|
Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Good afternoon!
I had a great time over the weekend traveling across the district to celebrate Veterans Day. Our veterans embody the very essence of courage and commitment, and we celebrate this day to express our deepest gratitude and respect for everything they sacrificed in the name of freedom and for this country.
In DC last week, the House kept pushing forward on appropriations funding. We considered and debated H.R. 4664, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024. I introduced four amendments to rein in the FTC and Treasury, which were all adopted under a voice vote. Next, I look forward to seeing final passage of the bill in the weeks ahead.
Keep reading to dive deeper into the highlights of last week.
Have a great week!
- Scott
Thank You, Telephone Town Hall Attendees!
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my Telephone Town Hall last week! We covered a lot of great topics from the southern border and China’s aggression to the impeachment inquiry into President Biden and support for our ally Israel.
We even had an opportunity to dive into some niche issues, like the AM for Every Vehicle Act I signed onto. I know so many in Southeast Wisconsin depend on AM broadcast radio to stay in touch with the news, and this bill would require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in new vehicles at no additional charge.
As a reminder to you all, if you’d like to be invited to future Telephone Town Hall’s I host, please call my office at (202) 225-5101 and we’ll add you to the list!
Veterans Day Celebration’s in SE Wisconsin
I had a great time traveling across the district over the weekend to celebrate our veterans in SE Wisconsin.
Veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to preserve and defend the freedoms we hold dear. This day of reflection is about those who answered the call to ensure that the ideals of “Old Glory” be sustained.
As a veteran in Congress myself, it has been a privilege to be a voice for those who served.
In Congress, we’ve achieved a great deal of wins for our veteran community.
The most notable being the passage of the PACT Act, a bipartisan bill which delivered comprehensive healthcare and benefits to 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans. Specifically, this bill:
- Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post-9/11 era.
- Ensures every enrolled veteran will receive an initial toxic exposure screening and a follow-up screening every five years. Veterans who are not enrolled, but who are eligible to enroll, will have the opportunity to enroll and receive the screening.
- Provides robust authority to VA to expand the workforce and meet the growing demand for benefits and services.
- Authorizes construction of 31 new facilities across the country, providing greater access to VA health care
Since this legislation passed, it’s been great to see veterans take advantage of this benefit by reaching out for help to my office in filing their claims.
Another veteran win was the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2023, which provides for a cost-of-living adjustment for Veterans’ benefits equal to the Social Security COLA.
The VA provides a range of benefits for veterans. While Social Security benefits are automatically adjusted annually, Congress must pass legislation every year to keep the rates of veterans’ disability compensation in line with inflation.
For the last seven years, bipartisan legislation has been enacted providing veterans with a cost-of-living adjustment for the respective year. Veterans’ benefits increased by 8.7% last year, the highest COLA in decades.
I also had the privilege to support full funding of Veterans’ health care and benefits programs through passage of H.R. 4366, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024.
We as a country must ensure our veterans have the treatment, the support, and the resources they need upon exiting service. That starts in Congress and extends to the communities they call home. It is my hope that we maintain this same momentum as we approach the new year.
Impeachment Inquiry Update
A couple weeks ago, the Oversight Committee published some staggering findings. The Committee released a bank records memorandum revealing how Joe Biden received $40,000 in laundered money from Communist China, in the form of a personal check from the account of his brother, James Biden, and his sister-in-law, Sara Biden
To date, President Biden has continued to deny that his family received money from China – despite bank records proving otherwise.
This is a boldface lie. House Republicans will continue to follow the money and will hold President Biden accountable for his corruption.
The evidence is mounting and to that end, last week the Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden; his brother James Biden; and Biden family associate Rob Walker to appear for depositions.
It’s time for the Biden family and their associates to answer directly about the record of evidence that has proven the family was influence peddling.
You deserve the truth, and I intend to help uncover it here in Congress.
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.
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
|
