Dear Friend,
 
Throughout our nation’s history, brave men and women in uniform have fought heroically to protect our cherished freedoms and way of life.
 
However, many of our veterans and service members often have a difficult time transitioning back to civilian life.

Congress can and must do more to ensure a smoother transition.
 
This week, the subcommittee I lead on federal lands held an important hearing on how to make our national parks and public lands more accessible to our country’s service members and veterans.
 
This hearing comes after studies have shown that time in nature can be beneficial to veterans returning from combat, especially those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, the unfortunate reality is that many of our public lands are inaccessible to wounded warriors.
 
But I want to change that.
 
In the hearing, I expressed my support for the Military and Veterans in Parks (MVP) Act, led by Representative Kiggans (VA-02). This legislation would make certain that our veterans are treated like MVPs on our public lands by creating innovative adaptive trails and more accessible recreation opportunities for wounded warriors.
 
Another important piece of legislation in the hearing was the bipartisan Get Rewarding Outdoor Work for Our Veterans, or GROW Act for short. The GROW Act will create more employment opportunities for veterans through the Department of Interior – helping reduce unemployment amongst our nation’s veterans.
 
You can watch my remarks of support on both bills here.
 
While it’s impossible to fully repay those who fought for us, this hearing was an important step in ensuring that our military members have the resources they need to support them in their transition back to civilian life.
 
I also want to highlight that active military, veterans, and Gold Star Families are eligible for free day, annual, or lifetime passes to all national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and other federal recreational lands. You can find more information about that here.
 
Additionally, my office always stands ready to help anyone who may be experiencing issues with a federal agency. If you or someone you know is having difficulties receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or is in need of military replacement medals, my Wausau office is just a phone call away at (715)-298-9344.
 
We just helped the family of a late WWII veteran receive his military replacement medals, and my team looks forward to helping other veterans with theirs.

A special thank you to our nation's veterans for protecting this great nation. We would not be the United States of America without your efforts, and we will be back next week with another edition of the Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,




Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

This week, my team surpassed the $1 million mark on the year for money returned to Wisconsinites. Whether you need assistance with tax refunds, Social Security payments, VA benefits, and more, give my office a call today.

Biden relocates illegals with infectious disease to U.S. cities…again
During the summer of 2021, the Biden administration’s open-borders policies led to a massive surge of illegal immigration bringing chaos and a 900% spike in COVID-19 cases in border towns. At a time when schools, government agencies, and businesses were forced to close their doors to “slow the spread” the Biden administration rolled out the welcome mat to more than 40,000 COVID-19 positive illegal aliens they relocated into communities across the nation. Flashforward two years, and Biden’s open-borders policies are still wreaking havoc – but now there is a different infectious disease that’s cause for concern. Sadly, after two decades on the decline, in 2021 tuberculosis rates in the United States started climbing once again and it soon displaced COVID-19 as the world’s deadliest infectious disease killer – claiming the lives of more than 1.6 million people worldwide each year. The good news is that it is completely treatable, but treatment typically takes between three and nine months. You would think given our recent experience with an infectious disease outbreak that the Biden administration would take the necessary precautions. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. This week it came to light that Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has knowingly released illegal aliens infected with tuberculosis in 44 states over the past year. After shuffling them further into America’s heartland without treatment or assurances that they will receive treatment once relocated, DHS holds them in government-contracted shelters, like public schools, which are often overcrowded and the perfect storm for an infectious disease outbreak. More on that next.
 
Children should not be collateral damage
It’s bad enough that the Biden administration is putting public safety at risk by releasing unvetted, infected illegal aliens into our communities, but housing them in public schools and exposing children who are already more susceptible to infectious diseases is unacceptable. Not to mention all the other potential risks it could expose them to. Wisconsinites already know what can happen when you release tens of thousands of unvetted illegal migrants into American communities first and ask questions later. As Telegram readers may remember, in the wake of President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan he airlifted and relocated over 13,000 poorly vetted Afghans to Fort McCoy in Tomah. Sadly, it didn’t take long before the first charges of domestic abuse and sexual molestation of two young children were filed against individuals housed on the base. And yet, despite all this, when sanctuary cities, such as New York City, found themselves overwhelmed, they decided public schools would be a good location to house their influx of migrants. Instead of taking care of their taxpaying U.S. citizens, they opted to suspend meals for seniors, cut library hours, and ban students from recess. Children are not collateral damage – and they shouldn’t be forced to attend schools being used as makeshift shelters for illegal aliens. That’s why this week the House of Representatives passed the Schools Not Shelters Act, which will protect our students and safeguard their childhood by cutting off federal funding for any public school that is used as a shelter.
 
Anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party
For 75 years, America and Israel have stood together – fighting common enemies and defending democracy in the Middle East. Our bond has not wavered in the past seven decades, but as Congress was set to welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a Joint Meeting, Democrats’ anti-Semitism was on full display. This past weekend, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) denounced Israel as a “racist state.” Many other left-wing Democrats, who are known as the “Squad,” boycotted President Herzog's address to Congress. All of this comes at a time when our most trusted ally in the Middle East is under threat from terrorists every day. When Democrats had the chance to condemn vile, anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments, nine of them voted no on the resolution. Anti-Semitism has no place in our country or our congress. Sadly, it appears to have found a “safe space” in a dark corner of the Democratic Party. You can see how everyone in the House of Representatives voted on the measure here.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit Israel and reaffirm our commitment to our unbreakable bond. The heart-wrenching stories shared by Israelis who are under attack from Hamas terrorists will stick with me forever.

Committee Update

Judiciary
I'm from the government, and I'm here to spy
Those might now be the nine most terrifying words in the English language. In today’s digital age, data is one of our most valuable resources, and our data must be protected. However, in recent years, the federal government has been circumventing the Fourth Amendment by purchasing Americans’ personal information from data brokers to spy on Americans. During the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) paid $420,000 for location data to track if Americans were complying with COVID curfews. The FBI has also bought precise geolocation data derived from mobile phone advertising for warrantless tracking of American citizens, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have engaged in similar warrantless surveillance. The purchase of Americans’ private data to collect limitless information raises serious constitutional questions. That’s why this week the House Judiciary Committee voted in a bipartisan manner to pass the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act. This commonsense legislation would close loopholes and crack down on the federal government's abuse of data collection as well as safeguard Americans’ data from warrantless searches. You can read more about the legislation here.

Recent Legislation

Healthcare handouts for illegal aliens?
Programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program are in place to provide a safety net for America’s most vulnerable citizens. They were never intended to provide handouts to foreigners who entered our country illegally. Yet, that’s exactly what the Biden administration quietly decided to do earlier this year. For starters, it’s just plain wrong to ask overtaxed American families – who are already paying more for gas, groceries, and school supplies – to pick up the tab for illegal aliens’ healthcare. It also encourages more illegal immigration, making an already historic border crisis even worse. On top of that, allowing foreign migrants access to these benefits further strains the programs – hurting American citizens who can afford it least the most. That’s why this week I joined Senators J.D. Vance (OH), Josh Hawley (MO), and more than a dozen of my House colleagues in pushing the Biden administration to reconsider this dangerous policy, and put the interests of struggling Americans first. You can read our letter here.
 
Taiwan ≠ Communist China
Telegram readers know that I’ve been working to chip away at America's outdated and dishonest “One China” policy, which acknowledges Communist China’s bogus claim of authority over its democratic neighbor, Taiwan. Last week, I made some progress on this effort when the House voted to attach my “Honest Maps” amendment to an annual Pentagon policy bill. It would prohibit President Biden’s Defense Department from buying, producing, or displaying maps that depict Taiwan as part of China’s territory. For too long, America's leaders have bowed to Beijing’s bullying when it comes to foreign affairs, human rights abuses, and trade. The bottom line is that our current policy just isn’t working – and it’s time for us to make a change. That's why I introduced legislation earlier this year to normalize America's ties with Taiwan as part of my effort to “map” our way out of this counterproductive 1970s-era policy. You can read the bill – and see the list of 44 other Representatives who have joined my effort – here.

District Update

Honoring veterans at Cadott tribute
Over the weekend, I had the honor of joining the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association as they raised a flag and laid a stone in remembrance of combat vets at the Wisconsin Veterans Tribute in Cadott. Although we can never fully repay these patriots for making the ultimate sacrifice, we must do everything we can to honor their memory.

Thank you to the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association for the work that you do to keep the memory of our Armed Forces warriors alive throughout all of Wisconsin.

Photo of the week
If you would like your photo to be the next one featured in our photo of the week section, be sure to email it to [email protected] with your name and location. We have received some wonderful submissions, and I am looking forward to seeing more, especially if you have some summer photos to share.

“Deer Friends” – submitted by Tess

Upcoming Events

Blood drives near you
Over the past two months, the Red Cross has received 50,000 fewer donations than they need to cover the demand, leaving the United States vulnerable to a national shortage. There are several blood drives coming up in the Seventh District in the coming weeks. Click here to find one near you.

Resources  

Attention all veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances during service. You must file a claim to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) before August 9, 2023, to be eligible for retroactive compensation. You can submit a VA disability claim here. If you are a veteran who has been previously denied for a toxic-exposure-related claim, I encourage you to apply again and have your case re-reviewed. If you need any help with submitting your claim, please call my Wausau office at (715) 298-9344.

Vacation is meant to be relaxing, so don’t let renewing or applying for your passport stress you out. 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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