In the News

WASHINGTON (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee processed protests in Wisconsin over the weekend and all around the country following George Floyd’s death. Saturday, Barnes responded to nationwide unrest in a Twitter thread by explaining the country can’t reach solutions without adequately acknowledging the problem. “What we’re all seeing across the country is the realization of injustices that have been taking place and taking route for so long in ... Read more

(The Hill) - Democratic lawmakers on a key House subcommittee are pressing the Treasury Department about the prepaid debit cards being used to deliver coronavirus relief payments to millions of Americans, saying that some taxpayers are concerned the cards are a scam. "Recent reports indicate the cards are creating confusion and actually may delay when Americans receive this emergency assistance," the Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee's oversight subcommittee wrote Thursday... Read more

(Wisconsin Examiner) - Grocery shopping has taken on new risks and obstacles during the pandemic, from cashiers encased in plexiglass, bans on cloth bags and X marks on the floor for social distancing between shopping carts. For the elderly, immune-compromised individuals or others worrying about exposure to COVID-19, shopping online has proven to be a good alternative. But up until this week, it has not been an option for Wisconsinites who buy their food using the Supplemental Nutrition Assista... Read more

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new $3 trillion stimulus plan moving through the House of Representatives includes another round of direct payments for most Americans. The package is called the "HEROES" bill because it provides $200 billion in relief for those who have worked on the front lines through the pandemic. “We’re now calling these folks essential workers, and before the pandemic, most of them were invisible," Rep. Gwen Moore, D-WI, said. "The guy mopping up the emergency room floor.” This plan... Read more

African-American elected officials say black communities are shouldering the brunt of the illnesses and deaths from COVID-19, but also suffering due to a lack of accurate information and leadership on a national level. So they are countering that misinformation by providing opportunities to share experiences, data and accurate medical information with their constituents. To fill that gap, the Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus hosted a town hall on April 30, providing a deep dive and their persp... Read more

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore is calling for an increase in testing capacity. The Milwaukee democrat joined a virtual conversation hosted by Opportunity Wisconsin and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities Tuesday. The focus was on the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on Milwaukee's black community. The congresswoman says testing is one of the few ways we can fight our way out of the pandemic. "I think that if we were to focus on testing and isolating people we coul... Read more

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Distributing money to people in need should be basic for the government, but the rollout of stimulus checks has been problematic. Payments have been sent to banks used by tax preparers on behalf of their clients. Those clients fear their money will be delayed. “I was shocked and disappointed,” said North Carolina resident Felicia Reaves. She told CBS 58 Investigates how the IRS Get My Payment website showed her stimulus check going to her tax preparer's bank account two week... Read more

WASHINGTON (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Wisconsin Democrats are dismissing a pop-up in the state from the vice president. “I think it’s just simply a campaign ploy that we’re not going to fall for,” said Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee. They say Mike Pence’s tour of a ventilator production facility in Madison comes as Governor Tony Evers’ calls for federal help have seemingly gone unanswered. “Where the hell are the supplies for the state of Wisconsin and the people who live here,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Mad... Read more

MADISON -- Democratic Wisconsin Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04) and Ron Kind (WI-03) sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) questioning why Wisconsin has received none of the testing materials requested on March 28 and 29 -- specifically testing kits, test collection swabs and reagents. A news release Thursday, April 16 from Rep. Pocan's office said the state has additionally received an inadequate amount of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) -- i... Read more

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – Wisconsin’s spring election highlighted how a pandemic can lead to voter disenfranchisement and that issue is being seen as an obstacle for the General Election in November. On election day, voters in Milwaukee experienced long lines due to severe consolidation of polling sites from the normal 180 down to just five. On top of that – the absentee ballot option has faced its own challenges with an overwhelming amount of requests, returns and also reports of hundreds of bal... Read more