VP Kamala Harris talks abortion in La Crosse, announces minimum nursing home staff levels

LA CROSSE — In a visit to a purple region of Wisconsin on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced new rules for nursing home staffing and rallied voters around abortion as the race for the presidency remains extremely tight in the battleground state.

"This is a moment where we must stand up for foundational, fundamental values and principles," Harris told supporters during a campaign event at the La Crosse Center. "Here's the other piece that I will say: When we think about what is at stake, it is absolutely about freedom."

The trip to La Crosse reflects Democrats' efforts to make abortion a key factor in motivating turnout for President Joe Biden, including among voters in purple areas or even the traditionally red Milwaukee suburbs.

Women affected by abortion bans in other states campaigned for Biden in Waukesha County last week, and Harris brought a similar message to the area in January. Biden administration officials have also made frequent trips to Milwaukee and Madison this year, both Democratic strongholds.

Democrats have focused blame on former President Donald Trump, who has so far visited Wisconsin once this election cycle. Trump held a two percentage point lead over Biden in the most recent statewide poll by the Marquette University Law School, 51% to 49%, well within the poll's margin of error.

Trump in a video statement earlier this month said abortion restrictions should be left up to the states. Abortions are currently being provided in Wisconsin, but the state Supreme Court could soon weigh in.

"There is a clear line between where we are now and who is to blame," Harris said. "The former president was very clear with his intention — he would fill and appoint three members of the U.S. Supreme Court with the intention that they would overturn the protections of (Roe v. Wade)."

More: Wisconsin abortion laws: What to know after Arizona ruling

Harris announces new rules for staffing levels at nursing homes

Before speaking at the campaign event, Harris met with home health care workers at the Hmoob Cultural & Community Agency, where she announced two new federal rules.

One sets minimum staffing levels in nursing homes that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid — about 3 1/2 hours of staffing per resident per day, a requirement that will be phased in. A registered nurse will also be required on site at all times.

Another rule provides that more Medicaid payments for home care services go toward workers' wages.

"The two announcements that we are making today recognize that we owe you, those workers, so much more than applauding you," Harris said, referencing praise for health care workers during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Let's recognize the gift that these talented professionals give to families and to all of us as a society."

Ron Johnson says nursing home rules should be handled locally

In Madison, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson spoke to reporters about Harris' visit following a roundtable discussion hosted by the state's largest business lobby, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

"Anybody who's following me realizes I'm not a real fan of the federal government," Johnson said when asked about the new federal rules for nursing homes.

"So I would much rather allow or have the state government and local governments in charge of the requirements of nursing care facilities, and — anything to do with the citizens of this state, I'd rather have state governments and local governments handle that than some dictate from the federal government that causes more problems or exacerbates more problems than it solves."

New Marquette poll shows abortion is top issue for Democratic voters

In the latest Marquette University Law School poll released last week, 24% of Democratic voters said they consider abortion their most important issue in deciding who to vote for, followed by the economy. For independent and Republican voters, 5% of those groups saw abortion as their top issue.

"People will say to me, 'Well, Sarah, aren't folks just over that whole abortion issue? Haven't they just moved on?" Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski said before Harris' speech. "I am just as mad today as when I heard about the Supreme Court overturning Roe, and I know that I'm not alone."

While abortion was the leading issue among Democratic participants, the economy was the No. 1 issue for all respondents in the survey, followed by immigration and abortion policy. Voters saw Biden better at handling abortion and health care, and Trump better on the economy and immigration.

A majority of registered voters in Wisconsin, 54%, also said they favor a national ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest and the life and health of the mother.

Johnson, in comments to reporters at the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, again called for a statewide referendum that would put the question of when to ban abortion to voters.

Democrats campaigning on abortion outside of blue strongholds

While Democrats have also highlighted abortion access in suburban Milwaukee, the La Crosse area is much more purple and voted for Biden in 2020. In 2020, La Crosse County voted 56% for Biden, compared to Trump's 42%.

While Biden officials have stopped in Milwaukee and Madison most frequently, they've also visited Superior on the Minnesota border, Green Bay and the Menominee Nation in northeastern Wisconsin.

More: Did the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin really come down to a few votes per ward?

La Crosse is located in the 3rd Congressional District, one of two truly competitive U.S. House districts in Wisconsin. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Democrats are focusing more energy on the race compared to the last cycle.

Van Orden has raised much more money than his prospective Democratic challengers, small-business owner Rebecca Cooke and state Rep. Katrina Shankland from Stevens Point.

Neither were spotted at the campaign event, though Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan from Madison praised Shankland alongside other state legislators from the area in his remarks at the campaign event. Pocan has endorsed Shankland in the race.

Pocan called Van Orden a "chauvinist" and said western Wisconsin is "represented in Congress by someone who has been endorsed by the most extreme groups on abortion."

Jessie Opoien contributed to this report from Madison.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Takeaways from Kamala Harris' La Crosse visit: abortion, nursing homes