Dear Friend,

As families start to gear up for Thanksgiving, it’s no secret that grocery prices are gobbling up our wallets.

The price increases over the last few years are in part due to Washington’s runaway spending, and it’s why I am working to balance the budget in Washington – just as hardworking Wisconsinites must do every single day.

I will continue to work to lower gas prices by increasing domestic energy production and fight to tame inflation, but the unfortunate reality is that this Thanksgiving is 30% more expensive than in 2020.

Whether you are getting your shopping done early or if you have to run to the store for a last-minute item (I’ve been there too many times), here are a few “gourd” tips to save this Thanksgiving.

You will want to skip out on the items that are at all-time highs, like ham and potatoes, and go with cheaper alternatives. Additionally, some financial experts recommend that fresh foods are cheaper than canned products.

It’s also important to create a budget and try to stick to it by looking for deals. You can even get everyone involved with a Thanksgiving potluck to decrease costs.

Additionally, many of our communities will be handing out free Thanksgiving meals.

• Central: Boys & Girls Club has locations in Weston, Merrill, and Wausau where they will be handing out meals to members only. First Presbyterian Church in Wausau, the Merrill Enrichment Center, John Lutheran in Mosinee, and Crossroads Church in Pittsville are also giving away free meals.
• Superior area: The Bong Center is hosting a free meal on Thanksgiving for veterans, active-duty families, and their loved ones. Across the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth, the College of St. Scholastica is hosting a free Thanksgiving meal, and our Lady of the Lake in Ashland is also hosting one.
• Western/Chippewa Valley: Joseph Church in Rice Lake, Hope Gospel Mission and Saving Grace Lutheran in Eau Claire, Central Lutheran in Chippewa Falls, Potters Place Cafe in Exeland, Hope Lutheran in Ladysmith, and United Methodist in Hudson will be offering free Thanksgiving meals.
• Northwoods: Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church in Sayner, Mary’s Catholic Church in Tomahawk, Backwaters Bar and Grill in Rhinelander, and Carving Memories in Antigo will serve free meals as well.

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is filled with good food, great company, and a Packers win. I also hope everyone has a successful and safe gun deer season opener this weekend.

We will be back in two weeks with another edition of the Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Thanksgiving costs will take a bite out of your wallets.

Recognized for 100% pro-family voting record

Last week, the American Family Project recognized me for my 100% pro-family voting record in Congress. I will continue to empower parents to make the best choices for their kids and fight to keep our communities safe and family-friendly. That’s why I have supported legislation to ensure parents are not kept in the dark about their children’s education, and I have also supported numerous pieces of legislation to keep illicit drugs, like fentanyl, off our streets. While there is still much work to do, you can view other pieces of pro-family legislation I supported here. 

Importing Palestinian people, prejudices, and problems?

As Telegram readers know, that irresponsible idea is exactly what many far-left lawmakers in Washington have been pushing for, including liberal members of “The Squad” – and even one of our own U.S. Senators. It’s a bad idea – and it’s why I introduced legislation that would prevent President Biden from abusing his authority to flood American neighborhoods with Palestinian passport holders. What’s even more alarming is that the Biden administration has refused to unequivocally rule out the kind of risky “resettlement” plans put forward by his progressive enablers. It’s reckless and it’s unwise – and it’s why my colleague Rep. Andy Ogles and I made the case this week for why opening America’s borders and communities to Palestinians is exactly the wrong thing to do. You can read what we had to say here. 

Corporate America, Congress, California, and China Inc.

Like many Americans, I was stunned this week to see the lengths to which liberal politicians and corporate leaders will go to curry favor with Communist China. After ignoring the epidemic of drugs, crime and vagrancy that has gripped San Francisco the last few years, California’s Governor took steps to clean up the city – something he admitted he only did to impress visiting Chinese dictator Xi Jinping. Not to be outdone, corporate leaders hosted a swanky dinner for Comrade Xi that some attendees paid as much as $40,000 to attend. They even welcomed him with a standing ovation. That’s the bad news. The good news is that a growing number of lawmakers are tired of the appeasement – and demanding a new approach. One initiative to do that is legislation I introduced earlier this year to abandon America’s outdated “One China” policy in favor of closer diplomatic, economic, and security ties with our friends Taiwan. This week, my bill hit an important milestone: 50 House cosponsors. You can read more about it, and the progress we’ve made over the last couple of years, here.

$3,000,000 retuned to constituents 

Last week, my office exceeded the $3 million milestone on the year in money returned to constituents. One of my top priorities as your representative is to make sure that Washington is working for you, not against you. Whether you need assistance with Social Security and Medicare, VA benefits, tax returns, federal grants, and much more, my staff stands ready to help. Give my office a call at (715) 298-9344 to see how we can help you with federal agencies.

Thank you to everyone who participated in my survey. I voted to impeach Secretary Mayorkas this week. If you have yet to take my survey, you can do so here.

Committee Update

Federal Lands Subcommittee

Boosting forest management and local economies

The forest health crisis is not a problem the federal government can fix alone. State, Tribal, local, and private partners play a crucial role in addressing our overgrown, fire-prone federal lands. That's why this week, the Federal Lands Subcommittee held a hearing on legislation focused on improving our ability to combat wildfires and strengthening the partnership between federal and non-federal partners. Active forest management enhances forest health and helps boost local economies. When proper forest management declines, the closure of sawmills skyrockets. Between 2000-2019 the lack of forest management sealed the fate of 1,500 sawmills that went out of business. During the hearing, I had the opportunity to question the Forest Service on their goals for timber harvesting for the year and urged them to meet those goals. The Forest Service highlighted the need to increase partnerships with state and local partners through programs like the Good Neighbor Authority, which has been a success story here in Wisconsin. The Forest Service currently uses the Good Neighbor Authority in 18 states; it allows them to team up with state forestry agencies to do critical management work to help keep our forests healthy and productive. Republicans on the Federal Lands Subcommittee are committed to increasing the pace and scale of forest management to address the wildfire crisis responsibly and effectively.

District Update

Wausau Veterans Day Ceremony 

I had the great honor of spending this Veterans Day with the Wausau VFW and the Southworth family. I am thankful for the opportunity to hear the stories that have been passed down through generations directly from veterans and their loved ones. I hope you will join me in thanking our veterans who put their lives on the line to preserve our freedom. We are forever indebted to them and their families. Remember to thank our nation’s veterans, not just on Veterans Day but every day. 

I spent Veterans Day with the Wausau VFW honoring our nation’s heroes.

Photo of the week

This photo was taken shortly after our Halloween snowfall, and with snow already here, this Winter Weather Awareness Week is a great time to make sure you are ready for the upcoming winter season. Remember to winterize your home and vehicle, prepare for potential power outages, and check on older adults regularly. You can view more on winter weather preparation here. 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.

“Sun, Snow, and Riverside Bliss” – Submitted by Dick on Bass Lake in Eagle River

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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