Dear Friend,
America’s Congress ought to represent American citizens. You might be thinking to yourself, “That’s just common sense, right?”
But common sense is often an endangered species in Washington, DC.
That traditional lack of rational thinking was on full display once again this week, when not a single House Democrat voted in favor of legislation to end the mind-boggling policy of giving illegal aliens representation in the US House of Representatives.
The bill – which passed by a razor-thin four vote margin – would add a simple citizenship question to the US Census, which is conducted every ten years. You can see the final vote tally here.
The primary purpose of this measure is simple: To protect Americans, and the value of their votes, from being diluted by the staggering number of illegal aliens currently present in the United States.
What you may not know, however, is that the census is also a tool used by the government to distribute funding for various taxpayer-funded programs. And as you probably guessed, illegal immigrants have an impact on those formulas – and your wallet – as well.
As you may have seen, the House Budget Committee reported this week that the cost to American taxpayers of hosting an estimated 22 million illegal aliens has spiraled to an eye-popping $150 billion per year – or around $9,000 per illegal immigrant. And that’s a “low-ball” estimate (some have fixed the price tag in the $400 billion range).
As shocking as this is, it isn’t terribly surprising.
For far too long, this non-citizen loophole in the census has diluted the voice of Americans in their own government. It has also been exploited by the open borders lobby to take money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans, subsidize the dangerous policies of so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, and finance what has become an unprecedented, slow-burn foreign invasion of our country.
But get ready. In the coming days and weeks, you are going to hear a lot of disinformation and noise from the usual suspects about how “controversial” it is that Congress is working to close this gaping loophole in the law.
Here’s the truth: The only thing “controversial” about making sure the US Census only counts US citizens is that it took so long for lawmakers to do it.
Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us – and don’t forget Mother’s Day is right around the corner! So, if you haven’t already, make sure you get out there and get something nice for your mom.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
Wishing everyone a very Happy Mother's Day. I feel incredibly fortunate to be married to an amazing mother to our three daughters. Thank you, Chris, for all you do for our family!
Biden should keep his hands off appliances
From water heaters, refrigerators, and air conditioners to dryers, dishwashers, washing machines, light bulbs, and gas stoves, the Biden administration has unleashed new burdensome regulations to take some of these products off the market. You may remember that last year a Biden administration official said that the Consumer Product Safety Commission could ban gas stoves. Many in the mainstream media flocked to President Biden’s side after claiming that Joe Biden wasn’t trying to ban gas stoves, but the truth is – he was. After outrage from the public, the Biden administration watered down their regulation, but they would still have a negative impact some gas stoves. And they didn’t stop there. They unleashed a war on numerous household appliances that Americans choose to use every day. In order to protect consumer choice, this week House Republicans and even a few House Democrats worked together to pass H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, introduced by Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ-08). This bill prevents the Department of Energy from issuing new energy efficiency standards for appliances if the standards are not cost-effective for the American people. You can read more about the bill here and view the final vote here.
International Clown Court
The circus performers at the United Nations are reportedly preparing to put on yet another clown show. As Telegram readers know, the UN and its affiliated agencies are notorious for their pervasive discrimination against and persecution of Israel. This week, we learned that the unaccountable global bureaucrats at the “International Criminal Court” are poised to follow the marching orders of the loudest, most extreme anti-Israel fanatics by issuing “arrest warrants” for several senior Israeli government officials for the “crime” of defending their country from Hamas terrorists. That’s ridiculous, and it’s why I joined several lawmakers in putting this kangaroo court on notice. If they insist on moving forward with this outrageous effort, we will move to impose severe sanctions on them. You can read more about the issue here. You can also check out the letter my House colleagues and I sent here, and the companion letter several Senators sent here.
2024 Congressional App Competition
Attention all students, teachers, and parents in the Seventh District—my office is officially accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. This challenge is a great opportunity for students in 6th-12th grades who have a passion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to create their own app and compete against their peers across the United States. You can submit your app on your own or as a group. The deadline to submit your app is Friday, October 18th at 11:59 PM. Click here for more information.
Feeding the world
This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Celebration of Modern Agriculture on the National Mall in Washington, which showcased equipment manufacturers and farmers from all over the United States. I was able to get up-close looks at various machines and speak with manufacturers about the newest technologies hitting America’s farm fields. I spoke with representatives from Case IH, whose global headquarters is located in Racine, about the advancements they’re making and their commitment to innovating traditional farming equipment to ensure efficiency and safety.
Thank you, farmers, manufacturers, and innovators, for feeding the world!
Committee Update
Natural Resources
Delist the Gray Wolf
Last week, I attended a Natural Resources Field Hearing in Sandstone, Minnesota. The hearing was titled, “How Many Wolves Are Enough? Examining the Need to Delist the Gray Wolf” and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as we passed the Trust the Science Act earlier in the week. We were lucky enough to be joined by Dr. Nathan Roberts, who also testified before our committee last year on wolves and has worked on conservation issues in Wisconsin and across the country for a very long time. Some of the important topics we discussed included the point that you can have a take of around 30% of a population, and a year later the population will be essentially the same as it was prior. This is important because it shows that if states manage wolf populations, they can do so effectively while still maintaining a healthy number of wolves in the landscape. Also, when you do not remove a recovered species from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) list, the ESA itself becomes endangered. Keeping wolves listed, even though they have long recovered, diverts resources away from efforts to protect species whose survival is actually at risk. In other words, the $3 million used on the Wolf Recovery Plan that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently put together could have been better spent on a species that faces real threats. You can watch my questions here.
Recent Legislation
Putting violent offenders where they belong: Behind bars
Telegram readers probably remember the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack, where so many people were needlessly injured and killed thanks to the reckless policies of a rogue prosecutor. This violent attack in Waukesha, which needlessly took the lives of six parade goers, could have been prevented had the repeat offender not been released due to the weak bail policies in Milwaukee. That’s why I signed on to the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act introduced by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05). This bill would combat radical bail policies by ensuring judges and prosecutors know a defendant’s criminal history and bring accountability to bail bonds; it would allow state and local jurisdictions to use grant funding to create a public safety report for each defendant charged with a violent offense and report it to the National Crime Information Center. It doesn’t make sense to release repeat offenders over and over again– or let scofflaws slip through the cracks and continue to prey on hardworking families. It’s time to shut this revolving door, and put dangerous career offenders where they belong: Behind bars. You can read more about the bill here.
Trusting our family physicians
Medicare Advantage members and physicians are all too familiar with the frustration of waiting for prior authorization to receive necessary care. This time-consuming process puts patients at risk due to lengthy delays and prevents physicians from giving patients the care they need. Often, these services or items are consistently approved for patients anyway. That’s why I cosponsored the GOLD CARD Act, sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess (TX-26), which exempts prior authorization requirements for physicians if services or items have a 90% or higher approval rate over the previous year. We should trust our family doctors instead of DC bureaucrats, and prioritize the well-being of patients over government red tape.
District Update
Upcoming field hearing in Hayward
On Monday, the Federal Lands Subcommittee will be in Hayward for a field hearing on improving access to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation on federal lands. I’ve heard from many of you about impediments to accessing your public lands, and I am working to remove them. This hearing is open to the public, and if you would like to attend, it will be at 2 PM at The Steakhouse & Lodge in Hayward. You can find more information here.
Photo of the week
On this Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to take time to congratulate two teachers from the Seventh District who won the prestigious Wisconsin Teachers of the Year award. Last week, I had the opportunity to meet Unity High School teacher Brian Collins while he was in our nation’s capital. Mr. Collins has more than two decades in education and was selected as one of Wisconsin’s 2024 Teachers of the Year. I also want to congratulate Rachel Sauvola of New Richmond High School on receiving Wisconsin's 2025 Teachers of the Year award. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit her agriscience class and school farm. We are lucky to have these two tremendous educators in the Seventh District, and I hope you will join me in applauding them for their accomplishments.
A special thank you to the educators in the Seventh District during this Teacher Appreciation Week.
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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