The Tiffany Telegram: September 11, 2020

September 11, 2020

Dear Friend,

Today we observe a grim milestone in America's history: The anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 – which crashed in Pennsylvania as its passengers bravely resisted hijackers who intended to crash it into another target. Most of us remember exactly what we were doing that day as we watched in horror as the events unfolded.

That cowardly attack, like the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, will live in infamy. The terrorists who struck America that day failed to break our national spirit. Instead, they strengthened our resolve to defend our nation and our values and to defeat those who conspire to threaten our security and our way of life. As we reflect on 9/11, we must never forget the lives we lost on that day or in the years that followed – or the families that were affected and the strength that our nation collectively mustered. My family and I remain eternally grateful to our first responders and service members, and the great job that they do daily to ensure we are safe.

This week we also learned that the violence and lawlessness that gripped Kenosha in recent days exacted a terrible economic toll on the community, destroying or damaging at least 56 businesses and racking up a $50 million price tag. Arson and rioting are not "peaceful protests," and we stand shoulder to shoulder with our dedicated law enforcement professionals who work every day to protect our neighborhoods and families from dangerous criminal predators and mob intimidation.

In today's Telegram we want to tell you about:

Putting Wisconsin back in the driver's seat on wolf management
This week, I introduced legislation to permanently remove the gray wolf from the list of federal endangered species and restore authority to control the gray wolf population back to where it belongs: In the hands of state lawmakers and state wildlife officials. For too long, the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) has become a statutory "Hotel California," one that allows unelected bureaucrats and well-funded environmental groups to see to it that animals ‘check-in' to the threatened and endangered list – but never leave. Meanwhile, rural communities with no say in the process are stuck with the consequences. It's time to end the era of urban judges and Washington, DC paper-pushers micromanaging Wisconsin wildlife policies. Our farmers, ranchers and sportsmen have seen enough real-world evidence to know that it is their livelihood and future that's endangered, not that of the gray wolf. It's time to put Wisconsinites back in the driver's seat. You can read more about my bill, and what some people are saying about it here, and we'll have more updates for you in the coming weeks.

Tom tours St. Croix Rods in Park Falls, WI.

More Navy work for Wisconsin shipyards
This week a major Twin Ports newspaper threw their support behind our effort to mobilize private shipyards, like Fraser in Superior, to handle more maintenance work for the U.S. Navy. As we've discussed in past Telegram installments, empowering Wisconsin shipyards to take on more fleet work is a win-win opportunity to reduce the strain on aging and backlogged government shipyards, save taxpayers boatloads of money, boost our local and regional economies, help protect a vibrant domestic shipbuilding industry and a secure a brighter future for those working in the trades. You can read their editorial in support of our efforts here, and learn more about why this idea makes so much sense here.

Holding Communist China accountable
This week I joined my colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee in backing bipartisan legislation to hold Communist China accountable for their pervasive and destructive efforts to steal American intellectual property (IP) and harm our economy. That bill, the Trademark Modernization Act, strengthens Patent and Trademark Office procedures to help prevent rampant Chinese IP theft. A 2018 investigation revealed that between 2013 and 2017, there was a whopping 1,100% increase in trademark applications from China – not surprisingly, a significant number of the applications were fraudulent. This bill will allow for the removal of trademark registrations that have never been used in commerce, timely audit procedures to ensure compliance and better mechanisms for legitimate entrepreneurs to challenge fake Chinese registrations. Communist China represents a growing national security and economic threat to the United States, and I am committed to working with my colleagues – Republican and Democrat – to combat it.

New Richmond Chamber of Commerce roundtable
Special thanks this week to New Richmond Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Rob Kreibich, for hosting a lively congressional roundtable. We had a great visit to the New Richmond Airport where we spoke with area employers and Airport Manager, Mike Demulling. The New Richmond airport is an important regional economic hub, is among the busiest airports in our state and is expected to expand thanks to its large hangar availabilities and proximity to Minneapolis.

Tom attends the New Richmond Airport Roundtable with employees and
Executive Director, Rob Kreibich (right).

Coronavirus "second wave" unlikely
Dr. Neal Elettrache appeared on a popular television news program this week to discuss the prospects of a potential "second wave" of coronavirus infections and offering some encouraging insights. He told the host, "I think if we look at the trends of the virus, and what's happened over the summer and comparing where we are now to where we were in March and April…I think there is a lot of reason for optimism that we won't see a second wave...I don't think that the science would support [a second wave.]" Elattrache went on to note "If you look at the death rate and the morbidity…in the New York region, for instance, the death rate for people over 65 years old back in March and April was about 15 percent, and now we look at those death rates and it's about 2 percent. So we're treating people better, we're able to identify positive cases better, and so there's reason for optimism." You can watch the whole segment here.

Keeping prescription drugs affordable
This week I signed onto a letter urging Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar asking that immediate action be taken to protect the 340B drug discount program. For those who are not familiar with the 340B program, it was enacted more than 25 years ago to reduce drug costs for safety-net providers caring for vulnerable populations. Under this program, providers can purchase outpatient drugs from manufacturers at or below the applicable ceiling price. These statutes do not cost American taxpayers a single dollar and help providers ensure access to care for low-income and rural patients, and they include Medicare/Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals, Children's Hospitals, and rural hospitals, just to name a few. I am working closely with a large group of other members to protect this program and ensure that our most vulnerable friends and neighbors continue to receive their medications at a reasonable rate.

District COVID-19 update
Wisconsin's northern region continues to see very minimal rates of COVID-19 with the majority of counties still hovering in the single digits for number of active cases each week. We are also pleased to report that in the past week we saw a reduction in the number of patients being hospitalized for COVID-19, as well as a significant reduction in the number of ICU patients. There are currently six testing sites throughout the district, including the new Hayward Wesleyan Church site. Information on each of those testing sites can be found on the Wisconsin DHS website.

In case you missed it…
We wanted to recognize the Wausau Boys and Girls Club's effort to help guide students through distance learning programs who may not have adequate tools for online learning at home. This is a great example of the type of partnership that makes our communities stronger. You can read more about their work here.

Upcoming Events
My office will be holding mobile office hours to assist constituents across the district. An office representative will be available to answer questions and help constituents with casework. The next mobile office hours will be held in:

Mobile Office Hours: Amery, WI
Monday, September 14, 2020 - 10:00am
Café Next Door
206 S Knowles Ave
New Richmond, WI 54017

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.

Academy Day
Saturday, September 19, 2020 - 11:30am
1703 South 3rd Avenue
Wausau, WI 54401

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.

The USDA also continues to accept applications for assistance under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) through September 11, 2020 to 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.

And once again, remember to make sure that you and your family are counted in the census. Please be sure to visit 2020census.gov to learn more.

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