Dear Friend,

I hope you are enjoying the summer heat. This time of year is truly one of my favorites, and at the end of July, I brought four other members of Congress to the Twin Ports and Hayward to highlight the vast natural resources available in our region.

Rural communities across the Upper Midwest are the beating heart of this great nation, and I will always ensure rural America is heard and continues to thrive.

That’s why I made it my mission on this trip to educate other Congressional Western Caucus members on the industries found here that provide the timber, resources, and fuel to help power our nation.

We started the day by touring the Minnesota Power Hibbard Renewable Energy Center. Here, we discussed the importance of biomass energy and learned about how this energy center transitions waste wood to a clean, renewable energy source.

Immediately following the tour, Western Caucus members, staff, and stakeholders heard from leaders at Cenovus Energy about the Superior Refinery. Once it is back up at full capacity, it will be the only oil refinery in Wisconsin as it helps supply gasoline, diesel, and asphalt.

At our third stop, we visited the Douglas County forest, where local foresters showed us the damage from the recent winter storm and ongoing cleanup and management operations.

Wisconsin’s county forest system is a gold standard of forest management and is a model for public land management to follow. The comparison of the locally-managed Douglas County forest to many of our overgrown federal forests goes to show that local stakeholders know what is best for their communities and the environment, not the federal government.

We ended the trip at the Lumberjack World Championships. There's no better way to display the spirit of northwest Wisconsin than at these games, and we even had some local winners.

A common theme among every tour was how federal regulations cause uncertainty for many of these industries. This is one of the reasons why I am a cosponsor of the House-passed REINS Act. Washington bureaucrats do not have the power to create laws for the American people, and it’s past time we restored the authority back to Congress. You can read more about that legislation here.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us. We have a lot more to tell you about in this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram. We will be back in two weeks with more.

Sincerely,




Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

The Western Caucus toured Cenovus’ marine terminal, which is the Port of Superior and Duluth’s only fueling station for our maritime shipping industry.

Should Congress launch an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden?
In case you missed the news, last week Hunter Biden’s ex-best friend, Devon Archer, testified before the House Oversight Committee that then-Vice President Biden was “the brand” for Hunter’s foreign business dealings. This information came after Devon Archer also stated that Joe Biden attended in-person dinner meetings and joined at least 20 phone calls with Hunter’s foreign business associates when he was Vice President. This is extremely alarming. Not only do we know that Joe Biden lied in 2019 when he said, "I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” but now due to the hard work of House Republicans, a bombshell report dropped this week that the Biden Family received $20 million from China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Romania business leaders and oligarchs. These are the very same foreign oligarchs that Devon Archer said Joe Biden would dine with after Hunter would receive the payments. In light of the evidence revealed by multiple, credible whistleblowers and Devon Archer, it is Congress’s duty to deliver the facts to the American people. I believe an inquiry will further help us get to the bottom of Joe Biden’s influence peddling in these foreign business dealings, but I want to hear from you. Please click here to take my survey on whether the House of Representatives should launch an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden.
 
Credit where credit is due…
It turns out that American voters aren’t the only ones who believe the President’s self-proclaimed “Bidenomics” are taking the country in the wrong direction. Last week, Fitch, one of the “Big Three” international credit rating agencies downgraded the United States credit because they see the same thing everyone else does: A sea of red ink unleashed by this White House’s failed policies. The Biden Administration’s decision to play politics with a possible government default this past spring was also a factor mentioned in the downgrade as Fitch highlighted the debt ceiling standoff (AKA Biden’s no-negotiations stance). Telegram readers will remember that House Republicans passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act way back in April to get our country and economy back on the right track, but President Biden and Senate Democrats refused to take it up. Unfortunately, after Joe Biden had almost run out the clock, policymakers pushed through a debt ceiling deal that did nothing to get a handle on government spending, which is why I voted against it. Biden’s Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen – who also failed to connect the dots that the Democrats’ socialist-style spending spree would ignite inflation back in 2021 – was dumbfounded by the downgrade in credit rating calling it “puzzling.” You would think lowering the United States credit rating would be enough to get the President to rein in his spending habits. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Instead of cutting back, this week, Biden doubled down and asked for tens of billions in additional spending. I guess maybe he's never heard the old saying: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” 
 
Back-to-school supply drives
Fall is right around the corner which means students are getting ready to head back-to-school. With inflation still wreaking havoc on our economy, this year, families will be forced to spend an all-time high while back to school shopping – totaling an average of $890.07 per family, and up a whopping $4 billion from last year. As a father of three, I know how quickly back-to-school shopping can add up, which is why I gathered some resources for you to get supplies at little to no cost. For those in central Wisconsin, the United Way hosts annual “Supplies for Success” supply drives, as well as a “Stuff the Bus” supply drive in the Superior area. WESTconsin Credit Union, with locations across the state, is hosting its annual supply drive – find a location near you here. In Amery, the police department has free supplies for those in need, you can just stop in. Finally, I recommend contacting your local school districts, as they receive donations personally. You can also find more information on ways to save here.

Families are projected to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school shopping in 2023 – $25 more than last year's record setting high.

Recent Legislation

Combating child labor
Telegram readers know that President Biden’s “green fantasy” policies haven’t just killed good, family-wage American jobs and increased prices, they have also enriched faraway foreign regimes notorious for exploiting children and forced labor to dig up the critical compounds found in everything from electric vehicles to the smartphones we all use every day. This isn’t just dangerous, it’s bad for our economy – and is just plain wrong. That’s why this week I cosponsored legislation introduced by my colleague Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) that would crack down on the import of goods produced using child labor and forced labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while countering Communist China’s control over strategic metals and minerals in our global supply chains. Instead of subsidizing human rights abuses and modern-day slavery abroad, we should be doing everything we can to source these key materials elsewhere – including right here at home. You can read more about our legislation here.
 
Making it easier for seniors to make ends meet
It’s no surprise that many Americans are still feeling pinched. Inflation caused the prices of just about everything to rise, including housing, food, and energy, so although your spending habits may not have changed, it suddenly became harder to make ends meet. For many it meant picking up a few extra shifts or starting a side hustle to bring in some extra cash to make up for those unexpected increases. However, that isn’t always an option for senior citizens living on a fixed income. If a Social Security beneficiary below the full retirement age decides to go back to work part-time it comes at a high cost – as they can end up seeing their Social Security benefits cut by $1 for every $2 of earnings. Sadly, in just one year, poverty among older Americans shot up 10.3% with nearly 6 million senior citizens now living below the poverty level. Senior citizens should be free to work without fear of their retirement benefits being penalized. That’s why this week Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03) and I introduced the Senior Citizens’ Freedom to Work Act. This commonsense legislation ensures seniors who need to pick up some extra shifts to help make ends meet can do so without having to worry that their hard-earned retirement benefits are going to be withheld. Click here to learn more.

District Update

Producing some of Wisconsin’s finest products
Now, I know I might be biased, but some of the best products in America are made right here in the Seventh District. Last week, my staff toured Mullins Cheese in Mosinee to learn about the cheese-making process. This family-owned and operated business supports 300 jobs in Central Wisconsin and sources milk from over 600 dairy farms. They continue to grow throughout our community, and we are lucky to have their local economic impact. We also toured AROW Global in Mosinee, which makes Made-in-Wisconsin transit window systems, driver protection systems, and more. If you have ever ridden on a public bus, there’s a good chance the windows came directly from AROW Global. These two businesses are great representatives of the Mosinee community.

Thank you to AROW Global and Mullins Cheese for hosting Team Tiffany.

Team Tiffany in Marathon and Lincoln County
Following the two tours in Mosinee, the following day my team toured Patriot K9s of Wisconsin. This wonderful Wausau organization trains and pairs service dogs with veterans from all across the United States at no cost. After a 24-week training program, the certified service dogs join the veterans in their daily life and help with post-traumatic stress symptoms and anxiety. We ended the day touring Northcentral Technical College’s state-of-the-art facilities in Wausau and Merrill. NTC has 190+ program offerings, and their Public Safety Center and Agriculture Center are preparing the next generation of workers for Wisconsin.

Team Tiffany met with a few of the Patriot K9s from Wausau. Keep up the great work!

Deadline extended until August 14th
Attention all veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances during service. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has extended the deadline to be eligible for retroactive compensation until Monday, August 14th. You can submit an intent to file 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.

Photo of the week
Earlier, I mentioned that my staff had the opportunity to tour Northcentral Technical College’s Agriculture Center in Wausau. In addition to their state-of-the-art facilities, they also have dairy cattle for a variety of their ag programs. There’s no shortage of Holsteins in America’s Dairyland, and one of my staffers was able to capture this very cute moo-ment. 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.

 “Howdy Partner” – Submitted by Dylan in Wausau

Upcoming Events

Postal renaming ceremony
On August 25 at 11 AM we will be co-hosting the renaming of the New Richmond Post Office along with Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin’s offices. The building will now be named in honor of brothers Captain Robert C. Harman and Private John R. Peirson, who both made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for this great country. I am honored to recognize their heroic service and invite all those who are interested in attending to the renaming ceremony.
 
Mark your calendars: Saturday, September 16th
At 9 AM on Saturday, September 16th, staff members from each of Wisconsin’s congressional districts and senate offices will be joined by representatives from each of the five military service academies. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in serving in our nation’s military to learn about the application process directly from those who have gone through it. This Service Academy Day will be hosted at the Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Center in Oshkosh. You can find more information here.  

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 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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