Wisconsin GOP leaders speak at annual Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner in Waukesha
WAUKESHA -- Wisconsin's top Republicans were in Waukesha Friday evening, March 3rd, to attend the 67th annual "Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner."
Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner
The night was a real celebration of what the Republican Party has been able to accomplish this year followed by what the party is hoping to accomplish in the coming months and the strong tie the White house now has with the state of Wisconsin.
Top speakers of the evening were House Speaker Paul Ryan, Governor Scott Walker and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson.
Paul Ryan
Speaker Ryan started his remarks by addressing the need for immigration reform and protecting the border. He explained the priority to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
"Part of repealing Obamacare is getting the states back in charge, or erring the states in charge on Medicaid. This is something that conservatives on every one of the budgets that I have written and passed said let's give Medicaid to the states in favor of federal interest -- let's let the states figure this out," said Ryan.
Meanwhile, Governor Walker's speech focused on the importance of sticking to the goals a candidate has promised to its voters.
Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner
"By standing firm, by running -- not away -- but running through it because some are tempting to run away the challenge they face is the challenge they face you've got to tell people you are doing what they said, you are doing you've got to tell them why you are doing it not just what you are doing you have to make the case. I like to say every time they give you the middle finger, you give them a thumbs up," said Walker.
Speaker Ryan also said Governor Walker is now playing a major role in repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner
DPW weighs in
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning issued the following statement in response to Vice President Pence’s remarks in Janesville:
“It is very telling that Vice President Pence, Speaker Ryan, and Secretary Price spent more time in invite-only meetings than speaking to regular Wisconsinites who are afraid that their health care will be taken away from them.
“If they had spoken to a family no longer under a mountain of debt from medical bills, a part-time teacher who can finally afford preventative care, or a recent college graduate who no longer goes to sleep at night praying they don’t get sick, they’d know that the Affordable Care Act is helping millions of our friends, families, and neighbors.
“The fact is that the ACA is more popular than ever after helping 150 million Americans with pre-existing conditions gain crucial health care coverage, increasing mental health and substance abuse health coverage substantially, and insuring millions of young adults who can now stay on their parent’s health insurance until age 26.
“Republicans still have no plan of their own to insure the millions of Americans who got access to lifesaving health care under the ACA. And the few ideas they have put on the table would lead to worse care that is harder to get and more expensive.
“Instead of trying to rip coverage away from Americans, we should be working to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and finding ways to expand access to affordable health care.”