The Tiffany Telegram: October 16, 2020

Dear Friend,

This week we saw more good news on the economic front, as American workers and small businesses continue to bounce back in the wake of government-mandated lockdown orders and restrictions. Retail sales were up significantly in September, nearly tripling analyst expectations, and rose 5.4% from a year ago. That's a good indication that shops are getting back to business again and customers are getting back to shopping. We've still got a long way to go, but the gains we've seen over the last few months are a testament to the resilience of the American worker, and more evidence that the regulatory and tax reforms that fueled our historic economic boom – before the coronavirus surfaced in China – put America in a better position to bounce back.

Speaking of China, it was shocking this week to see that the communist regime in Beijing – along with the dictatorships in Russia and Cuba – actually won seats on the top United Nations human rights panel, even though basic human rights like freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are under constant threat in these totalitarian countries. Worse, American taxpayers continue to pick up the tab for nearly one-quarter of the total U.N. budget, making you and I the top contributors to this scandal-plagued institution. By comparison, Communist China – which has a population roughly four times larger than the U.S. – foots just 12 percent of the bill. That's something that has to change.

And speaking of freedom of speech and the press, it was troubling to see Facebook and Twitter take steps this week to censor a New York Post investigative report and prevent users from sharing the article. Twitter even blocked access to a House of Representatives websiteand the account of the White House Press Secretary. But more on that later.

While the House of Representatives did not convene this week, the Senate continued its consideration of the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Some of the most powerful testimony offered so far came from Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to serve as a Supreme Court clerk. You can watch her presentation here. You can also follow the committee's proceedings in real-time here.

On the coronavirus front, The Wall Street Journal reported that Pfizer "could be ready to apply for emergency-use authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine by late November, assuming it receives positive efficacy and safety data from late-stage human trials, the first time it or any other leading Western vaccine developer provided such a specific timeline."

In this week's Telegram we want to discuss:

• A tribute to veterans
• Challenging "Big Tech" censorship
• Expanding dairy options for those on food assistance
• Relief for loggers
• Modernizing notary services
• District COVID update

A tribute to veterans
This Saturday at noon, Nasonville Dairy will be unveiling a tribute to Wisconsin Veterans. The ceremony will include reenactors of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Taps will be played, and a blank round will be fired from a replica Civil War cannon. In addition, a generous donation will be made to Camp Victory by a private citizen of the 7th Congressional District during the event. Camp Victory is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Highground Veterans Memorial Park that helps veterans and their families find peace and healing in the outdoors.

Challenging "Big Tech" censorship
We mentioned the unprecedented steps taken by tech giants Facebook and Twitter to censor and limit the distribution of a New York Post investigative report on their platforms this week, as well as Twitter's decision to lock down the accounts of several users including the White House Press Secretary and the New York Post itself, as well as their decision to block the website of a U.S. House of Representatives website. Allegation of bias at these two massive social media corporations has been a growing concern for many of us in recent years, and this week's actions by the two dominant platforms demonstrated that those concerns were legitimate. That's why I co-introduced legislation this summer designed to defend the bedrock principle of free expression and combat content censorship on the web. My colleague Rep. Paul Gosar released an accompanying video outlining what is at stake, and the Judiciary Committee's leading Republican penned a letter to Twitter's CEO asking for an explanation that you can read here.

Expanding dairy options for those on food assistance
This week I became a cosponsor of the bi-partisan GIVE MILK Act. Since 2014, participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children have only had 1% and non-fat milk available to them. What this bill does is allow them to also have the options of 2% and whole milk. Not only will this provide low-income women and children with more nutritious milk options, but also open up another outlet for Wisconsin dairy farmers to send their milk. That's good for our farmers, and good for folks who depend on supplemental assistance.

Law Enforcement Roundtable in Bloomer, WI

Relief for loggers
Along with some of my colleagues, I recently signed on to a letter sent to Secretary Perdue of the USDA to help loggers and log haulers deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. This letter asks that loggers and haulers be included in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. It is essential that we help the industries that have been struggling due to this virus, and our district has a strong logging community, so it is imperative we support it. I will continue to work and bring targeted relief to the parts of our district that need it the most. You can read the letter I signed on to here.

Modernizing notary services
This week I threw my support behind the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act. It allows for remote notarizations, which will be very helpful for some of our remote communities in rural Wisconsin. Rural Americans don't always have the same easy access to physical notary services that folks in larger cities do. This means some of us have to drive long distances to deal with matters related to finance, real estate transactions and other notary needs. This bill aims to make this process less onerous for people who don't readily have access to that service or don't have the time for a long drive because of their busy work-life commitments. With remote notarization, a person appears before the notary using audio-video technology instead of being there in person, speeding up the process and making it more convenient.

District COVID Update
Our region continues to see increased numbers of cases, with Marathon County continuing to see the highest rates in the 7th district, however the fatality rate continues to hover at one percent. Hospitals in the Northwest region are currently at 70 percent capacity, and ICU admissions remain in the single digits. In the North Central region, which includes Oneida, Lincoln, and Marathon, hospitals are closer to 85 percent of their capacity, a statistic many providers are attributing to an influx of people seeking care from the Fox Valley region. We are continuing to monitor that situation should intervention become a necessity. Providers have made it clear to us that bed capacity is not a major concern for them, but rather a lack of staff due to contact tracing measures. Our office is working closely to ensure that contact tracing measures are not being set up as a punishment, but rather an evaluation model for each singular positive case. We also want to highlight the addition of a number of new testing facilities, specifically the addition of facilities being run by Aspirus and Ascension throughout the region. We encourage you to utilize this DHS page to find the facility closest to you.

In case you missed it…
This month Wisconsin said goodbye to Dick Krawze, who passed away October 7 in Laona. Dick was a giant in the forest products industry, starting his career six decades ago in a flooring mill and distinguishing himself as a leading advocate for the industry and the communities and employees who depend on it. We will miss him, and I am fortunate to have called him a friend. You can read more about his life and legacy here.

Upcoming Events
Please join the Marathon County VSO and staff, as they host the Veterans Day Resource Fair.

Veterans Day Resource Fair
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 - 10:00am
Marathon County Historical Society
410 McIndoe Street
Wausau, WI 54403

Regional Assistance
In addition to my Wausau and Washington, DC offices, you can reach my staff located in various parts of the district by phone in the location most convenient to you (Note: These lines have 202 area codes as they are connected directly through the US House of Representatives system in Washington, DC):

Hayward: (202) 510-2790
P.O. Box 586
Hayward, WI 54843

Hudson: (202) 510-8993

Tomahawk: (202) 738-6508


White House Tours
White House tours will resume on Saturday, September 12th. Tours will be hosted on Friday and Saturday, 8:00 am to 11:00 am and tour size will be limited. Visit the website for more information or to schedule a tour.

Coronavirus Response 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.

President Trump announced that the administration has provided an additional $13 billion in additional pandemic assistance for agricultural producers during his visit to Wisconsin. The USDA began accepting applications on September 21 for this new phase of coronavirus relief, which will assist farmers and ranchers who have been adversely affected by price instability, supply-chain problems and cost spikes. You can learn more about how this program applies to soybeans, dairy, corn, livestock and a variety of other agricultural products here.

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 sign up here, and don't forget to 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.

Sincerely,

Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress