Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) is putting rural health care in Wisconsin at risk over social media posts from a single employee of a major health care provider in his own district.
New reporting from Heartland Signal unveiled audio of Rep. Van Orden on the John Fredericks show responding to a caller questioning his threat to rural health care, in which Van Orden falsely claimed the health care provider was “inciting violence” and that “not all speech is protected.”
Van Orden’s attacks on health care go beyond threats to the Mayo Clinic. Van Orden has repeatedly targeted cities and institutions in his district for federal funding cuts over disagreements with political speech, creating uncertainty for public health programs, infrastructure, and community services.
The Congressman from western Wisconsin previously voted to slash nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and allow critical health care subsidies to expire at the end of the year. Van Orden’s vote is expected to raise health care costs for Wisconsinites by 75% in 2026.
Republicans like Van Orden have tried to gaslight rural communities by referencing a rural health fund that doesn’t come close to offsetting the massive cuts they’ve made to the Medicaid program. Experts estimate that federal Medicaid spending in rural areas could drop by $137 billion over the next decade, nearly three times the size of the Republicans’ inadequate rural health care fund. Even worse for rural communities, the Trump administration plans to turn health care into a high-stakes game where states have to compete for funds to keep rural hospitals open.
Under the new rules, half of the fund’s disbursements would be left entirely to the discretion of CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, a loyal Trump appointee whose decisions could be influenced by political favoritism rather than health care priorities. There is no appeals process for rejected applications, and CMS can yank funding at any time, creating extreme uncertainty for hospitals, clinics, and rural communities that depend on federal support to stay open.
In this nightmare scenario for rural health providers, Rep. Van Orden’s comments over a single social media post could trigger the Trump administration to claw back critical health care funds on a whim.
“Rep. Van Orden’s threats don’t do anything to make rural Wisconsin healthier, safer, or stronger. Whether it’s threatening children in the U.S. Capitol rotunda or being so triggered by online comments that he threatens the health care of his own constituents, Van Orden is more concerned with cosplaying a tough guy than actually serving the people who sent him to Washington,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “Van Orden has undermined rural health care at every turn by voting to slash Medicaid funding and allow critical health care subsidies to expire. Rural hospitals and clinics rely on federal support to keep their doors open, they employ hundreds of people and provide needed care for area residents, and yet Van Orden treats these institutions as targets for political theater instead of key pillars of rural communities. Wisconsin deserves a representative who protects access to care, not one who weaponizes it for headlines and personal grievance.”
Published: Sep 24, 2025 | Last Modified: Sep 29, 2025