Assembly Bill 97 would give eligible mothers a full year of Medicaid coverage after childbirth, and two unlikely allies are working together to lobby lawmakers to get the bill passed before the legislative session ends.
Conservative Jacob VandenPlas and progressive Pat McFarland, are working side by side, pushing for lawmakers to get this bill across the finish line.
"I feel that this is the fierce urgency of now we have got to take action," McFarland said.
For the last two years, both McFarland and VandenPlas have been fighting for better benefits for postpartum women.
"The support is there. Why isn't it passing? That's the frustrating part," VandenPlas said.
Watch: Unlikely allies call on lawmakers to pass postpartum care bill before time runs out
The two of them met through the Builders Movement, a cross-partisan non-profit designed to combat political polarization. The organization brought together 14 people from Wisconsin, all with differing backgrounds, to discuss abortion and family well-being. This bill is something they all agreed on.
"This bill is very important, because for me, from a pro-life stance, this is the best way that we can actually start reducing abortion numbers," VandenPlas said. "This is going to help mothers and help actually build the future of the state of Wisconsin."
The bill would provide 12 months of postpartum coverage to low-income mothers under Wisconsin's Medicaid program. Currently, coverage ends after 60 days. Wisconsin is one of two states in the country that has not adopted this extension.
"It seemed like just a very no-brainer. Let's at least make a compassionate program for people," McFarland said.
McFarland is a retired professor who has been vocal in speaking up for women's rights and vulnerable in sharing her story of getting a dangerous abortion procedure in 1970.
"I've made the commitment to represent women who didn't survive. I still have a voice. This is not the time for me to go silent. Apathy is not an option," McFarland said.
On the other side, VandenPlas is pro-life. He's a veteran who served 13 years in the Army with two tours to Iraq.
"If there's something we can do on the front end to help support moms in the beginning, to help get the life of the child set off better, that's kind of the purpose of the government, my opinion," VandenPlas said. "I hope that people are calling their legislators."
Two people from opposite sides — standing together — urging lawmakers to do the same to get this bill across the finish line.
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