does not demonstrate the appropriate temperament for a congressman. His anger problems have been widely reported on, tracing back to his first run for Congress when he yelled at a teenager working as a library page because he was offended by a pride month book display. During his first term in congress, Van Orden berated a group of 16 and 17-year-old Senate pages and shouted curse words at them in the Capitol rotunda. Most recently, he shouted at and belittled a witness testifying in Congress about food assistance programs.
Van Orden also attended the “Stop the Steal” rally headlined by Donald Trump on January 6th, 2021. Despite claiming he did not engage in the riot or reach Capitol grounds, there was a photo of him posted on Facebook within a restricted area on the Capitol Grounds on January 6th. The Daily Beast reported Van Orden’s campaign finance report also included several charges for transportation and hotels in Washington, D.C. around January 6th, indicating that he used campaign money to fund his trip.
Van Orden Voted For The Largest Medicaid Cut In History
Van Orden Defended Trump's Tariffs
Van Orden Supported Cuts At Social Security And Agriculture Programs
Van Orden Has Serious Anger Problems
Van Orden Was Part of The Insurrection