The Tiffany Telegram: January 14, 2022
Dear Friend,
For the past several months we've been warning you about how the Democrats socialist spending sprees and policies had the potential to set off massive inflationary pressures of a kind we haven't seen in a generation. This week the Department of Labor released a report which showed that the consumer price index rose 7% in December from a year ago marking the largest increase in 40 years. 
By increasing the money supply in order to fund their spending spree of stimulus cash and generous unemployment benefits last year they devalued our currency, meaning your hard-earned money won't go as far as it once did. It didn't take long for prices to begin rising everywhere from the grocery store to the gas station.
The Biden administration policies are also a key factor in our surging energy prices. From President Biden's first day in office he made it clear that one of his priorities was to reduce American energy dominance. From canceling the Keystone pipeline, cutting off leasing and permitting on federal lands, and access to the National Wildlife refuge in Alaska.
These policy changes which were enacted as part of Biden's climate change initiative have led to significant increases in energy prices.
Last November, we were paying $2.20 a gallon—flashforward a year later and now you're paying $3.39 for the same amount of gasoline. Those policies also have an impact on how much it costs to heat your home as the cost of heating oil is expected to rise 43% this winter compared to last year.
Unfortunately, the administration continues to put forward even more proposals that will limit Made in America energy, forcing American oil and gas companies to scale back even more, which you guessed it – will only drive prices at the pump higher.
President Biden's Energy Secretary recently stated that the President is looking at all the tools he has to address high gas prices – but we've seen those "tools" in action for the past twelve months. The American people simply can't afford any more of this administration's "solutions" for the crisis they created.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
Biden admin solicited letter targeting parents
Telegram readers will remember the National School Boards Association letter that was sent to the White House this fall which compared parents protesting school-board decisions to "domestic terrorists" and urged the Biden administration to take action. The request prompted Attorney General Merrick Garland to issue a memorandum to the FBI that directed federal agents to address what he called the "imminent threat" posed by parents who criticized some of the radical dogmas—like Critical Race Theory—which have been steadily creeping their way into school curricula. This week a slew of emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona orchestrated the letter from the NSBA that likened parents to domestic terrorists in an effort that sought to chill and silence the voice of concerned parents. In light of this recent revelation, I joined 40 of my colleagues in a letter to President Biden demanding the Education Secretary's resignation. You can read that letter here.
Workplace vaccine mandate shot down
The American people notched another victory this week as the U.S. Supreme Court shot down President Biden's controversial vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees, rejecting an Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that would have required 80 million workers roll up their sleeve for the mandatory jab. Unfortunately, it was a divided ruling as the court allowed the vaccine mandate for health care workers at facilities receiving federal funding to stand.
Twin Cities mayors impose "vaccine passport" for diners
On a related note, I was disappointed to see that officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota moved this week to impose a vaccine passport scheme, forcing bar and restaurant patrons there to show proof of vaccination to eat at restaurants. This invasive new requirement is unfair, it is unnecessary, and I believe it violates people's basic right to medical privacy. The good news for Twin Cities diners is that they are just a short drive from the Wisconsin state line – and a great selection of Badger State bars and restaurants where they can enjoy cheese curds, fish frys and ice-cold drinks without having to show anybody "their papers." That's why I tweeted a warm invitation to our Minnesota neighbors Wednesday night – complete with a helpful map to guide them our way.
Soft on crime policies contributing to crime wave
As crime soars in our major cities, certain segments of the population continue to be affected by the misguided "reimagining of crime" that some District Attorneys have. The people in charge of holding criminals accountable are often making our communities less safe through "no-cash-bail" initiatives, lenient plea deals, and refusal to prosecute certain crimes. This week we learned that last year in Baltimore, Maryland, a man was initially charged with 18 felonies including three attempted murder charges, for setting his girlfriends' house on fire. Those charges were then reduced to 10 counts, and finally the DA sweetened the deal further by dropping all but one count. The man pleaded guilty to an arson charge and was awarded a 10-year suspendedsentence. What message are these activist DA's sending to criminals? I suspect they know that in certain cities like, Baltimore, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and others, they will not be held accountable for their heinous crimes. And these troubling reports aren't just confined to big cities on coasts. Last year, for example, Milwaukee had a record 197 homicides. Americans deserve better.
Recent Legislation
Dems double down on election insecurity
This week House Democrats used procedural gimmickry to push a partisan rewrite of America's election laws once again through the House of Representatives. The legislative gymnastics Speaker Pelosi had to engaged in were so convoluted, that in order to do this, the majority had to hijack legislation related to NASA – America's space agency – to do it. While many in the media refer to the bill as a "voting rights" measure, in reality it is designed to invalidate state voter ID laws, mandate less-secure mail voting, and institutionalize shady "ballot harvesting" schemes. Perhaps even worse, the bill would pour public money into paying for political ads – and the pockets of high-dollar campaign consultants. As bad as this proposal is, it may only be a down-payment on even more expansive and controversial changes to elections in our country. Recently, for example, New York City followed the lead of San Francisco by allowing non-citizens to cast ballots – effectively legalizing foreign election interference. I am concerned that this effort to outsource American elections to foreigners is coming soon to other cities, and I am committed to doing everything I can to stop it.
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| I spoke on the House floor against the Democrats' federal takeover of elections. Their attempt to hijack a NASA bill to promote voter fraud is one giant leap backwards for American election integrity. |
Standing up for our servicemembers
This week I opposed the so-called Guard and Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act because, as has become customary for House Democrats, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held no legislative hearings on it, and did not solicit views from committee members, veteran service organizations, the Biden administration the mortgage industry, or consumer groups on the bill's impact. This legislation promises to cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars – new spending which is not offset by spending reductions in other parts of the budget. I did however, support two fiscally responsible and very important pieces of legislation that would support our service members and address the unfair treatment of service members that have served honorably. The first, would stipulate that any time spent on Federal active duty by members of the Guard and Reserve, for service other than training, would count toward G.I. Bill eligibility. I also supported a measure put forward by my Wisconsin colleague, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, which would allow certain educational assistance benefits, for service members who received a General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions for not complying with the Defense Department's vaccine mandate. Unfortunately, the democrats did not support this extraordinary benefit for our service members either.
Ending "Big Tech" censorship
For too long, Silicon Valley billionaires have been tightening their control over what Americans can see, say and read online – going so far as to suspend elected officials, deplatform influential newspapers and even erase scientific experts from the online space. Meanwhile, tech companies like Twitter continue to allow Iran's "supreme leader," Communist Chinese cybertroopers and even terror groups like the Taliban to continue posting – even though Western social media platforms are effectively banned inside their own countries. One reason these "Big Tech" titans have been able to wield such far-reaching power over the marketplace of ideas is a little-known provision of federal law known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This provision, enacted during the early days of the internet, essentially gives companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube unlimited power to publish – or suppress – information arbitrarily, leaving almost no recourse for those they may harm or censor. This needs to end. That's why this week I cosponsored legislation introduced by Rep. Greg Steube of Florida that would restore Americans' right to free speech on the internet, protect children from harmful online content, and revoke the blank check Congress gave "Big Tech" back in the 1990s. You can read more about that legislation here.
Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District
NFL Draft
Best of luck to Grantsburg brothers John andLeo Chenalwho recently announced that they would be leaving UW Madison to enter the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ice Fishing
Congratulations to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School ice fishing team who competed in the Prairie Farm High School Invitational and brought home the title after finishing first with a total score of 289 inches!
Retirement
Tim Tauer is retiring from the United States Postal Service after serving the Antigo community for 37 ½ years. Happy retirement, Tim! Enjoy this new chapter.