Dear Friend,

This week, it was a great honor to be able to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery.

This opportunity was nothing short of humbling as this sacred memorial site is dedicated to U.S. service members whose remains have not been found or identified.

I want to thank all the service members who gave their lives protecting our freedom.

Your family's sacrifice to our great nation will never be forgotten, and all Gold Star Families will be in the Seventh District's prayers this holiday season.

If you would like to honor these heroes, Wreaths Across America will be at Central Wisconsin Veterans Cemetery tomorrow to honor our country’s fallen service members. You can find more details about the event and how to volunteer here.

I hope you all have Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I wish you and your family health and happiness throughout the holidays. We will be back in 2024 with another edition of The Telegram.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

It was a humbling experience to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Formalizing the Biden impeachment

Over the past year, House Republicans have uncovered through testimony, whistleblowers, and investigations that President Biden knew about his family’s foreign business dealings. We have conducted this investigation in a slow, methodical way and have only followed where the facts have led us. House Republicans learned through Devon Archer’s testimony, who is Hunter Biden’s former business partner and best friend, that Joe Biden was “the brand” for their foreign business deals. We also learned that President Biden was on at least 20 phone calls with Hunter Biden’s foreign business associates. And that’s not all. House Republicans also discovered that the Biden family received $20 million from China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Romania, and they created over 20 shell companies to funnel this money through. Unfortunately after uncovering this mounting evidence, the Biden family and White House began trying to block our access to information. In fact, this week Hunter Biden defied his subpoena and refused to show up for his closed-door deposition in the House, which is a precedent Democrats set forward with impeachment. If the Bidens had nothing to hide, Hunter Biden would have attended the deposition, but clearly, they have something to hide. That’s why I voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden this week. You can view that vote here. The American people deserve transparency about the President's involvement in his family’s foreign business deals. That’s what this impeachment inquiry will deliver.

VA resources being diverted to illegal immigrants?
Earlier this month, it was reported that due to an arrangement between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the VA has diverted resources intended for our veterans to process medical claims for illegal immigrants. At the same time, the VA disability claims backlog has skyrocketed to over 300,000 case claims under President Biden. It is deeply concerning that VA resources could be siphoned off for services to illegal immigrants. That’s why I joined several of my colleagues in sending a letter to VA asking for information about these troubling reports. You can read more about the letter we sent here.

How to save money this holiday season

It seems that the Grinch isn’t just out for your presents this year, but he’s also going after your wallets. Since Kevin McCallister took his iconic “Home Alone” grocery trip in 1990, getting all the food and household essentials he needed for under $20, prices have gone up almost 250%. But even since last Christmas, we have seen a dramatic increase in costs. The same exact list now costs nearly double the price that it was last year, rising from $44.40 to a grand total of $72.28. The holidays are already perceived to be one of the most stressful times of the year, and if there is one thing to be certain of it is that Bidenomics is not helping. Don’t let the stress get the best of you, there are many ways that you can cut costs and save money. One tried and true way is to get creative. Gifts don’t have to be new or expensive for them to be sentimental, in a lot of ways a homemade gift in your budget is better than anything you would find at the store. Another way is to only shop deals. While we are past Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there are still plenty of stores that have extended their holiday discounts. One more important practice is to make a list and stick to it as closely as you can, those extra items will sneak up on your budget. Click here for more ways to save this holiday season.

Almost a 250% increase in grocery prices since the 1990's classic "Home Alone."

Recent Legislation

Keeping chocolate milk on the menu

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed my bipartisan amendment to make sure chocolate milk stays in school lunches. It was attached to the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, a bill that will allow schools to serve whole milk. With passage of my amendment, the legislation will also ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture does not issue any new rules that ban any of the varieties of milk covered in this bill, including chocolate milk, in the future. You may remember that this year Biden’s USDA issued a proposed rule that would set new nutrition standards that would result in flavored milk being restricted in school cafeterias. Thanks to this administration focusing on banning chocolate milk as one of its priorities, it’s up to Congress to act and ensure our kids have access to all varieties of milk in school. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that removing flavored milk from schools resulted in a 62-63 percent reduction in milk consumption by kids in kindergarten through 5th grade, including a 50 percent reduction in 6th through 8th grades. We know that milk is full of nutrients that support bone growth and development, so we should not be taking away something that has great benefits and is enjoyed by millions of kids. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act now awaits action in the U.S. Senate, and I hope they can act on it soon. You can watch my remarks on the House floor here.

ATF: Always Taking Firearms

Telegram readers already know that under President Biden the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been weaponized into the Always Taking Firearms Agency. Where overreaching and unelected bureaucrats believe they have the authority to create the law while skirting around the Constitution at the same time. The First Amendment guarantees the right to petition the government and federal agencies are required by law to provide an opportunity for public comment when proposing a new rule or regulation. However, that didn’t stop the ATF from flat-out refusing to accept 40,000 petitions that were submitted in opposition to a rule they were proposing. Given this administration’s disdain for the Second Amendment, it isn’t exactly surprising that they decided to disregard the First Amendment, and that is something that should concern us all. Regardless of where you may stand on this issue, the Constitution isn’t merely a suggestion, it’s the law. That’s why I am fighting back against this gross overreach. Last week, I sent a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach along with 25 of my colleagues expressing our concern over the agency’s decision to deny the First Amendment rights of 40,000 American citizens and urged them to accept the comments as they are legally required to do. You can read our letter here.

District Update

Deer Listening Session

This past weekend, I enjoyed attending the listening session on deer population concerns in Solon Springs and hearing from local hunters. It’s clear our white-tailed deer population is being mismanaged by the Department of Natural Resources, and it’s in part due to the unnecessary abundance of gray wolves in our state. I will continue to advocate for solutions that protect Wisconsin hunting traditions. That’s why I am leading the charge in the House to delist the gray wolf from the endangered species list. The gray wolf has recovered, and it’s time to celebrate this success by returning wolf management back to where it belongs, in states' hands. I want to thank Representative Sapik, Representative Armstrong, Representative Edming, Representative Green, and Senator Quinn for hosting this event.

It was good to hear from deer hunters at a listening session in Solon Springs.

Christmas lights near you

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is seeing all the houses decorated, lights in the park, and the various winter wonderlands going on throughout Wisconsin’s Seventh District. One place I like to go with my family is Rondele Ranch in Harshaw, but there are many places where you can see Christmas lights this season, with some locations having over 17 million lights! This is a great family and kid-friendly activity, just make sure to bundle up if you’re walking through. Click here to find the nearest Christmas lights to you and keep an eye out for any local lights going on. Enjoy the show!

Photo of the week

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I hope you get to spend it with family and friends, including your pet friends. Quigley says he’s ready to be snuggled up by the fireplace all Christmas, and I do not blame him. If you take any pictures over the holidays of our beautiful state and would like them to be featured in the Telegram, please email them to [email protected] with your name and location.

“Merry Woofmas!” – Submitted by Blain from Hazelhurst

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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