The Tiffany Telegram: August 8, 2025
Dear Friend,
Telegram readers know I’ve been outspoken against sanctuary policies, especially in Dane County.
In these jurisdictions, local law enforcement refuses to honor ICE detainers, meaning criminal illegal aliens are released without federal authorities ever being notified. All too often, those same individuals reoffend, leaving more innocent Americans as victims.
That’s exactly what happened in Dane County just weeks ago.
An illegal alien from Honduras, driving drunk, killed two teens who had their whole lives ahead of them. Even worse, Noelia A. Martinez had a long rap sheet—driving without a license, speeding, and a 2020 conviction for drunk driving. You can read more about it here.
She should have been deported years ago, but Democrat-led Dane County’s sanctuary policies protected her and kept her in the country.
Enough is enough.
How many more innocent Americans must die before Democrats end this lawlessness?
Yet not one Democrat leader in our state has condemned these dangerous policies. Instead, Dane County’s Democrat Sheriff went so far as to call me a liar last year when I warned that his county’s sanctuary stance puts lives at risk.
In Congress, I have been fighting to protect Wisconsinites. In 2023, my amendment to block sanctuary cities from receiving federal funds passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Earlier this year, I urged the Department of Government Efficiency to consider moving federal agency offices out of Dane County after ICE labeled it “non-cooperative.”
Now it’s time to finish the job.
If you refuse to follow federal law and won’t cooperate with federal law enforcement, you shouldn’t get a single penny of taxpayer money. You can read more from Breitbart News on this here.
I will work with President Trump to ensure that we end these reckless policies and put the safety of law-abiding Americans first.
Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! There’s much more in the Tiffany Telegram below. We will be back in two weeks with more updates.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
The CAP Act puts American workers first by eliminating the H-1B loophole for universities. Click here to watch my interview on Newsmax.
Putting American workers first
A few weeks ago, I introduced the Colleges for the American People (CAP) Act to remove the special H-1B visa cap exemption for institutions of higher education. Current law contains a carve-out for universities and colleges to be exempt from the State Department's 65,000 H-1B specialty-occupation visa limit – allowing them to employ an unlimited number of foreign workers. The CAP Act will eliminate this loophole and require universities to compete for H-1B visas with other employers under the standard 65,000-visa cap. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) has recently introduced the same bill in the Senate. A recent report shows that in our very own backyard, the University of Wisconsin currently employs 495 foreign nationals on H-1B visas, with their total salaries reaching close to $43 million annually. Critics, including some in the media and immigration lawyers, have attacked this legislation. But I believe that if our universities must rely on foreign workers to fill skilled positions, it raises serious concerns about how well they are preparing their own students. American universities should be focused on developing, training, and hiring American graduates. If they are not doing that, then they are failing in one of their most important responsibilities.
The truth about the OBBB: Week 3
In recent weeks, I have highlighted how the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) protects Medicaid for the most vulnerable Americans, including our nation’s seniors. This week, I want to focus on how seniors will continue to benefit from the OBBB. Thanks to the enhanced $6,000 standard deduction, nearly 9 in 10 Social Security recipients—more than 51 million Americans—will no longer pay federal taxes on their Social Security benefits. You can learn more from the Social Security Administration here. This represents the largest tax break in history for America’s seniors, ensuring that after a lifetime of contributing to Social Security, they can keep more of their hard-earned money. To make this provision permanent beyond its current expiration, I also cosponsored the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, which aims to permanently repeal the unfair taxation on Social Security benefits. This will boost the retirement income for millions of older Americans. You can read more about it here.
Canada’s smoke is no joke
As we have all seen throughout the state, the Canadian wildfire smoke has gotten worse, and there are no signs of it stopping anytime soon. I was the first member of Congress to raise this issue with the letter we sent last month, and I’ve continued to bring this issue to light. The bottom line is that Canada must take a more proactive approach to forest management, increase hazardous fuels treatments, and invest in new technology. Even the Forest Products Association of Canada points to the increase in Canadian wildfires as a result of the accumulation of fuels and decades’ worth of resources going towards suppression without removing flammable material. With a lot of these fires starting in remote, hard-to-reach areas, it's more reason to invest in innovative technology. Between satellites, early detection cameras, artificial intelligence (AI), and drones, there is more than enough wildfire technology available to help turn the tide on this issue. The status quo is not going to solve the problem, nor is it acceptable. If Canada fails to take meaningful steps to improve outcomes, then I believe all options should be considered to hold them accountable. While Senator Tammy Baldwin does not support holding Canada responsible, I believe we must use every tool at our disposal, including making this a serious point in future trade negotiations. After all, this smoke has had a real negative impact on our Northwoods recreation economy, which relies heavily on the summer season. I will continue to hold Canada’s feet to the fire and call out their smokescreen of excuses until we start seeing better results.
As I said on the Dan O’Donnell Show earlier this week, any future trade negotiations with Canada should include serious discussions about addressing their wildfire smoke.
Recent Legislation
PRIME opportunity for local farmers and processors
When going to the grocery store, consumers are often looking to support Wisconsin’s agricultural industry by buying locally grown, high-quality meat from community processors. Unfortunately, under current law, to sell locally raised meats, farmers must send their livestock to USDA-inspected slaughterhouses, which can be few and far between, especially in the most rural areas. Growing up on and around small farms, I know the importance of expanding opportunity for both the producer and the consumer. Local farmers and small producers deserve the freedom to succeed without having to jump through hoops and abide by federal red tape that aims to empower the largest companies. That’s why I cosponsored the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act by Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04) to expand the current custom exemption and make it easier for Wisconsin producers to provide for their community. This bipartisan legislation will allow small farms and slaughterhouses to thrive without sacrificing the quality or safety of the product. Small farmers deserve the opportunity to supply Wisconsin residents, restaurants, and grocery stores with the best of the best.
Keeping veterans in their homes
Last week, President Trump signed the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act into law, delivering a win for veterans and their families. This legislation modernizes the VA Home Loan program by creating a new partial claim option, modeled after the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) program, that allows missed mortgage payments to be placed in a separate, interest-free loan. This gives veteran homeowners encountering fiscal hardship or natural disasters a mitigation program to avoid foreclosure. Without this fix, over 61,000 veterans who are currently delinquent on their mortgages could be at risk of losing their homes. Now, more than 3.7 million veterans using the VA loan benefit will have added protection when they need it most. The bipartisan bill was led by our fellow Wisconsin representative, Congressman Van Orden (WI-03), and is part of a broader effort to end veteran homelessness. It ensures the VA Home Loan program works as intended, providing stability for veterans and their families.
District Update
Photo of the week
This week, Team Tiffany visited Pukall Lumber Company in Arbor Vitae for a tour. This family-owned and operated wood products manufacturer produces around 15 million board feet of lumber annually, and it’s all sourced within a 100-mile radius. They have provided contractors and homeowners with quality building materials since 1937. It’s no wonder we are known as the Heartland of America, since this is truly where the foundation of our communities is built. If you would like to submit a picture to be featured, please email it to comms.tiffany@gmail.com with your name and location.
“Build American” – Pukall Lumber Company in Arbor Vitae
Resources
Vacation is meant to be relaxing, so don’t let renewing or applying for your passport stress you out. The current processing time is 4 to 6 weeks, so we recommend getting this done as soon as possible. For more information, click here.
Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available in Wisconsin due to economic losses caused by excessive moisture. Click here to see if you are eligible to apply.
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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.
Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District and Congress
Wall of Honor
Don Peterson of Barron was inducted into the Golden Bears Reaching Their Dreams Wall of Honor for his decades of service to the Barron area.
Honor Flight Donation
Barron Electric Cooperative, Federated Youth Foundation, and Co-Bank’s Sharing Success Program donated $15,000 to the Never Forgotten Honor Flight.
Team USA
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser’s Victoria Keller had the incredible opportunity to play softball in Italy for the USA Fastpitch Softball Team. Congratulations!
The Golden Age
The U.S. economy grew at a strong 3.0% rate in the second quarter, shattering economists’ expectations.
Keeping the Census American
This week, President Trump ordered a new census that will exclude illegal aliens. The U.S. Census should be only counting U.S. citizens.