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The Tiffany Telegram: March 25, 2022

March 25, 2022
Newsletters

Dear Friend,

This week the House of Representatives was not in session, so I spent time back in the district holding listening sessions and meeting with constituents to hear about the issues that matter most to them. More on that later.

Meanwhile back in Washington, the Senate Judiciary Committee began the confirmation hearings for President Biden's Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Like many things that have grown since President Biden took office – inflation, illegal immigration, and gas prices – crime rates, too, are skyrocketing. A crime data sampling from 22 major U.S. cities, for example, showed that the murder rate went up 44% in 2021 compared to 2019.

During the past two years many of my colleagues on the other side have advocated for no cash-bail policies, supported soft-on-crime DAs, and called for defunding or even dismantling the police. Not surprisingly, these efforts have helped to fuel soaring crime, an epidemic of lawlessness, and tragic outcomes that we seem to see in news reports nearly every single day.

So I was disappointed – but not surprised – to see that Biden's Supreme Court pick has an alarming pattern of handing down light sentences to sexual predators and those convicted of possessing child porn. In one case she gave an offender just three months in prison for possessing a large quantity of child pornography, which should have carried a sentence of eight to ten years.

I have concerns about Judge Jackson's ability to serve on our Nation's highest court when she has consistently failed to follow federal sentencing guidelines – instead siding with offenders. That is why I joined several of my colleagues in sending a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (IL) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (IA) outlining concerns with Judge Jackson's troubling history of treating sexual predators as if they were the victims rather than the actual victims of these shocking crimes.

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


Sincerely,

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Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress


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No matter how small a 7th District resident may be, I always enjoy speaking to constituents in Ashland.


Six in-person listening sessions
This Thursday and Friday, I held multiple in-person listening sessions in the district, meeting with folks to discuss their concerns and what I'm working on in Washington, DC. As I wrap up my listening sessions this evening in Barron County, it was a pleasure seeing everyone, and I am already looking forward to when we can do this again.

Despite the winter storm we faced earlier in the week, we had a great turnout in Weston as I heard from over 50 constituents. Many folks expressed concerns with rising energy costs and inflation. In particular, I was moved by one of the stories I heard from Dave, a manufacturer, who is worried about getting his materials due to the rising cost of goods. I know many of you are just like Dave and have similar concerns. Getting inflation under control starts with restraining runaway spending in Washington. That means making tough choices and living within our means, something Wisconsin families and small businesses do every single day.

Many other constituents expressed concerns over our wide-open southern border and the negative impact they are seeing as illegal drugs – brought across that border by foreign smugglers – make their way into our communities. One flight attendant shared her firsthand experience with having to transport illegal aliens across the country. It is outrageous that taxpayer dollars are being spent to cover the costs of illegal alien flight and hotel expenses, something I've pressed the Biden administration onin the past.

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Listening to a constituent's concerns at my New Richmond listening session.

Biden policies fuel fresh refugee crisis
On Thursday President Biden announced a plan to bring 100,000 Ukrainian migrants to the United States. As the Washington Times reported, these "Ukrainian migrants would join more than 75,000 Afghans airlifted to the U.S. last year, as well as tens of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians who have been granted special protection and hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants streaming across [America's] southern border." Like all Americans, I sympathize with the plight of Ukrainians who have been displaced by Russia's invasion. But I have serious concerns about the Biden administration's pattern of repeatedly opening America's borders without the approval of Congress – or any consideration for the strain that this flood of foreign nationals has on public safety, social programs, local schools, and our health care infrastructure. We also learned this week that tens of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians are traveling to Mexico and then making their way to the U.S. border seeking to slip into our country. Instead of adding more migrants to the record-breaking total we've seen over the last year thanks to lax or non-existent immigration enforcement, President Biden should work closely with European leaders to resettle Ukrainians in nearby countries so they can more easily return home when the situation in Ukraine stabilizes. And of course, we must get serious about securing our own borders.

More covid money?
It's been a little over a year since the Democrats' first major spending spree was signed into law by President Biden. While their $1.9 trillion dollar package was disguised as a COVID relief package, only 9% of that money went directly for pandemic related health care needs. One recent report found that $1 billion in pandemic aid actually went towards building a hotel, ballpark, and ski slopes. And now some in Washington want even more. Despite initially requesting $22.5 billion in added Covid spending, Speaker Pelosi and Anthony Fauci announced late last week that they'd actually like double that amount and are asking for another $45 billion dollars.

Soft on crime policies fuel criminal joyride
This week we learned that prosecutors in St. Louis declined to charge a suspect who attempted to carjack – of all things – a marked police car, with two officers inside. Although the police department sought multiple charges, the Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner elected not to file them, despite the suspect having multiple charges pending for unrelated criminal activity. This incident, like so many others, helps illustrate the growing problem we face in far too many American communities. To take back our streets, we must pursue policies that hold criminals – and rogue prosecutors – accountable, while providing law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day with the tools they need to do their jobs.


Committee Update

Judiciary
Order in the Court
I was pleased to see civility return to the Supreme Court nomination confirmation hearings in the Senate. This is a very important process that deserves careful deliberation and tough questions, as these justices help shape the future of our Republic. By contrast, during Justice Kavanaugh's hearings a few years ago, we saw little decorum and multiple lawmakers making a mockery of the process. As you know, the purpose of these hearings is to not only explore the background of the nominees, but also to get a sense of their judicial philosophy. To be clear, Judge Jackson must explain some of her rulings in the past and her philosophy on crime, but I'm glad to see she is able to do it in an environment where she is treated with dignity and respect. Although we may disagree on many things, it is incumbent upon all of us to treat one another with respect.


Recent Legislation

Revoking Communist China's "Most Favored Nation" trade status
This week, Reps. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and I introduced bipartisan legislation to reverse course on America's lopsided and unfair trade relationship with China. Our bill would restore congressional oversight to bilateral U.S.-China trade by stripping Beijing's "Most Favored Nation" trade preferences and restoring checks and balances that existed before U.S. policymakers granted China so-called "Permanent Normal Trade Relations" or "PNTR." One of those safeguards was an annual vote in Congress on continued U.S-China trade. When lawmakers approved PNTR two decades ago, however, they stopped holding that annual vote. Backers of "free trade" with China told us at the time that PNTR would usher in a new era of prosperity here at home while paving the way for political freedom – and fair labor practices – in China. But that didn't happen. In the decades since, we've watched as China hollowed out America's manufacturing sector while Communist Party elites became more ruthless, more powerful, and more dangerous – all bankrolled by massive trade surpluses with America. Today, Beijing's dictatorship openly engages in systematic human rights abuses, slavery,
and even genocide. There is nothing "normal" about China's predatory behavior, and America can no longer afford to enable that behavior on a "permanent" basis. It is time to end PNTR, and that's exactly what our bill will do. You can read more about the legislation here and here.


District Update

Congratulations to these first responders
The City of Marshfield appointed a new police and fire chief this week, and I cannot wait to see all the great work they are going to do to serve our community and protect our families.

Jody Geurink, a 24-year veteran of the Marshfield Police Department, was named the new Police Chief on Tuesday. Chief Geurink joined the Marshfield Police Department in July 1998, and he has held many positions with the Department, the most recent being a Lieutenant. He also was a Law Enforcement Academy instructor, being the gold standard for young police officers who wished to pursue the profession.

Additionally, Pete Fletty, who has been serving as the Interim Fire Chief of the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department since December, was named the new Fire Chief this morning. Chief Fletty is a 24-year veteran of the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department and is also the current First Vice President of the Wisconsin State Fire Inspectors Association.

Congratulations to these two outstanding public servants! I hope you will join me in praying for their safety as they put their own lives in harm's way to protect us.


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

Heart of the North All-Conference Team

Congratulations to St. Croix Fall's Jared Lessman for being named part of the Heart of the North all-conference basketball team for the second year in a row!

Student of the Week

Maggie Baginski was named Antigo's high school's club student of the week this week! Keep up the great work!

Power Lifting State Champions

Congratulations to Nevaeh Noonan and Jacob Regan from Osceola for earning state titles earlier this month at the Power Lifting State Championships!