It’s been a busy few weeks here in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District.

From farm fields and Main Streets to local hospitals, and manufacturers, we’ve been traveling across the district, meeting folks where they're at and listening to how I can better serve them in Congress. Here are a few highlights from the last couple of weeks.

A Historic Win for Wisconsin Healthcare

When I came to Congress, I promised to fight every day for rural Wisconsin and make sure our communities have access to the healthcare they deserve.

I recently joined healthcare leaders in La Crosse for a press conference at Emplify Health to announce a major win for Wisconsin: our state’s Medicaid provider assessment will increase from less than 1.8% to 6%. This change is expected to bring an estimated $9.6 BILLION in federal Medicaid funding to Wisconsin.

For more than a year, I worked alongside President Trump, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS, and the Trump Administration to make sure Wisconsin could continue receiving these critical federal healthcare dollars.

This funding will help:

• Protect and strengthen rural hospitals
• Expand access to high-quality healthcare across Wisconsin
• Support healthcare providers serving our communities
• Ensure families, seniors, and veterans can continue receiving care close to home

Supporting Wisconsin Businesses

Our local businesses are the backbone of Western Wisconsin, and I’ve been getting out of Washington and into the communities I represent to hear directly from the people who keep our economy moving. These visits are an important reminder that Washington needs to listen to the people actually creating jobs and keeping our communities moving.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve visited businesses like Leer Inc., Superior Fresh, Bill's Distributing, 3M, Cardinal Glass, and Loopy's to see firsthand the work being done right here in Wisconsin.

Rural Wisconsin

Rural Wisconsin is at the heart of the Third District, and I’ll always fight to make sure our communities have the resources and support they need to thrive.

I recently visited AdventHealth Durand and spent time at Lymett Farms & Idle-A-Wile Dairy Goats, hearing directly from folks about how I can better serve them in Congress.

Listening to #WI03 on Data Centers

On July 17, I held a listening session on data center development and heard directly from Western Wisconsinites about their concerns and priorities. My conditions have not changed and are not negotiable.

• There must be local buy-in
• Cannot cover our farmland.
• Zero increase in electric rates for Wisconsin families
• Facilities must utilize closed-loop cooling systems.

At the same time, I believe Wisconsin can compete in the race for artificial intelligence and bring new investment and good-paying jobs to our state. That means looking at existing infrastructure, including military bases, for appropriate data center development. We can bring these investments to Wisconsin without sacrificing our farmland, burdening local communities, or forcing families to pay higher electric bills.

Bringing Washington to Wisconsin

We’ve also welcomed several members of the Trump Administration to Wisconsin in recent weeks, including Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and FBI Director Kash Patel.

These visits give Wisconsin communities a direct line to the people helping shape policy in Washington, and give our federal partners a chance to see firsthand what rural Wisconsin needs.

Around the District

And, as always, we’ve been out in the communities that make the Third District such a great place to call home.

I recently joined the Fort McCoy change of command ceremony, met with the Whitehall Police Chief, visited with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, and visited with the new President of Western Technical College.

Wisconsin First

Washington might be hundreds of miles away, but my focus never leaves Wisconsin. There’s a lot more work to do, and we’ll keep you updated along the way.

It’s been great connecting with y’all across the Third District. If we missed you on the road, we hope to see you next time!

As always, you can reach my team at vanorden.house.gov with any questions or concerns. It's a pleasure to serve you and your family in Congress.