Tammy's Priorities for Wisconsin & the President's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget

Press Release

This morning in today's Senate Budget Hearing, Senator Baldwin addressed the President's Fiscal Year 2015 budget and her priorities to help move Wisconsin forward.

While our country is on our way to stabilizing our fiscal deficit, our country also faces an infrastructure deficit, a workforce development deficit and a research and development deficit that needs to be addressed to build a foundation for long-term economic growth.

Here are a few of the priorities Tammy was able to address in today's conversation on the President's Fiscal Year 2015 budget:

Wisconsin Forests and Timber Industry

Last year, Tammy requested that the President's budget include a plan to address the chronic problem of taking funding intended for forest management and fire prevention activities and instead using it for wildfire suppression. In Wisconsin and across the country, this leaves the U.S. Forest Service without resources to complete its critical missions related to timber contract management, forest health, and forest fire prevention. The President's budget calls for a fundamental change in how wildfire suppression is funded and endorses bipartisan legislation that Tammy has cosponsored to reform federal wildfire policy by funding major wildfires the same way as other natural disasters, while freeing up funding to prevent future fires.

According to a recent article, "since 2002, more than $3 billion has been cannibalized from federal recreation and management budgets to squelch fires that demand expensive hand crews, airtankers and hundred of firefighters." Because of Tammy's advocacy, the President's proposed budget treats our biggest forest fires as true disasters and separates them out from the rest of the Forest Service's management budget -- an encouraging step forward.

Wisconsin Shipbuilding Economy

Earlier this year, Tammy advocated to include procurement of all 52 ships that the Navy has stated it needs to meet the requirements of the combatant commanders. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense and President Obama have both proposed a plan to build 32 ships, not 52. Wisconsin is home to a strong shipbuilding industry with a history of success providing ships for our nation's defense. Tammy has fought for and will continue to fight for this program because it employs thousands of hardworking Wisconsinites and positively impacts not only the local community but has a ripple effect across the state, boosting our made in Wisconsin economy.

Wisconsin Water Technology and Innovation

The President's budget calls for investments in high-tech manufacturing jobs and encourages new innovation for the future. The Department of Commerce has been an important partner in the growth of a water technology cluster - the Water Council - in Milwaukee. In 2011, the Water Council was selected by Commerce as one of the first 20 winners in the President's Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. Today, Tammy expressed her strong support for President Obama's budget proposal to invest in American innovation and strengthen our manufacturing base, including a national network of 45 manufacturing institutes. Tammy also invited Director Burwell, and members of the President's Cabinet and Administration to visit the Water Council to see the innovative work firsthand.

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