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Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Good morning!
I’m headed back to Washington, DC this week as the fiscal deadline fast approaches. As negotiations continue, my focus will be to arrive at a spending deal that lowers overall spending and reduces the national deficit.
In addition to our funding priorities in Congress, I’ve remained committed to introducing legislation on other important issues. Last week, I introduced two more bills as a part of a series of legislation I’ve worked on to counter threats from the Chinese Communist Party.
I also introduced a bill that would protect insurance data privacy by reining in the Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and eliminating its subpoena authority and limiting how the office collects data from state insurance regulators.
On the Committee side, it was a big week for the Judiciary Committee with Attorney General Merrick Garland set to testify. AG Garland faced a lot of questions regarding the politicization of the DOJ—in particular, the DOJ’s political targeting of parents at school board meetings and Catholics. Equating both groups to extremists. I spent my Q&A focused on David Weiss, who AG Garland appointed as Special Counsel to oversee the department’s investigation into Hunter Biden. More specifically, I wanted to explore serious concerns about conflicts of interest between Mr. Weiss and the Biden family.
Keep reading on for important district updates and more details on the legislation I introduced last week.
Have a great week!
- Scott
Attorney General Merrick Garland Testified at Judiciary Committee
Last week, AG Merrick Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee. During AG Garland’s tenure in overseeing the Department of Justice (DOJ) there’s been an alarming increase in politically motivated actions and a departure from normal operating procedures.
Many of my colleagues asked AG Garland about the department’s investigation into parents at school board meetings as well as Catholics—equating both groups to extremists. I spent my time focused on David Weiss, who AG Garland appointed as Special Counsel to oversee the department’s investigation into Hunter Biden. There has been some concerning conflicts of interest between Mr. Weiss and the Biden family.
Mr. Weiss was previously involved in an investigation into Hunter Biden—including negotiating the sweetheart plea deal negotiated with his attorneys—rendering him biased toward an independent investigation as Special Counsel. You can watch my full Q&A with AG Garland here.
Introduced Two More Bills in a Legislative Push to Counter CCP Aggression
Last week, I continued introducing more bills as a part of a broader package of legislation I am working on to counter aggression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The first bill, the Build Responsible Infrastructure Development for the Global Economy (BRIDGE) Act, is intended to to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and bolster the United States’ economic competition against China.
The BRI is one of China’s key strategies to exert undue influence over countries ranging from East Asia to Europe through debt-trap diplomacy disguised as infrastructure development. This bill would direct the Department of State, with other relevant government agencies, to develop a comprehensive, government-wide strategy on countering China’s BRI. This strategy would include current inter-agency efforts to counter the BRI as well as recommendations on how to bolster the United States Government’s economic competition against China.
The second bill, Thwarting Regional Adversary Investments Now (TRAIN) Act, would help train and protect non-adversarial government officials in South and Central Asia against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) predatory lending practices through its Belt & Road Initiative.
Building off a recommendation by the U.S. China Commission, this bill directs the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Development Finance Corporation, and other relevant agencies to make training to non-adversarial government officials in South and Central Asia available in assessing and mitigating the risks of China’s investment and lending in the regions. USAID would also report to Congress annually, any new lending or legal agreements signed by Central and South Asian nations.
Met with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and more!
It was a busy week on Capitol Hill and my office put that time to use meeting with stakeholders from Wisconsin’s Fifth District to discuss important issues impacting SE Wisconsin. I had a chance to meet with teams from the Wounded Warrior Project, the American Health Care Assocaition, the WI Credit League Union, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and more!
Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program
ICYMI, my office is seeking a veteran for a position in WI-05’s Oconomowoc district office. If you or a person you know are interested, I encourage you to apply!
The person chosen for the special position will work with military and veteran constituents to handle veterans-related casework and act as a facilitator between constituents and federal, state, and local agencies.
The Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for veterans within member offices.
The program is limited to veterans who meet all of the following requirements:
- Honorably discharged
- Released from active duty within the last six years
- Terminal pay grades at or below E-5, O-3, or W-2
- Veterans promoted to the pay grades of E-6, O-4, and W-3 within 6-months of separation from active duty are eligible, granted they meet ALL other eligibility requirements.
- Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.
Click here to learn more about the job posting.
URGENT DEADLINE: VA offers special health care enrollment for Veterans
The Department of Veteran Affairs released the following news in regard to an important deadline for veterans benefits:
Until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30, 2023, Veterans who deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care, and left active duty between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2013, are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care. This special enrollment period gives Veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones an opportunity to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.
VA encourages all eligible Wisconsin Veterans to visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411 to learn more and sign up for VA health care before the deadline. Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled Veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings.
For more information about how the PACT Act is helping Veterans and their survivors, visit VA’s PACT Act Dashboard. To apply for care or benefits today, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411.
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.
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
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