The Tiffany Telegram: January 28, 2022

Dear Friend,

The House of Representatives did not convene for legislative activity this week, so I spent time traveling around the district holding listening sessions and hearing from folks on the issues that matter most to them.

A number of people raised concerns about inflation and the impact it has had on their kitchen table budget. We talked about the increase in fuel costs and how prices have consistently continued to rise since President Biden shutdown the Keystone Pipeline, which along with other policy changes that were enacted as part of Biden's climate change initiative have forced the United States to rely on foreign nations once again for our energy.

People also expressed concerns over the Afghan evacuees that were relocated to Fort McCoy, the process by which they were brought in, and the cost of resettling them (more on that later).

A big thank you to everyone who braved the frigid temperatures to join us this week—we had a great turn out at every location despite the cold weather.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week's edition of The Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,

Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

District Update
We held multiple listening sessions this week in the district where we met with folks to discuss their concerns and what's happening in Washington, DC and Madison. During the first day of listening sessions we started in Phillips before heading to Hurley and ended the day in Three Lakes. The top issue we heard about was election integrity and the need to put better safeguards in place to restore confidence in the election process – because it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Three Lakes High School Fab Lab

The next day we continued our listening sessions heading to Laona, Antigo, and Merrill. While a number of concerns were raised on everything from inflation to COVID mandates, the topic that dominated the conversation amongst all three listening sessions was immigration. People expressed their concerns over President Biden's return to the failed policy of "catch and release" as well as their practice of relocating illegal immigrants by flying them to other states in the middle of the night on the taxpayer's dime.

I am committed to working hard on addressing your concerns in Congress to make sure that this year is better than 2021. Thank you to all those who came out and participated this week!

Hurley Listening Session

Costs of Biden Afghanistan disaster pile up in Wisconsin
Telegram readers know that I was among the first lawmakers to warn about the potential consequences of the Biden administration's reckless decision to bring tens of thousands of Afghans into our country first and ask questions later. In the months that followed, we have seen shocking reports of sexual assault in Wisconsin and Virginia, attacks on military personnel, Afghans with prior criminal convictions making it on to evacuation flights and even outbreaks of infectious disease. The national security and public safety costs of the White House's haphazard polices are troubling enough – but financial costs are piling up for local communities as well, including right here in Wisconsin. This week an investigative report revealed how the crush of Afghan evacuees is literally trashing some communities and costing taxpayers a bundle. Even worse, the White House recently announced it was planning to give more than $300 million to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Sending more of our hard-earned tax dollars overseas while American towns are forced to bear the staggering, long-term costs of President Biden's botched Afghanistan failure isn't just unfair, it is dangerous – and expensive.

Politically discharged
The number of active military members being discharged due to President Biden's controversial vaccine mandate continues to climb. This week the Navy discharged 23 active duty sailors for refusing to roll up their sleeve for the mandatory jab, marking the first time it has discharged currently serving sailors out over the mandate. As of late last week, 334 Marines and 111 airmen have been kicked out of the military for refusing to take the vaccine. I do not believe that a person's COVID-19 vaccination status should be a condition of service and I'm concerned how the purge of our nations' service members will affect our military readiness. That's why I signed on to Congressman Mast's Medical Freedom in the Military Act, which would prevent the Department of Defense from discharging or bringing disciplinary actions against a member of the Armed Forces for not getting the jab. President Biden should start focusing on the real threats—like those posed by China and Russia—instead of forcing our troops to roll up their sleeve.

Texas synagogue terrorist
As violent crime soars across our cities, many critics continue to blame guns and law-abiding gun owners rather than the perpetrators of the crime themselves. Typically, they argue that Americans don't need firearms because guns pose an inherent danger to society. Many in mainstream media omit the countless "Good Samaritan" stories of would-be attackers being stopped by good people with legally owned firearms. Also, notably absent are the news stories of guns illegally owned by felons, acquired through black markets, and out of the reach of the NICS background check and the FBI. The rules continuously put forward by the Biden administration only apply to people who submit to the system – in other words, generally law-abiding citizens. Criminals don't go through background checks because they obtain their guns illegally. We saw this most recently in the Texas synagogue terrorist attack. Malik Faisal Akram, a UK national with criminal ties, who arrived in the U.S. in December, allegedly purchased a gun from Henry "Michael" Williams, a felon with multiple convictions dating back as far as 2013. Akram then used that gun to hold four people hostage two days later at the synagogue, demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakastani woman imprisoned in Fort Worth for allegedly trying to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. So, a convicted felon sold a firearm to a foreign criminal – and did so without having to submit to a background check. Instead of demonizing gun owners, we need to hold criminals accountable and take a more serious approach to vetting those who wish to enter our country. Doing so would go a long way towards restoring public safety and the rule of law. It's time to stop treating law-abiding citizens as criminals and criminals as victims.

Committee Update
House Judiciary
Terrorists get COVID too
This week we found out the answer to the question we've all been asking; are the people coming to this country illegally, being vetted in the interest of our national security? The answer, as you likely suspected is a resounding, no. Last November, Issam Bazzi, a Lebanese-born Venezuelan national was caught crossing the border illegally with his wife and daughter near the Rio Grande sector in Texas and released on his own recognizance to wait for his asylum hearing. Why? Because his overweight status deemed him at high risk for COVID. The only problem: He's on the FBI terror watchlist. Reportedly, both FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement opposed his release, but had to comply with the directives coming from the Biden administration. Bazzi reportedly flew to Mexico and then entered the U.S. after receiving word "that the Biden administration has given asylum to Venezuelans." Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott has repeatedly warned that the number of migrants identified on the Terrorist Screening Database is "at a level we have never seen before." Unfortunately, too many in Washington refuse to acknowledge the crisis on our border. Even worse, it's been over a year since President Biden was sworn in – yet the House majority refuses to bring Secretary Mayorkas before the Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the administration's disastrous border policies. Time and time again, we have seen how our wide open southern border is making every state a border state, jeopardizing America's national security, economic security and public safety.

Committee on Natural Resources
The DNR will be hosting a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, February 2, on the proposed Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline relocation. As many of you know, I have talked a lot about the importance of this pipeline, which is vital to Wisconsin and our country. Like many of you, I use propane to heat my home, and we've all seen just how quickly the price of propane can change. The technology used in this project will be top of the line and follow our nation's high environmental standards. Data from the Department of Transportation and National Transportation Safety Board show that pipelines are the safest and most efficient method to transport energy, as they account for only 0.01% of all transportation accidents in the country – making them a better and more affordable option than trucks or rail cars. I strongly encourage those of you who wish to participate to make your voice heard.

Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District

Winter Olympics

Minocqua's Kevin Bolger is heading to the 2022 Winter Olympics as part of Team USA's cross-country ski team. Best of luck Kevin!

Perfect Season

Congratulations to the Hodag swim team who wrapped up their perfect seasonby winning all 11 events in the Great Northern Conference—sweeping maximum points in nine of them.

National Honors

All three elementary schools in the New Richmond School District were listed amongst U.S. News & World Reports best elementary schools in the country. Way to go!