Dear Friend,

This week all Americans watched in horror as Hamas terrorists – allegedly with backing from Iran – launched an unprovoked attack on innocent Israeli civilians.

As I write to you now, these barbaric attacks have left some 1,300 Israelis dead and more than 3,000 injured.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to his nation in a televised address this week, detailing the atrocities committed by Hamas: Concert goers gunned down, children murdered, people burned alive, and women raped.

And it isn’t just Israelis touched by this grim parade of horrors.

At least 27 Americans have been killed and another 14 are missing – with many potentially among the more than 150 held by Islamic militants as hostages – hostages that Hamas is using as human shields, and whom they have threatened to execute publicly.

It’s appalling and it’s indefensible. And it is why lawmakers from both political parties came together to express support for Israel and condemn these barbaric attacks this week. You can read more about this bipartisan resolution, which I cosponsored, here.

Some Democrats also joined Republicans in pressing the Biden administration to block the disbursement of $6 billion that the White House moved to release to Iran as part of a controversial hostages-for-ransom scheme announced on September 11.

I am also planning to introduce legislation in response to these unprecedented attacks – but more on that later.

As encouraging as the outpouring of bipartisan support has been in recent days, a few far-left, fringe Members of Congress have made some shocking statements.

These lawmakers not only refused to unequivocally condemn the actions of Hamas, they even went so far as to imply that Israel is responsible for the violence.

That isn’t just discouraging, it’s downright dangerous.

Thankfully, their views are far removed from those of the vast majority of Americans, who stand in solidarity with our friends in Israel and against Islamic terrorism.

If you have family in danger in Israel or have not been able to reach them, please contact my Wausau office at (715) 298-9344. We stand ready to help coordinate efforts with the State Department to locate them and ensure a safe return.

We’ve got a lot more to tell you in this week’s edition of the Telegram and appreciate you starting off your weekend with us.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Gary Donath received a Korea Defense Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal for his contributions to our great country.

Need assistance with a federal agency?
Are you having trouble getting an answer from the Veterans Affairs (VA), obtaining military records, or replacing military medals and awards? My office can help. Last month, I had the honor of presenting and pinning Gary Donath, an Army veteran, with the Korea Defense Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal. My office was also able to help Bob, a proud veteran from Milltown, get his EMS transportation bill paid for by the VA. Bill passed on a kind note to my office after stating, “I will pass along to anyone who listens that we do have a real voice through Rep. Tiffany’s office and things get done.” Please pass along to anyone you know who might be having concerns with a federal agency that my Wausau office stands ready to help. Click here for more information.

Terror at the US border?
The chaos that has gripped our southern border with Mexico since President Biden was sworn in is hardly breaking news. New records have been set for illegal border crossings month after month – with millions of unauthorized migrants flooding into our country since 2021. Many of these migrants are cut loose into American communities thanks to the Biden administration’s so-called “catch and release” policy. Just this week, President Biden’s own Department of Homeland Security admitted to releasing more than 2.1 million migrants into the United States – with absolutely no idea where most of them are. And it gets worse. Already this year, border agents have encountered a record-breaking 151 individuals on the FBI’s terror watch list – more than the previous six years combined. But that’s not all. This week we learned that thousands of “special interest aliens” from hotbeds of terrorism like the Middle East have been identified at the U.S.-Mexico border over the last two years. The numbers are staggering, and you can check them out here. Now more than ever, it is time for the Biden administration to take this threat seriously and start enforcing our laws. It’s also time for the U.S. Senate to pass the tough border security the House passed earlier this year, The Secure the Border Act, which I helped co-author. You can read more about that bill here.

Closing the door on the aggressors
We told you earlier about the dangerous events unfolding in Israel – and how those events pose a looming threat to our security right here at home. That’s why in the coming days I plan to introduce The Guaranteeing Aggressors Zero Admissions – or GAZA Act. This legislation would stop President Biden from issuing visas or “paroling” holders of Palestinian Authority passports into the United States. It goes without saying that Hamas, which runs Gaza, is a notorious terrorist organization. But Fatah, which controls the West Bank, follows a similarly dark ideology. In fact, Fatah’s leader – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas – recently faced a torrent of global condemnation after he made outrageous statements about the Holocaust. Fatah operatives have even cheered on violence against Israelis, calling for the “slaughter of anyone who is Israeli” and comparing Jews to “apes and pigs.” Here’s the bottom line: Neither of these radical groups are trustworthy partners. The last thing we ought to do is trust their identity documents. Especially now.

Supporting small businesses
I enjoyed speaking at the Oneida County Economic Development’s Northwoods Economic Summit last week. Small businesses are the beating hearts of our communities, and I will continue to use my experience as a small business owner to cut through Washington’s bureaucratic red tape. One way I’m working to do that is by updating the 1958 jurisdictional standards of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to reflect modern revenue levels and prevent overregulation of small businesses. I cosponsored the Small Businesses Before Bureaucrats Act to ensure that more than 50% of retail and non-retail businesses would be exempt from NLRB jurisdiction. You can read more about that bill here.

It was great to see such a big turnout at the Northwoods Economic Summit.

Committee Update

Soft-on-crime policies cause even more crime
This week the Judiciary Committee had a hearing on the rise of violent crime taking place in the nation’s capital. So far this year violent crime has increased 38% compared to last year, with some of the most violent offenses, including sexual assault and arson, increasing by more than 100%. We heard testimony from fed-up law enforcement officers who aren’t getting the support they need from the justice system, first responders who are unable to help patients due to safety concerns, and victims who are frustrated with the system for failing to hold their offenders accountable. We’ve heard time and time again that the increase in crime isn’t because there aren’t enough laws to charge criminals with, it’s because prosecutors and judges continue to hand out light sentences for serious crimes – sending offenders right back out on to the street to find new victims. That’s when they bother to prosecute at all. Last year, for example, almost 70% of arrests in Washington D.C. were not even prosecuted – meaning that criminals had a 2/3 chance of walking. As I’ve said before, if you allow people to get away with breaking the law it’s only going to encourage others to follow their lead. That’s why earlier this year I introduced the Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act along with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) so that we can get back to holding offenders accountable and putting criminals where they belong – behind bars.

Click here or on the photo above to watch my exchange with Detective Gregg Pemberton Chairman of the D.C. Police Union.

Recent Legislation

Student activists embracing terrorism?
For the past week, the world has watched in shock and horror as images continue to flood social media from the Hamas terrorist attack that claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians in Israel. From videos of concertgoers dancing around blissfully unaware of the sinister plans the paragliders overhead had in store for them to images of raped women and dead bodies scattered across the sidewalk, the attack committed by Hamas was pure evil. Here’s the bottom line: There is no defense for terrorism. Sadly, in the wake of these barbaric attacks, we’ve seen radical student groups and left-wing professors at elite universities jump to the defense of the terrorists while victim-blaming the people who were murdered. Anti-Israel rallies began popping up on campuses with attendees chanting for the death of Jews to Professors using CRT-style lessons to single out and label their Jewish students as “colonizers and oppressors”  to justify the slaughter committed by Hamas. While student activism has always been a feature of campus life, student rallies supporting terrorism have not. These recent activities are both sickening and dehumanizing, and they have no place in the civil discourse we expect in higher education. That’s why this week I joined 43 of my Republican colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona encouraging the Department to take immediate action and engage with colleges and universities on their obligation to ensure Jewish students feel safe on campus – and not subjected to mob threats and harassment. You can read more about our letter here.

Your constitutional rights shouldn’t end at state lines 
American’s right to keep and bear arms is one of the most cherished freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, and it is important that this right doesn’t vanish when gun owners cross state lines. Being able to conceal carry is a key component of our right to self-defense and the safety of our communities. I will always fight to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners, which is why I cosponsored the bipartisan Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act introduced by my colleague Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-09). This bill would guarantee that this fundamental liberty doesn’t disappear when you cross a state boundary. You can read more about the legislation here.

District Update

Celebrating 100 years
Last week, we had two great businesses in Wisconsin celebrate 100 years of service. Congratulations to the Cutler Cranberry Company in Douglas and Sailer’s Food Market and Meat Processing in western Wisconsin. Since 1923, both of these companies have been a staple to our community, and we look forward to many more years of your service.

Congratulations to Cutler Cranberry Company and Sailer’s Food Market and Meat Processing on 100 years!

Photo of the week
Thank you to everyone who has submitted a photo of the week. We’ve received so many great pictures over the last few weeks, and while I might be a little biased, there’s no better place than northern and western Wisconsin. If you would like your picture to be featured in the photo of the week section, please email it to [email protected] with your name and location. 

“Nature’s poolside” – Submitted by Hal at Little Sand Bay Recreation Area off of Lake Superior.

Resources  

The U.S. Department of State has put together resources for Americans in Israel. Any U.S. citizens in Israel needs to enroll their contact information in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. U.S. citizens seeking to be in touch with the U.S. Embassy in Israel can fill out this form. For the latest updates, please monitor the messages to U.S. citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Israel. My office is also here to help coordinate efforts with the State Department. If you have any questions, please give my Wausau office a call today as we work to ensure the safety of American citizens.

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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