Dear Friend,
Earlier this year I told you that one of my top priorities this Congress is getting to the bottom of the rampant weaponization of our federal agencies and federal bureaucrats’ abuse of power over the American people, specifically in our intelligence agencies, like the FBI, DOJ, and DHS.
It’s no secret that the FBI in particular has picked up some bad habits over the past few years, from classifying concerned parents as “domestic terrorists” for speaking out at school board meetings, to intimidating whistleblowers, and spying on American citizens private communications without a warrant.
It's alarming to say the least.
You would think with a name like the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, it would be used for gathering foreign intelligence.
Unfortunately, you would be wrong.
Although its intended purpose was for foreign intelligence, in recent years it has become one of the FBI’s secret weapons – until they got caught abusing it.
FISA allows the federal government to intercept communications of non-U.S. citizens who are located in a foreign country. But often times the communications of Americans are swept up in the process, kept by intelligence agencies, and then accessed without a warrant.
In 2021, the FBI used FISA to conduct a whopping 3.4 million warrantless searches on America citizens – giving them access to their private communications without ever realizing it. This type of backdoor snooping allows for rampant abuse of the FISA and the constitutional rights of Americans.
We have the 4th Amendment for a reason – the FBI should not get a hall pass to sidestep the Constitution. That’s why I cosponsored H.R. 6570, the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act (PLEWSA).
PLEWSA reforms Section 702 of FISA by requiring a warrant for all searches of U.S. citizens. It also reforms the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and closes loopholes that allow the federal government to purchase Americans’ data from Big Tech companies without a warrant.
House Republicans are making it clear: We are committed to seeking accountability and preventing further government overreach against you, the American people.
This week PLEWSA passed out of the House Judiciary Committee this week on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 35-2. I was pleased to support this legislation and I look forward to seeing it come to the House Floor.
Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
FBI Targeting Milwaukee Catholics?
We knew the FBI spied on traditional Catholics who prefer Latin mass, but up until this week, we didn’t know that it was going on in our own state. At the beginning of this year, there was a report leaked from the FBI Richmond Field Office that classified "radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology" as a national security threat, and now we know that the FBI didn’t only target Richmond, VA Catholics. The FBI Milwaukee Field Office was also involved. This week, the House Judiciary Committee released a report that highlighted the numerous FBI field offices across the country, including Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Portland, involved in targeting traditional Catholics as domestic terrorists. This is an unacceptable and blatant attack on Americans’ civil liberties. If the FBI can target traditional Catholics, they can target anyone. That’s why I am working to hold the FBI accountable by not reauthorizing FISA without significant reforms. We must ensure this never happens again.
Cracking down on “sanctuary” scofflaws
Telegram Readers know that I’ve been taking aim at so-called “sanctuary cities,” and the damage they inflict on communities across the country. For those of you who don’t know, these are cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, transforming them into magnets for migrants – and putting all of us at risk. That’s why Congress outlawed them way back in the 1990s. Despite the clear wording of the statute, however, many big cities like Chicago and New York continue to thumb their noses at the law – imposing staggering costs on their residents. Thanks to these dangerous policies, local police are often forced to release foreign criminals from custody – setting them loose to commit new crimes and create new victims far beyond the city limits. Adding insult to injury, Americans from coast to coast are forced to subsidize these dangerous policies with their tax dollars. That must stop – and it’s why I filed an amendment to the spending bill that funds the Department of Justice. My amendment would force these cities to reconsider their “sanctuary” status by withholding a portion of their federal funding if they continue to violate federal law. You can read my amendment here.
Toy drives near you
The holidays don’t have to be a burden on your budget, so whether you are in need or looking to give back this Christmas season, I want to provide you with the nearest toy drives to you. Toys for Tots has drop-off locations in Danbury, New Richmond, Rice Lake, Wausau, Marshfield, Eau Claire, Pine City, and Iron Mountain. You can find information about each drop-off site here. Another good resource would be to get involved with your local Salvation Army’s toy drive. There are locations in Superior, Wausau, Vilas County (specifically for families living in the Northland Pines, Phelps, and Three Lakes School District), and Oneida County (specifically for people families living in Rhinelander and attend the Rhinelander and Minocqua School District). More holiday toy drives can be found here.
Committee Update
Natural Resources
Forest and energy partnerships
This week in the Natural Resources Committee, we had a Federal Lands Subcommittee hearing and a Full Committee markup. In Federal Lands, we had a hearing on Tribal Forest Management. It’s no secret that wildfires and other forest health challenges do not respect man-made boundaries, so our approach to confronting these problems must reflect this reality. Indian tribes, along with State and local governments, are critically important partners that must be better utilized to improve our land management practices. The federal government can learn from these tribes, as they often manage forests much better with fewer resources than Washington bureaucrats. I was pleased that our witness panel had some representation from Wisconsin as the Menominee tribe was able to join us to provide insight into their management and harvesting practices. Over nearly 170 years, they have harvested over 2.25 billion board feet of timber, and these high-quality wood products have even been used to create the hardwood basketball courts for the Final Four and the Milwaukee Bucks. You can watch my line of questioning here. On Wednesday, we held a markup where we passed important energy legislation, including Alaska’s Right to Produce Act, which I mentioned in last week’s newsletter. Another bill we considered would require annual geothermal lease sales, and overturn a job-killing, price-increasing rule that imposes new fees and barriers to producing oil and gas on federal lands. Committee Republicans will continue to advance legislation that promotes domestic production and helps the everyday American have reliable and affordable energy.
Recent Legislation
Honoring a local hero
This week, I introduced legislation to honor the service and sacrifice of Sergeant Kenneth E. Murphy, a Necedah native, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as a Purple Heart, for his heroism in the Vietnam War. On November 9, 1966, while serving as an Army squad leader on a search and destroy mission near Tuy Hoa, Sergeant Murphy fearlessly ran through a hail of bullets to try and help several wounded soldiers. Despite being wounded twice, including once in the head, he organized his men, led them in a fierce assault on the enemy, and enabled his men to break out of the trap and overwhelm the insurgent force. Due to his dedication to his fellow service members and our great nation, I introduced legislation to rename the United States Post Office in Necedah as the “Sergeant Kenneth E. Murphy Post Office Building.” This Necedah postal renaming will rightfully cement his legacy in our nation’s history, and our community is lucky to have him call Necedah home. You can read more about the legislation here.
District Update
Photo of the week
I hope some of you were able to catch the Northern Lights last week. If you missed them, you can sign up for an Aurora email alert here. This photo of the Northern Lights was taken back in September at Lake Nokomis Cranberries. If you have a photo of the week you want to share, please email it to [email protected] with your name and location.
“Up North in a Cranberry Marsh” – Submitted by Mike 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.
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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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