Dear Friend,

I hope you had a great week celebrating America’s 247th birthday and the liberties that we get to enjoy every single day. 

It is fundamental that we keep fighting to protect our constitutionally protected rights.

As we were celebrating our independence, a federal judge issued an injunction to protect our First Amendment rights from the Biden administration’s censorship collusion with social media companies. 

If you remember, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration worked in tandem with Big Tech giants to censor free speech that they deemed “misinformation.” It was also revealed that the Biden administration worked with 51 former top intelligence officials to discredit the bombshell Hunter Biden laptop story in the lead up to the 2020 election. Of course, we now know the report was legitimate, that the Hunter Biden’s laptop is real, and that the FBI has known that since 2019 – but tried to conceal it from the American people.

Yet, perhaps the most overreaching step by the Biden administration was when they attempted to create an Orwellian Disinformation Governance Board to go after our First Amendment rights. 

While the bad news is that it seems like the Biden administration will stop at nothing to collude with Big Tech to censor content, the good news is this latest injunction will temporarily block Joe Biden from destroying our First Amendment. 

The judge even went on to say in the court filing that, “Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Biden's policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed. It is quite telling that each example or category of suppressed speech was conservative in nature."

It’s truly chilling that the Biden administration is fighting this judge’s injunction. After all, regardless of political party, we should all be concerned when our federal government is using its power to suppress debate and dissent. 

It is a stark reminder that we should always cherish the fundamental values that give us our identity as Americans, and I am proud to live in a nation that is based on freedom, not censorship.

I am also proud to live in a nation that protects freedom of religion.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on several cases (more on that later), but perhaps one of the most important decisions was reaffirming the right for private businesses to refuse service for religious reasons.

In 303 Creative v. Elenis, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects a graphic designer from being forced to violate her deeply held beliefs by making her design websites for same-sex marriages.

It’s a ruling that vindicated the First Amendment’s protections that allow us all to express our views and practice our faith freely.

I hope you are enjoying summer in northern and western Wisconsin. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. We will be back next week with another edition of the Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day. It was great to have everyone back home to celebrate America on the lake.

Ending unfair racial quotas
Some of you probably saw the news about the landmark Supreme Court decision shutting down university admission schemes that rewarded applicants based on their skin color instead of their qualifications and merit. Justice Clarence Thomas summed up the importance of this long-overdue ruling best: “[A]ll men are created equal, are equal citizens, and must be treated equally before the law.” It’s about time. But the Supreme Court’s bold decision isn’t the end of this fight – it is just the beginning. American taxpayers of all colors, creeds, and backgrounds are still forced to subsidize government programs, contracting, and hiring frameworks that pick winners and losers based on race. That’s wrong, and it’s why I introduced the FAIR Act earlier this year, which would put an end to all destructive government policies that reduce individual Americans to little more than faceless avatars of their race. It’s also why I filed an amendment to the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act that would bar the Pentagon and any grantee who accepts Defense Department funding from discriminating or granting preferential treatment to any person or group based in whole or in part on race. You can read more about my effort here, and take a look at the plain language of my amendment for yourself here. The House is scheduled to take up the bill next week, so stay tuned!

Border security is national security
This week, we got a fresh reminder about just how out of control the situation at our southern border has become thanks to President Biden’s lax approach to immigration enforcement. According to an investigation conducted by the Homeland Security Department’s own Inspector General, the Border Patrol caught yet another terrorism suspect at the southern border – but agents were so overwhelmed by migrants, they released the person into our country. And that’s not all. When officials realized what they’d done, it took them more than two weeks to start an effort to arrest the suspect thanks to paperwork issues and bureaucratic red tape. The audit concluded that if the Biden administration doesn’t remedy these failed systems, it “risks releasing individuals into the United States who potentially threaten national security and public safety.” While this is shocking, it’s hardly surprising. It’s a concern I’ve raised many times. It’s also why last year, I tried to offer an amendment to an annual defense bill to authorize the deployment of our military to the southern border to actively assist with efforts to stop drug smuggling and illegal immigration – not just to hold clipboards. However, the then-Democrat controlled Rules Committee did not allow a vote on my amendment. Last week I re-filed this amendment, and I hope the Republican leadership will support moving it forward. You can check out the amendment language here.

Keeping the lights on
After the recent blackout warnings from our energy grid operators and the ruling to close down Line 5, I traveled down to Madison to hold a press conference on the importance of reliable, affordable energy. As you may know, Governor Evers’ Department of Natural Resources could approve the Line 5 relocation permit, but they have sat on their hands for over 3 years. This not only jeopardizes our national security, but it is also a play right out of the Biden administration’s “green fantasy” playbook. Radical “Green New Deal” liberals seem intent on doubling down on these dangerous polices, even if it means driving up our energy costs, increasing our dependence on foreign adversaries, and killing American jobs. I will continue to encourage President Biden and Governor Evers to stop removing baseload power sources, advocate for reliable energy sources that will keep our lights on, and fight for American energy independence. Wisconsinites deserve access to reliable, affordable energy; not another page in the Biden-Evers’ playbook of rolling blackouts and high energy costs.

Thank you to Americans for Prosperity, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Rep. Chanz Green, Rep. Donna Rozar, Rep. Karen Hurd, Rep. Patrick Snyder, Senator Jesse James, Senator Romaine Quinn, and Senator Eric Wimberger for joining me at the energy press conference.

Committee Update

Judiciary
Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s illegal power grab
Last summer President Biden announced a massive bailout scheme dressed up as “student loan forgiveness.” Despite its namesake there was no “canceling” or “forgiving” student loan debt, it merely transferred the debts incurred by one group of Americans to another – saddling hardworking Americans with debt obligations that they never signed up for. From the moment I heard this, I knew the President did not have the authority to take such action, Nancy Pelosi agreed, and last fall a federal judge in Texas did too. In his decision, United States District Judge Mark Pittman noted that Biden’s student loan debt transfer scheme may be one of the largest exercises of legislative power without congressional authority in the history of the United States. Thankfully, last week the Supreme Court stepped in and struck down Biden’s unfair, unacceptable, and illegal power grab that would have forced Americans who didn’t go to college or already paid off their loans to pick up the tab. I was pleased to see the rule of law prevail as the Court reaffirmed that Congress – not the Executive – is the only branch tasked by the Constitution with writing laws.  

Recent Legislation

Countering Communist China
Regular Telegram readers know that Communist China continues to present a serious threat to our national security and economic prosperity here at home, and human rights and democracy abroad. It’s a threat I take very seriously, and it’s why I’ve been working to modernize America’s outdated policy approach to China. That means making sure our military has the resources it needs to defend American interests in the face of Chinese aggression and brinksmanship, and it means improving our communication and cooperation with our allies in the region like Taiwan. That’s why this week I joined like-minded lawmakers from both parties in filing several amendments to an annual defense policy bill designed to do just that. You can take a look at the whole list of amendments that lawmakers filed – including mine – here. 

District Update

Holding fentanyl traffickers accountable
Last week, I held a Public Safety Roundtable at Nicolet College where I was able to hear from members of the law enforcement community. Sheriffs, chiefs of police, and chief deputies from Marathon County, Oneida County, Langlade County, and Ashland County attended to discuss law enforcement recruitment, mental health, and what Washington can help do to address the fentanyl crisis happening right in our backyard. As a result of the Biden administration’s open border policies, our nation has seen fentanyl deaths skyrocket, including right here in Wisconsin. While I believe securing our southern border is the most important step we can take to stop the flow of fentanyl that is flooding over our southern border, I am also taking steps to ensure fentanyl traffickers are held accountable. I helped introduce the Fentanyl Trafficker Elimination Act, which would make it a life sentence in prison for those convicted of intentionally trafficking fentanyl in the United States. You can read more about that bill here.

Thank you to the law enforcement community and Nicolet College for hosting and participating in my Public Safety Roundtable in Rhinelander.

Photo of the week
Summer is in full swing, which means now is your chance to get your lake photo featured in the Tiffany Telegram. To submit a picture for my photo of the week section, please email it to [email protected]

“On Lake Time” – Submitted by Scott at Lake Arbutus

Resources  

Summer is just around the corner, so don’t wait until the last minute to apply for or renew your passport for your upcoming vacation. The current processing time is 10 to 13 weeks, so we recommend getting this done as soon as possible. For more information, click here.

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. 

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. 

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