Dear Friend,

Would you believe me if I told you that the Biden administration was turning National Park Service lands into illegal alien encampments?

Because, unfortunately, that is exactly what is happening.

In an effort to house the exploding number of illegal immigrants coming into our country, the Biden administration is allowing the construction of an illegal alien homeless encampment at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn’s Gateway National Recreation Area.

And they even waived the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to permit it.

We should all agree that some of our nation’s most treasured spaces for recreation, history, and family time outdoors should not be used to house illegal immigrants.

That’s why this week when the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to protect our federal parks, I was looking forward to grilling the Biden administration.

But they refused to even send a witness to testify.

It’s truly disappointing that they refused to defend their decision to the American people.

The solution to this problem is simple: Secure the border.

House Republicans already passed legislation to reverse Biden’s open border policies, but the Senate and White House refuse to act. They would rather allow their mass immigration invasion to not only “destroy” New York City, but also destroy our national parks.

Perhaps they may even turn the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into the next encampment if they are not stopped.

The Senate must immediately pass the House Republican solution to finish the border wall and end the failed Obama-era policy of catch-and-release.

Currently, 11,000 illegal aliens per day are crossing the southern border, and the Biden administration is releasing them into the interior of the United States.

This is not sustainable.

Instead of closing down national park lands to house illegals, the Biden administration should close the border.

Thanks for starting your weekend off with the Tiffany Telegram. We will be back next week with another update.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Click here or on the photo above to watch my remarks on how the Biden admin is turning National Park Service lands into homeless encampments for illegal aliens.

Working towards solutions that reject the “status quo”
Washington’s blowout spending policies have fueled the worst inflation in 40 years and caused our federal government to be $33 trillion in debt. It cannot continue. That’s why this week House Republicans worked on solutions to put an end to the failed “status quo” in Washington. We passed four responsible budget bills to keep the government open while also cutting wasteful spending, securing the border, providing a pay increase for service members, and fully funding veterans’ programs. While there is still much work to be done, these bills fund more than 70% of the federal government’s discretionary spending. It’s now up to Democrats in the Senate to get these passed as quickly as possible to get our government back on a path to fiscal sanity. As I write this newsletter, it looks like Democrats would rather shut down the government than secure the border; however, I want to remind folks that in the event of a shutdown, payments for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and veteran’s programs will continue. The USPS also remains fully functional and operational. I will continue working towards a solution that rejects the “status quo” and provides relief to hardworking Wisconsinites.  

No more blank checks to Ukraine
Yesterday, I voted against providing another $300 million in supplemental funding to Ukraine. The bottom line is that our country is $33 trillion in debt, and we cannot continue to dig a deeper hole. The United States has provided more funding to Ukraine than any other country – totaling over $100 billion – and this week it was reported that American taxpayers are financing more than just weapons. We are bankrolling seeds and fertilizer for Ukrainian farmers, covering the salaries of 57,000 Ukrainian first responders, subsidizing Ukrainian small businesses, and paying for their pensions. The Biden administration has no clear path forward to promote peace and end this war. It’s past time we secure our own border, not defend someone else’s. While the amendment to remove the additional $300 million to Ukraine failed, this was the first time that over half of the House Republican Conference voted to strip funding to Ukraine. You can view how members voted here.

Cracking down on “sanctuary” cities
So-called “sanctuary” cities are dangerous because they act as magnets for illegal immigration. Thanks to these policies, migrants often overwhelm schools, hospitals, and other social services. That’s probably why Congress made them illegal way back in the 1990s. Unfortunately, it’s just another immigration law President Biden refuses to enforce. The latest poster child for “sanctuary” madness is New York, where Mayor Eric Adams recently conceded that the tidal wave of illegal immigrants flooding into his “sanctuary city” will cost residents a staggering $12 billion – and could “destroy” The Big Apple. But there is more to this issue than just dollars and cents. Thanks to these dangerous policies, local law enforcement is often forced to release foreign criminals from custody. And you know what happens next: Many go on to commit additional crimes. That doesn’t just put “sanctuary cities” at risk – it puts every other neighboring community at risk too. It also raises an important question. Why are Americans being forced to finance illegal “sanctuary” policies in places like New York and Chicago? The answer is, they shouldn’t be. That’s why this week I authored an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security spending bill that would crack down on these “sanctuary” cities by withholding a portion of their federal funding. You can watch my remarks on the amendment here.

Got Milk?
This week, the House considered multiple appropriations bills, including funding for the USDA. Unfortunately, Biden’s USDA is proposing a ban on chocolate milk in schools, so I filed an amendment to correct this issue. My bipartisan amendment ensures that none of the funds made available by this bill will go towards funding a rule that will ban flavored milk, like chocolate milk, in schools. This guarantees that all types and flavors of milk are available to school children. If Biden’s USDA wasn’t so focused on taking away chocolate milk from kids, then I wouldn’t have had to file this amendment, but unfortunately, this administration’s priorities are in the wrong place. It is yet another example of a government that is out of control and believes it needs to overregulate everything. This commonsense amendment had support from both sides of the aisle, and it passed by voice vote to be included in the full bill. I come from America’s Dairyland, and you’re damn right I’m going to fight for milk in our kids’ schools. You can read more about my amendment here.

This week my bipartisan amendment to block a Biden admin scheme to ban chocolate milk from school lunches picked up enough moo-mentum to pass the U.S. House.

Recent Legislation

Reining in rogue agencies
Over the past few years, we have seen countless examples of the Department of Justice and FBI targeting people with conservative political beliefs. Given the recent controversies, you would think that the FBI would follow the lead of the 27 states that require interviews to be recorded, but unfortunately, you would be wrong. At the FBI, instead of recording their interviews they simply take notes and summarize what is said during an interview on something called a 302 form, which gives them free rein to characterize or mischaracterize what was said. During the FBI’s 2016 interview of President Trump’s National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, one of the agent’s notes stated that their goal was to, “get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired.” The agents who interviewed General Flynn failed to submit their 302 form within the 5-day requirement because they were busy revising and altering what was said – even having agents who weren’t even there for the interview weigh in on the editing process. As I’ve said before, it’s time for Congress to start using every tool at our disposal to rein in the weaponization at our federal agencies. That’s why this week I introduced H.R. 5736, the Federal Accountability in Interviews Reform Act (FAIR) to ensure fairness and promote accountability in the FBI by requiring interviews to be electronically recorded. This commonsense measure will help convict the guilty, protect the innocent, expose bad actors, and shield law enforcement from false claims.

Taking aim at Communist China
It’s no secret that President Biden has always had a soft spot for China. In fact, just months after he was sworn in, his administration quickly pandered to Beijing by imposing strict new limits on cooperation and communications with our friends in Taiwan. That’s disappointing, because under former President Trump, those barriers had been completely swept away. The new Biden rules range from mind-boggling to downright petty. Not only do they make it harder for America to coordinate with our friends in Taiwan, but they also even police language – instructing American officials “not to refer to Taiwan as a country or it’s elected leaders as a government.” Believe it or not, that’s exactly the same kind of language that high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their state-controlled propaganda outlets use. Why would Biden’s State Department direct American leaders to parrot China’s talking point? Why would they want to treat a longtime ally and fellow democracy this way? It just doesn’t make sense. That’s why this week I authored an amendment to the annual State Department budget that would scrap these counter-productive restrictions and restore normal channels of communications between the U.S. and Taiwan. You can watch my floor speech on the amendment here.

Small businesses deserve a break
Small businesses have always been the backbone of our economy, but due in part to the Biden administration’s tax-and-spend policies, many have been struggling to stay afloat. The 20% Small Business Deduction has allowed businesses to receive billions of dollars in tax relief, but with the tax provision’s expiration date looming, these mom-and-pop shops are reducing their hours, staff, and pay to make ends meet. Business owners should not have to worry about how they are going to keep their doors open, which is why I co-sponsored H.R. 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act. This bill would ease uncertainty by making the 20% Small Business Deduction a permanent tax provision. This legislation is a direct investment in Wisconsin jobs, communities, and economic development.

District Update

Photo of the week
It’s no secret that fall in Wisconsin is one of the best times of the year, and some areas in the Seventh District are nearing their fall foliage peak. Click here to view a map report of the fall color around Wisconsin. I’ve already received some great pictures of the fall colors for the Telegram, but if you take one, I’d love to see it too. Please email it to [email protected] with your name and location.

“Colored Leaves” – submitted by Nancy and Bernie from Holcombe

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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