The Tiffany Telegram: March 11, 2022

Dear Friend,

Today is the one-year anniversary of the Democrats first major spending spree being signed into law by President Biden. While their $1.9 trillion package was disguised as a Covid relief package, only 9% of it actually went towards pandemic related health care needs – the other 91% went towards big government bailouts and pet projects.

This week, Nancy Pelosi was at it again asking lawmakers to rubber stamp another $1.5 trillion package just hours after they finished printing the massive 2,700 page bill. More on that later.

Last year, I warned Telegram readers about how this kind of massive spending could set off inflationary pressures that would cripple our economy and put a dent in family budgets. Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress shrugged off these concerns and continued spending money like there was no tomorrow.

It didn't take long for inflation to set in, but the Biden administration claimed it was just transitory. A couple months – and socialist style spending sprees later – the administration had to change its tune when it became clear that the price hikes they set off weren't going anywhere anytime soon. That's when they started to blame the pandemic and supply chain woes.

One year in and we now have the highest inflation in 40 years, driven in large part by gas prices, which surged to an all-time high $4.25 a gallon this week. All these additional costs add up – with the average family having to fork out nearly $296 more each month in expenses. Inflation is a tax on working people, retirees, and other Americans – harming those most who can afford it least.

Instead of acknowledging his mistakes and working to get America back on track, Biden's set his sights on a new culprit: Russian President Vladimir Putin. To be fair Biden is right about one thing – a large contributor to inflation is the increase in gas and energy prices. However, Biden is the one who crippled our domestic energy production by shutting down the Keystone Pipeline and a raft of other policy changes designed to discourage American energy production.

Continuously passing the buck and doubling down on the same failed policies that got us into this mess will only make an already bad situation even worse. I hope that the President and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will start working with us to address these issues so we can get America back on the right track.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us, and we hope you enjoy this week's edition of the Telegram.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Russian oil import "ban" misses mark
Some of you may have seen that I voted against legislation this week that has been touted as a "ban" on Russian oil. I did so in part because of loopholes this bill contained. For starters, the "ban" wouldn't even go into effect until 45 days after being enacted. Even worse, the legislation would allow President Biden – who has already dragged his feet on addressing the energy crisis he created – to "waive" these import restrictions and continue importing Russian oil and gas (those provisions are spelled out in Section 2 of the bill, which you can read here). But there's another problem: Unless we roll back President Biden's litany of anti-American energy policies (like his decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, halt new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, suspend drilling operations in Alaska, and rejoin the deeply flawed and costly UN-backed Paris Climate Accord) the only impact of this plan will be to further boost already record-high gas prices, inflicting even more pain on American families and an economy weighed down by skyrocketing inflation.

There's a better way
Instead of the misguided bill the House approved this week, I backed a more comprehensive proposal – one that would prohibit oil imports from Russia, as well as from Venezuela and Iran – countries the Biden administration is reportedly now looking to make a deal with. This alternative would also approve the Keystone XL pipeline, sweep away President Biden's self-destructive onshore and offshore bans on American oil and gas development, reinstate Trump-era reforms that streamline and modernize antiquated, costly and time-consuming planning and analysis requirements, put drilling plans in Alaska back online – and also provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. You can read more about this better approach here.

Spending frenzy continues
Speaker Pelosi asked lawmakers this week to approve $1.5 trillion in new spending just hours after releasing the text of a more than 2,700-page bill. I voted against this measure, which included more than 4,000 earmarks and a nearly $700 million raise for the IRS. American families and small businesses are facing record gasoline prices, rising grocery bills, and the highest inflation in 40 years thanks in large part to President Biden and Speaker Pelosi's unsustainable spending bonanza. This bill unfortunately doubles down on that failed strategy, robbing future generations by spending billions of dollars on programs and pet projects that taxpayers do not want and cannot afford. Adding insult to injury, the bill contained a "rider" resurrecting a controversial program allowing foreigners to effectively purchase green cards – potentially putting American citizenship up for sale to nationals from adversarial countries like Russia and China. Instead of further digging our nation deeper into debt, Congress should work together to tame inflation, cut spending, and lower energy prices. It's time for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to start making the same kinds of tough choices that the American people make every single day.

Charity scams
Natural disasters and conflicts have the tendency to bring out the worst in some people looking to cash in on the generosity of others. Reports have already started circulating that scammers have been using the conflict in Ukraine to target donors. While you should always be cautious of where you donate – pay close attention if you've been approached by phone, email, text, or social media. While the name of a charity may sound familiar, scammers often copy the names of legitimate charities only tweaking them slightly to confuse people. Check out the tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to spot and avoid scams.

Committee Update

Natural Resources
Keeping American energy in the pipeline
This week in a Natural Resources hearing, we heard a leading Democrat voice her opposition to Made in America energy projects here at home, specifically Line 5, which I've discussed before. At a time when Americans are struggling with rising prices and record energy costs, it is disappointing to see influential policymakers advocating for positions that would make an already painful energy crisis even worse. The bottom line is that this pipeline is vital to Wisconsin and our country. In addition to the energy implications, this project is also about safety. 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 am committed to supporting the completion of this critical link in America's energy infrastructure.

Click here or on the image above to watch Rep. Tlaib's anti-Line 5 remarks

Judiciary
Never let a crisis go to waste
For those who tuned in to the State of the Union, you may have heard President Biden announce his Department of Justice would go "after criminals who stole billions in relief money meant for small businesses and millions of Americans." What he didn't clarify is whether or not labor unions, who were ineligible to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans prior to March 11, 2021, would be on that list. As early as July of 2020, the SBA was approving their loan applications despite knowing the eligibility requirements. The SBA not only issued loans to politically active and ineligible unions, in some cases, they issued a second loan and forgave previously issued loans. That means that some of the unions that were fighting to keep our schools closed, were also benefitting from the PPP loans. I was glad to see that the Biden administration will go after those who profited unscrupulously from the pandemic and stole from the American people. Unfortunately, as we saw with the DOJ memo targeting concerned parents, there is a cozy relationship that exists between the Biden administration and some of these groups. I hope that the Biden Administration will objectively apply the laws and regulations to hold those responsible accountable. In the past I have warned that these programs are primed for fraud – this should serve as a reminder that Congress must slow-down the DC printing press and do a better job of overseeing where American taxpayer dollars are going.

Recent Legislation

Unleashing American energy
I recently helped introduce legislation that would help unleash American Energy at once. The bill is called the American Energy Security and Transparency Act, and it would direct the Secretary of the Interior to immediately resume onshore oil and gas lease sales, as well as require the Bureau of Land Management to proceed with a normal permitting process. Right now, these agencies are stalling permits. Even worse, President Biden's Interior Department is refusing to hold even one onshore lease sale, which is contributing to an already unprecedented energy crisis. This legislation will help get America back to energy independence and bring down costs. I also signed on to a letter urging the DOI to schedule remaining lease sales under current leasing programs. I am committed to doing what I can to push for common-sense solutions to help address the soaring energy prices we are all grappling with. You can read more about our letter here.

Biden takes aim at the Second Amendment...again
This week I cosponsored the No Registry Rights Act, which would limit the ability of the ATF to use their current records to create a federal firearms registry. This important legislation will require the ATF to destroy all firearm transaction records they have on file. Moreover, federal firearms licensees would be required to destroy all firearm transaction records once they go out of business. Although there is a statutory prohibition on a federal firearms registry, the ATF recently revealed that it had nearly $1 billion firearm transaction records on file. The Biden administration is proposing a rule to require FFLs to preserve all firearm transaction records in perpetuity, laying the groundwork for the creation of a federal firearms registry. I am committed to fighting these Trojan horse attacks on gun owners, and will continue to defend the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens.

District Update

Research in the Rotunda
On Wednesday, hundreds of undergraduate students from Wisconsin's public universities showcased their research for the 18th annual Research in the Rotunda at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Research in the Rotunda is an annual event that gives students the opportunity to discuss their ideas and research with state lawmakers.

With research projects exploring topics such as barriers to wellness for the deaf population to nurturing local wineries and breweries by avoiding sour grapes to developing the next generation of agrochemicals through organic photochemistry, my staff enjoyed hearing from these hard-working students.

Jacqueline Fontaine attends UW-Superior, and she is pictured with her project on Barriers to Wellness in a Population of Deaf Individuals.

Resources
As many begin to travel internationally again, the Department of State is available to assist with passport services. We recommend to apply at least six months before planned travel as routine service may take up to about 18 weeks. For more information, please visit travel.state.gov.

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.

If a friend forwarded you this newsletter, and you would like to receive it in the future, you can subscribe here for weekly updates and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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.

Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District

FCCLA State

Congratulations to the five Rhinelander high school students for advancing to the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America State competition next month! Good luck!

American Birkebeiner

Ernie St. Germaine, now 74, has been competing in the American Birkebeiner cross-country skiing competition every year since 1973! Keep it up!

Powerlifting State

Congratulations to the Cameron powerlifting teamon the accomplishments earned and medals received at the State tournament this past weekend! Keep up the great work!