The Tiffany Telegram: June 18, 2021

Dear Friend,

We shared some troubling data with you recently about the sheer size and scope of fraud in government pandemic spending. Readers may recall some of the most ridiculous examples – con-artists buying Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and swimming pools with your money, prison inmates cashing in from behind bars and even one brazen scammer who was so proud of defrauding American taxpayers that he made a rap videoabout it.

Well, it turns out, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

A bombshell report this week revealed that fully half of those generous unemployment benefits that the government has been pumping out – the ones encouraging many people to stay on public assistance rather than returning to work – have actually been stolen. And that's not all: It seems that more than two-thirds of the loot wound up in the pockets of street gangs and state-supported thieves as far away as China, Russia and Nigeria.

You'd think these almost daily reports of mind-boggling bureaucratic ineptitude would serve as a cautionary tale to policymakers about the dangers of spending trillions now and asking questions later – but you'd be wrong.

Despite these eye-popping examples of fraud and a skyrocketing national debt that is mortgaging our children's future, President Biden seems determined to push ahead with a record-breaking $6 trillion annual budget– and trillions more in fast-tracked spending on what is quickly shaping up to be a special interest, all-you-can spend buffet financed by overtaxed American workers and cash-strapped employers.

Touring the Senior Center of Langlade County in Antigo, WI.

On a brighter note: Sunday is Father's Day – so if you haven't already, make sure you get out there and pick up something nice for Dad.

Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Lincoln County Dairy Breakfast

Does America need a second "National Independence Day"?
That's a question some of us asked when Democrats brought a bill to the House floor this week creating a new federal holiday called "Juneteenth National Independence Day" – legislation they passed with little debate, and no opportunity for lawmakers to offer amendments or alternatives. Many lawmakers went along with the bill, but I voted against it because I believe there is only one Independence Day in America – just as there is only one National Anthem, one American flag and one America – under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. To be clear, Juneteenth is one of many important milestones in America's shared journey that began in 1776 to create a more perfect union – a commemoration of slaves in the American southwest learning that they had been emancipated. Unfortunately, by labeling this new holiday as a second, race-based "National Independence Day" instead of a "National Emancipation Day," the bill represents yet another effort by Democrats to turn Americans against one another, and foment division based on skin color instead of uniting us.

Did "Cancel Culture" stop scientists from investigating pandemic link to Wuhan lab?
For more than a year, hyper-partisan media outlets, Big Tech censorship, and the professional risk of being associated with President Trump intimidated scientists into silence when it came to discussing the possibility that Covid-19 originated in a now-notorious, Chinese military-linked virus lab. One of those scientists now calling for such an investigation, MIT and Harvard postdoctoral associate Alina Chan, admitted this week that researchers downplayed the theory even as a growing number of scientists now admit that the hypothesis is credible and even likely. This revelation underscores just how dangerous it is when people are afraid to admit the obvious because they fear groupthink mob backlash or being silenced by powerful corporate interests. You can read more about that here.

Are supercharged public assistance payments turning our safety net into a hammock?
The answer appears to be an emphatic "Yes." One recent analysis recently determined that in more than 20 states, jobless households are pulling in the equivalent of $25 per hour. In 19 states, a family of four with two parents on unemployment are collecting $100,000 in benefits – far in excess of the median household income, and a lot more than many people who get up and go to work every day are taking home. The sad truth of the matter is that when government heavily subsidizes something, we get more of it. So it's not a surprise that the number of unfilled jobs in America recently hit a new record. You can read more about the study here. You can also read about legislation I cosponsored to get rid of government incentives that are keeping people from getting back to work.

More disorder on the US border
Telegram readers know that the crisis on the southern border has been spiraling out of control since President Biden was sworn in January 20. The human tidal wave of migrants is overwhelming Border Patrol agents, with the number of foreigners flooding the U.S. surging to unprecedented levels – and those who traffic them pocketing record ill-gotten gains. In May alone, Customs and Border Protection reported 180,000 migrant encounters – and the situation is getting worse. In fact, the last three months have been the worst America has seen for illegal immigration in two decades. The Biden administration continues to pretend that none of this is a crisis, and that their decision to reinstate the failed "Catch and Release" policy while ending President Trump's successful "Remain in Mexico" policy have nothing to do with the catastrophe that is now in its fifth month. Despite growing concerns about this border disorder, President Biden's Homeland Security Secretary couldn't even answer basic questions from lawmakers about his department – including how many Border Patrol agents are currently deployed to the US-Mexico line. You can read more about that here.

Committee Update
Committee on Natural Resources
This week the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources had an oversight hearing regarding coal country. Rickie Nez, Chairman of the Resources and Development Committee of the 24th Navajo Nation Council, spoke to the importance of natural resource development for jobs and revenue on the Navajo Nation. He also highlighted the complex federal bureaucracy that too often stalls progress on projects and makes it harder to create jobs and improve people's lives. A colleague of mine, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, talked about the Desert Rock energy plant, a state-of-the-art facility that had its permits pulled in 2009 by the Obama administration. The plant would have produced 1,500 megawatts of energy and included a 472-mile transmission line. The bottom line is that when red tape and ideological extremism kill good family wage energy jobs, communities are left picking up the pieces. I will continue working to make sure all Americans have access to reliable power and find ways to cut through the thicket of red tape that too often hamstrings economic growth.

Keeping wolf management in Wisconsin, and out of Washington, DC
This week, I joined "A Voice for Rural America" the Congressional Western Caucus Podcast with Chairman, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), and Director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center, Todd Meyers, to discuss the delisting of the gray wolf and successful management of the species at the state and local levels. You can listen to that discussion here.

Recent Legislation
Accountability at the Small Business Administration
I joined several of my colleagues this week in sending a letter to Administrator Guzman of the Small Business Administration (SBA), urging her to expedite the release of funds to beneficiaries of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. This program was passed into law in December 2020 and was set to begin providing relief on April 8, 2021. Shortly after launching the program, however, SBA had to suspend the SVOG application portal due to "technical difficulties." Applicants were required to start over to ensure no applicant had any additional advantages when the program re-opened on April 26, 2021. As of June 9, it was reported that only 90 applicants had received funds of the thousands of applications received. Venue operators have waited over 5 months since this program was signed into law and can't wait any longer, as many are on the verge of permanently closing their doors.

Repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force
This week I voted to repeal the open-ended Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), enacted prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. This was nearly twenty years ago, and threats in the region, and around the world, have changed. Since passage of this AUMF, administrations from both parties have interpreted this Act broadly to conduct lengthy military deployments without consulting Congress, eroding the careful balance of power called for in our constitution. I voted to repeal this authorization because I believe it is important for Congress to reclaim its authority as a co-equal branch of government. If the President seeks to deploy our military as part of a large-scale military effort, he or she must seek the approval of the legislative branch. To be sure, our country still faces global adversaries who mean to do us harm however, our government should function as was intended – with the proper checks and balances. As global threats to America's security and interests rise and become more diverse, Congress and the Executive Branch should work together to find the appropriate solutions. As always, we owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands who have served and sacrificed for our nation – our country is stronger and safer because of you. We must remain good stewards of your sacrifices.

District Update
COVID-19's Impact on Children
As we begin to look beyond the constant COVID conversations, I would like to highlight something that will remain a part of our lives for some time, and that is the emotional and behavioral impact this pandemic had on our children. More than 25 percent of all school-aged children reported worsening emotional and cognitive health in the past school year, and yet many of them failed to receive behavioral support services due to a lack of in-person schooling. Even more harrowing, suspected suicide attempts among girls 12-17 increased 50.6 percent in the past two years, and from July to August 2020, emergency room visits among teenage girls increased 26.2 percent. This research provided by the CDC suggested young people were at a higher risk for suicide attempts during this time period due to factors such as virtual classrooms, increased substance abuse, and concerns over family job security. Nearly all of these causes come as the result of overreaching long-term closures throughout the pandemic. WI-07 was blessed to see nearly every school remain fully open in the 2020-2021 school year and many of our businesses remained fully open as well. I want to thank you all for your hard work in ensuring our next generation can see a state of normalcy in their daily lives. I will continue to work to provide behavioral health services to all school-aged children in WI-07 and beyond. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental health and our children deserve every resource to ensure they get to live long, healthy lives.

Saxon Harbor Reopening
Last week, I attended The Saxon Harbor Marina and Campground reopening ceremony. In 2016, a deadly storm ripped through the region destroying the harbor in its wake. As a State Senator, I offered a budget motion to assist in the reconstruction and secured a $1 million appropriation in state aid. Work to restore the harbor began in early 2018 and included a dredging machine that removed nearly 3,300 dump-truck loads of sediment. It took five years and over $14 million in federal, state, and local dollars to complete.

Grace Hines owner of the Harbor Lights Bar and Restaurant, Tara Krall and Eric Peterson from the Iron County Forestry and Parks Department.

Upcoming Events
Join Congressman Tom Tiffany for Service Academy Day!
Meet with representatives from West Point, Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, and ROTC. All ages welcome to attend.

Service Academy Day
Saturday, July 10, 2021 at 11:30am
Eagle's Club
1703 South 3rd Avenue
Wausau, WI 54401