REPORT: Trump’s $1 Billion Ballroom Funding Could Help Wisconsin Families Make Ends Meet

WISCONSIN - Following news that President Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to use $1 billion for the White House ballroom, Senator Baldwin released a fact sheet on how the $1 billion could be invested to actually lower costs for Wisconsinites.

"Everywhere I travel in Wisconsin, I hear from families struggling to make ends meet as the cost of housing, gas, groceries, healthcare, and childcare continues to go up. At a moment when Wisconsinites are demanding some breathing room, President Trump and Republicans are instead trying to force families to foot the bill for a $1 billion glitzy ballroom that no one asked for," said Senator Baldwin. "A billion dollars is a lot of taxpayer money, and Wisconsinites deserve those resources to be invested back in their communities to make their lives easier and less expensive."

Below are estimates of how $1 billion could instead be used to help Wisconsinites afford childcare, healthcare, groceries, and more:

• Save 275,000 Wisconsinites $3,500 on Health Care Costs: Before Donald Trump and Republicans terminated enhanced premium tax credits, 275,000 Wisconsinites on the Affordable Care Act saved an average of $585 per month. $1 billion could fund just over six months of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits at this level in Wisconsin - saving 275,000 Wisconsinites on average $3,510 in total.
• Save Medicaid for 63,000 Wisconsinites: Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill took nearly $1 trillion out of the Medicaid program. In 2022, Wisconsin's median Medicaid enrollee spent $7,311, meaning $1 billion could pay for Medicaid coverage for over two years for the 63,000 adults who are at high risk of losing care because of Republicans' new law.
• Childcare for 66,000 Kids: The annual cost of childcare for a 4-year-old in Wisconsin is $15,039 on average, more than in-state tuition at UW-Madison. $1 billion could pay for a full year of childcare for over 66,000 Wisconsin children.
• Restore SNAP for Wisconsinites Who Had Benefits Cut: As of April 2026, just over 650,000 Wisconsinites received SNAP benefits, down nearly 50,000 Wisconsinites since Donald Trump and Republicans made the largest cut to SNAP in history last summer. With the average monthly benefits at $303 per household as of April 2026 in Wisconsin, $1 billion could fund 275,000 households' SNAP benefits for a year.

A one-pager on these findings can be found here.

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