Thank you for reading my newsletter. Here's a summary of last week:

Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Good afternoon! August recess is in full swing and it feels great to spend some extended time back in the Fifth District.

As a reminder, I will be hosting Mobile Office Hours in three locations on Tuesday, August 8th and Wednesday, August 9th. My staff and I will be available to meet with constituents who may be experiencing problems with a federal agency. You can find more details here.

I’ll be traveling around the district throughout the month to pay visits to businesses and constituents—so I hope to see you around!

Have a great week!

- Scott

Column on My ESG Bill

Publicly traded companies play an important role in building savings and wealth of millions of Wisconsinites. Even individuals who do not actively invest in the stock market have skin in the game through retirement accounts.

Unfortunately, many publicly traded companies are, willingly or unwillingly, embracing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investment theories that have a negative effect on investment returns.

That is why I introduced the Performance over Politics Act to protect retail investors from repeat ESG proposals from activist shareholders of publicly traded companies.

Many studies show a correlation between increased political activism and lower stock returns for companies with such agendas—one in particular by the Journal of Financial Economics found a 14 percent decrease. This is in part due to companies going beyond traditional business judgements towards moral judgements, which have traditionally been left to elected officials. Rather than focusing on the financial interests of shareholders, companies are being pushed towards the utopian idea of stakeholder capitalism that evades actual accountability.

Read the full column on my latest legislative push here.

Important Veterans Deadline: PACT Act

There is an important deadline approaching for veterans who have been exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances during their service to our country.

If you served in the military between 11/11/98 and 10/1/13, you may be eligible for enhanced benefits. While there is no deadline to apply for NEW benefits, all veterans who submit claims by August 9 could be eligible to receive benefits backdated to August 2022.

I'm proud to have voted last Congress to pass the PACT Act. The PACT Act expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. If you are a veteran who qualifies for these benefits but have not yet applied, you can still file a claim before August 9th. Use this link to file that claim: PACT ACT Claim Link. Or call my office at (262) 784-1111.

Tour of Milwaukee Tool Facility

It was great touring Milwaukee Tool last week in their Mukwonago plant and learning the ins and outs of the operation!

Milwaukee Tool has a rich history, setting roots in our state back in 1924. As they say themselves, they are not simply a manufacturer, but a problem solver!

A special thanks to President Steve Richman for hosting me.

Tour of the Delafield Hotel

I also had the opportunity to visit the Delafield Hotel while traveling around the Fifth District last week. Thank you to Erica Donald, Head of Operations, for showing me around the fantastic property—one of many value adds to our district!

Congressional App Competition

I am are pleased to announce that my office will be participating in the Congressional App Challenge (CAC), a competition designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. 

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle school and high school students who reside in or attend a school in Wisconsin’s Fifth District. Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four, as long as two of the teammates are eligible to participate (reside in the 5th Congressional district).

A panel of judges from Wisconsin’s Fifth District will select the winning entry, and the winning app will be eligible to be featured on a display in the United States Capitol building, on the ‘House.gov’ website, and on the Congressional App Challenge website.

Students can register and find more information on the Congressional App Challenge website at: https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/ and visit the “Students” section.

Submissions are due November 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm CT.

Interested in a Service Academy Nomination? Don’t Miss Academy Day!

Interested in a Service Academy Nomination? If so, I am pleased to invite all interested students, teachers, and parents to join staff from Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation to meet representatives from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Military Academy, and Naval Academy. This event is a terrific opportunity to learn if a military academy is the right fit for your student and what steps you can take to have a successful path into our nation’s most revered academies.

Logistical details are below:

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
Time: 9 A.M. — 12:30 P.M.
Place: Experimental Aircraft Association
EAA Aviation Center
3000 Poberezny Road Oshkosh, WI 54902

That’s a wrap for this week’s eNewsletter! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on my work for the 5th District of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Scott Fitzgerald
Member of Congress