Madison Reporter

Rep. Mark Pocan, currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Wisconsin’s 2nd district, recently expressed his views on various social and economic issues through a series of tweets. These statements reflect his ongoing commitment to addressing concerns related to transgender rights, legislative policies, and economic inequality.

On November 20, 2024, Rep. Pocan marked Transgender Day of Remembrance by acknowledging the violence faced by transgender individuals. He emphasized the need for congressional action to protect the trans community, stating "Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, I join Americans across the country in mourning all the trans lives lost to violence. Bigotry and hate produces real world harm. Congress must work to protect the trans community, not further demonize them."

Later that day, he addressed Speaker Johnson's proposed bathroom ban policy in his capacity as Chair of the Equality Caucus. Rep. Pocan highlighted his opposition to this policy by requesting a meeting with Speaker Johnson to discuss its implications. He tweeted "As Chair of the @EqualityCaucus, I requested a meeting with Speaker Johnson to discuss his bathroom ban and open his eyes to the reality that this policy is cruel, completely unenforceable, and opens the door for abuse, harassment, and discrimination in the halls of Congress."

In another tweet posted on November 20th, Rep. Pocan discussed economic disparities over recent decades. He pointed out that while wealth remained stagnant for half of American households from 1989 to 2019, it increased significantly for the top 1%. He called for taxation reforms targeting wealthy individuals by stating "From 1989 to 2019, the bottom half of wealth holders saw their net worth remain unchanged. During the same time, the top 1%’s wealth grew by nearly 300%. The American people are sick and tired of getting ripped off. We need to tax the rich!"