What Do You Think of the President's Remarks?

Last night, President Biden delivered his State of the Union Address. Last week, I asked what issues you thought were most important for the President to bring attention to.  I'd like to hear your opinions on the President's remarks and if your concerns were answered.

How do you think President Biden did in his State of the Union Address?

Did President Biden address your concerns in his State of the Union Address?

Honoring a K-9 Hero

I was honored to present a beloved member of our St. Francis Police Department with the Distinguished Service Medal. K-9 Bane served for six years alongside his handler, Detective Holly McManus. Bane was the first K-9 officer to join St. Francis in 2014 and has responded to hundreds of calls throughout his career.

Last year, Bane’s legacy was immortalized with a life-size bronze statue outside the St. Francis Civic Center. Bane’s courage and dedication to his community serve as a reminder to what commitment to service is all about.

Fed Chair Appears Before Financial Services Committee

In advance of Wednesday’s hearing with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, I joined my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee in signing a letter to Fed Chair Powell, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chair Martin Gruenberg. The letter calls on regulators to withdraw their fatally flawed Basel III Endgame proposal due to insufficient economic analysis, transparency, attention to stakeholder input, and bipartisan agreement. It also urges banking regulators to ensure quantitative analysis and greater transparency accompany any future efforts to implement any elements of the proposed framework.

During a House Financial Services Committee hearing this week, I questioned Chairman Powell on the economic impacts of this proposal, public and private sector’s effects on broader economic performance, and how artificial intelligence (AI) relates to labor productivity.

Watch below:

Protecting Our Communities from the Border Crisis

On Thursday, February 22, Laken Riley, a Georgia college nursing student with a promising future and loving family, was brutally murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant while she was on a jog.

The suspect, Jose Ibarra, had been paroled and released into the United States after crossing the border illegally in August 2022. Then, a year later, Ibarra was arrested in New York for “acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17.” Again, he was released. Fast forward to October 2023, Ibarra and his brother were arrested for shoplifting – only to be released yet again on citation.

Under the Biden administration, 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States – more than the population of 36 states. As our communities continue to suffer under the weight of open border policies, it is more critical than ever that we stop allowing criminals to flood into our country and put American lives at stake.

This week, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act. This bill holds the Biden administration accountable for their role in these tragedies through their open border policies, requires detention of illegal aliens who commit theft and mandates ICE take them into custody, and allows a state to sue the Federal Government on behalf of their citizens for not enforcing the border laws, particularly in the case of parole.

Supporting Jobs and Innovation in America

Employers need to be able to raise money efficiently so they can create jobs and invest in our economy. One way to do that is by going public and issuing shares that everyone can buy, from the biggest asset manager to someone saving for retirement. I’m working to make it easier for companies to raise funds to create jobs and innovate.

Our legislation, the Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023 modernizes the rules for our capital markets to help more small businesses and startups raise money. It also includes two provisions I authored that would support startup investment and right-size rules for more established small employers.

I will continue working to modernize our regulations to help grow our economy, create and sustain good paying jobs, and ensure our country leads the world in innovation.

Improving Service to American People

This week, along with Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor, I opened the new Agency Connection Center located in the Longworth House Office Building, the newest addition to the Longworth Main Street Project.

For the first time, Legislative and Executive Branch Agency officials are located in a central location within the House to increase transparency and accountability. This center will provide staff and Members of Congress with access to real-time information, increasing their ability to efficiently respond to the American people’s casework inquiries and questions.

Agencies include:

• Department of State
• Government Accountability Office
• Office of Personnel Management
• Social Security Administration
• United States Postal Service
• Congressional Research Service

I look forward to seeing this new space in action and I hope this leads the way for more agencies to join the Agency Connection Center.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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