The Tiffany Telegram: June 4, 2021
Table of Contents
Recent Legislation
District Update
Dear Friend,
This week I returned from a trip to the Darien Gap in Panama, a lawless frontier area where South America and Central America meet – and where thousands of migrants from across the globe begin their treacherous journey to the United States in earnest. What I encountered during my visit confirmed what most Americans have known for a very long time: President Biden's repeated and reckless promises of amnesty, refusal to enforce immigration laws and rollback of common-sense Trump-era border controls are fueling a tidal wave of illegal immigration from places as far away as Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Well-funded and well-organized transnational human trafficking rings and drug cartels are exploiting the Biden administration's lax approach to border security – effectively creating a pipeline of human misery that begins in Panama, swells as it winds through Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, before emptying its dangerous cargo at the US-Mexico border. From there, drugs and illegal aliens fan out across the United States – often at taxpayer expense – making every state a border state. More on that later.
We also saw the release of thousands of pages of emails to and from Dr. Anthony Fauci that came to light as the result of Freedom of Information Act requests. These exchanges raise fresh questions about what Dr. Fauci may have known about possible links between his agency and the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology in Communist China - and when he knew it. We also learned that staff at the State Department may have actively obstructed efforts by the last administration to investigate the possibility that the pandemic originated in the Chinese lab and was concealed by Chinese Communist Party officials.
You may also be wondering exactly how much all of this pandemic-related government spending is costing taxpayers. The answer is plenty – and unfortunately lots of it is going directly into the pockets of fraudsters. We've got some shocking data for you about just how much cash we're talking about.
Thanks again for spending some of your Friday afternoon with us, and we hope you enjoy this week's edition of the Telegram.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
Panama's human trafficking pipeline
My recent journey to the Darien Gap in Panama was an eye-opening experience. Our historic partner in Central America is experiencing a wave of extra-continental migrants thanks to the bad policy choices of the Biden administration. Migrants from over 150 countries have seen the "green light" that repeated White House promises of amnesty represent, starting an arduous journey that many, tragically, do not survive. Among the endless flow of migrants are pregnant women, children and even babies. Drawn by the false promise of having a better chance to enter the US than a single male migrant would. They save money, borrow from friends and relatives and pay smugglers to get them from one point to the next on this nightmarish illegal immigration pipeline. The same human traffickers the migrants pay often rob or sexually abuse their clientele along the way, leaving them in the jungle to fend for themselves and face a host of death-defying challenges: Flash floods, sweltering heat, poisonous snakes and insects, and more. Many simply do not make it. Once they complete their 8-day journey and reach civilization they arrive in a small village of almost 500 that I visited called Bajo Chiquito. Migrants arrive in various degrees of peril and overwhelm the single clinic in the village. Often migrants outnumber villagers 2 to 1. There is little food and even less medicine. When I talked to migrants in the village, many told me they would not recommend this journey to others, nor would they attempt the journey again if they knew the risks. They also stated that they had found a new life in other countries outside of their home countries they had previously left – places like Brazil, Ecuador, Suriname and Chile, where they had found safety and stability. Now with Biden's policies in place, however, they have chosen to leave that behind in an effort to enter America. But the tidal wave of humanity isn't just economic migrants. Among them are those would seek to do us harm. The wave of migration in Europe only a few short years ago has provided a template for terrorist organizations and criminals, who seek to blend into the crowd. Migrants who appear on the Terror Watch List have been apprehended in the past, and well-financed drug cartels and human trafficking rings utilize the flow as cover to grow their illicit businesses. With all the chaos I saw in just a few short days, I am convinced now more than ever that we need to reverse course and bring back the common-sense policies that effectively stemmed the flow of illegal immigration in recent years. You can read more about my visit here and here.
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WATCH: Discussing recent trip to Darien Gap |
Scammers burn taxpayers to tune of billions on pandemic aid
"The breadth of criminality is startling." That's how a recent investigative report described the scope of fraud in pandemic assistance programs, which reportedly runs into the tens of billions. Identity theft, people filing for benefits using the names of dead people, crooks stealing medical equipment like ventilators, scammers buying luxury cars with aid money, prison inmates defrauding the government from behind bars – and even one guy who filmed a rap video in which he openly bragged about how easy it was to rip off taxpayers. The details are shocking – even by Washington, DC standards. You can read the full report here.
Wuhan lab funding: Your tax dollars at work?
As we mentioned earlier, the recent disclosure of Dr. Anthony Fauci's emails have raised new questions about the role that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) may have played in the origins of the pandemic. The emails also raised questions about American taxpayers funding sketchy research at WIV. That's why I joined my colleague Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania in introducing legislation to block any US funding from flowing to this Chinese People's Liberation Army-affiliated facility. It is important that lawmakers set politics aside and uncover the origin of this pandemic – which has destroyed so many lives and livelihoods around the world. This isn't about playing a "blame game," it is about finding the truth so that we are better positioned to prevent, contain and respond to future threats – especially given troubling new reports of a human infection of bird flu in China.
Putting an end to "Critical Race Theory" and racial quotas in government spending
Telegram readers know that we've been pushing back against unfair and unconstitutional efforts to dole out government benefits based solely on race. Earlier this year, in response to a partisan Department of Agriculture program designed to provide debt relief to minority farmers while totally excluding white farmers, I introduced the Agriculture Civil Rights and Equality Act (ACRE Act). The ACRE Act would explicitly bar the USDA from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any person, in whole, or in part, based on race. Unfortunately, progressive activists and policymakers continue to promote this kind of discriminatory ideology – seeking to inject it into our workplaces, our health care sector, and even our classrooms. That's why I joined Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah in introducing two related bills – one which would ban the dissemination of "Critical Race Theory" in federal institutions, and another calling out the dangers of indoctrinating schoolchildren with this poisonous, racist ideology. You can read more about both bills here. The good news is that proponents of racial quotas and identity politics are meeting resistance in the courtroom. Two recent rulings rebuked the Biden administration for attempting to dole out pandemic restaurant relief based on race. Several other legal challenges to the USDA program I mentioned are also moving forward. Racial set-asides, quotas and racist indoctrination have no place in American law, American hospitals, American workplaces, or American classrooms. If we are going to get serious about ending racial discrimination, the first step is for the government to stop doing the discriminating.
Grim anniversary in China
This week I joined several of my colleagues on both sides of the political aisle to introduce a bipartisan resolution commemorating the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in China. Many of you no doubt recall the inspiring scenes of students standing up to the Communist Dictatorship in Beijing more than 30 years ago, demanding basic freedoms, human rights and democratic reform. Sadly, the demonstration was crushed by security forces – an event seared into the world's collective conscience by the iconic image of an unarmed man standing in front of a column of People's Liberation Army tanks. To this day, his fate remains unknown. You can see that historic photo here and review a timeline of events that led up to the massacre and arrest of countless Chinese citizens more than three decades ago. Sadly, China's unelected rulers still work relentlessly to try and erase this event from history – and punish those who seek to keep the memory of those who died in the protests alive. We should never forget what happened that day – and we should stand in solidarity with those who seek the same rights and freedoms in China and other repressive countries that we cherish here in the United States.
Genocide Olympics?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) seems poised to make the same mistake they made in 1936 when they hosted the games in Nazi Germany by allowing China – a perpetrator of genocide – to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing crimes against humanity occurring inside China – which include forced sterilization, the persecution of political dissidents and religious minorities, the operation of concentration camps, wide-scale torture and organ harvesting. I believe hosting the Olympic games inside a country that President Biden's own Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently described as an "open air prison" would send exactly the wrong message. That is why I cosponsored legislation that calls on the IOC to re-bid the 2022 games, and move the event to a country that respects basic human rights.
Recent Legislation
Broadband Bill
I helped introduce The Gigabit Opportunity Act. This bill would allow states to designate opportunity zones in low income communities that do not have fast and reliable broadband. These opportunity zones would provide tax incentives for private investments to help expand broadband access in areas that need it. Reliable internet is critical to ensuring that all people have access to a 21st century economy, telehealth services, and online learning opportunities. Legislation like the Gigabit Opportunity Act helps develop our broadband capabilities and we must continue to explore ways to improve broadband access in rural districts like Wisconsin's 7th.
District Update
Building Playsets with Roc Solid Foundation
This week, I joined the Roc Solid Foundation in Eagleton to build a backyard playset for the Dommer family. Their daughter, Ramsey, was diagnosed with cancer at just five days old. Thank you to Roc Solid and the Ashley Furniture family for allowing me to join in on the foundation's mission of building hope for families fighting pediatric cancer.
Happy National Cheese Day!
To celebrate National Cheese Day, I had a great time at the Marshfield Mayor's Dairy Breakfast with Wisconsin Representatives, Rep. Donna Rozar and Rep. John Spiros, and the Fairest of the Fair Royalty!
Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District
Top 100 Critical Access Hospital
Congratulations to Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital for being recognized as one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the Nation by the Chartis Center for Rural Health.
Rescue Task Force
Barron County Emergency Services established a new Rescue Task Force trained to significantly reduce the timeframe for rescue personnel to get assistance to those who are critically injured.
Never Forgotten Honor Flight
Students at Lakeland Union High School raised $15,000 to help send 30 local veterans on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
Blockade of Brave Bovines
A 13-mile pursuit came to an end on Tuesday after the vehicle was surrounded by a herd of cows.
Resources
The USDA continues to make resources and assistance available to agricultural producers and working families to ensure access, safety and stability for food markets and supplies.
Small businesses can also apply for assistance through the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan program. This program provides economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue as a result of the pandemic.
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As always, you are welcome to visit my website or to contact my offices in Washington, DC or Wisconsin, which remain open for service, if you have any questions or need assistance.