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Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Good morning everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I just returned from a bipartisan congressional delegation in France with my colleagues where we honored our fallen soldiers and commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
On June 6, 1944, this fateful day marked a pivotal moment and turning point in WWII—the beginning of the end of the Nazi’s control over Western Europe. Over 150,000 Allied soldiers from all walks of life were united by one shared purpose of freedom in the Battle of Normandy, and thousands of them paid the ultimate price in saving the world. Their legacies are never forgotten though.
I was incredibly grateful to be in Normandy to celebrate this important anniversary. I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to talk about Private John A. Daum – a Wisconsin native.
John was drafted into the U.S Army in April 1943 and later volunteered to join the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. John received his jump wings in October 1943. At the end of the year, he and the rest of his regiment sailed to Northern Ireland and later moved to Nottingham, England, for further training for the Normandy invasion. They would be responsible for the southwest portion of the 82nd Airborne Division sector in Normandy and their primary targets were the bridges over the Douve River.
John was tragically Killed in Action on D-Day, and he now rests in peace at the Normandy American Cemetery, where I was honored to visit and pay my respects in-person. He is forever in our hearts and memories.
Keep reading on to hear the latest policy updates and have a great week.
- Scott
Named a Muskego Post Office in Honor of WI Civil War Hero
I’m proud to report that just last week my bill to rename a post office in Muskego after a Wisconsin Civil War Hero passed with the support of the entire Wisconsin delegation in the House.
The post office will be named after Colonel Hans Christian Heg—an American patriot in the truest sense.
In 1840, at just ten years old, Colonel Hans Christian Heg immigrated to Wisconsin from Norway and his family settled in Muskego.
Mr. Heg was eventually appointed Colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Infantry, and he and his men went on to win a major battle for control of the Mississippi River at Island No. 10 during the Civil War and they were given the honor of raising the flag by battle commander Flag Officer Andrew Foote.
On September 20, 1863, at the battle of Chickamauga in Georgia, the 33-year old Colonel was shot and Killed In Action while serving the Union.
Colonel Heg was called to a higher purpose, serving as both a Colonel of the 15th Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War and as a staunch abolitionist.
It is my hope, that when Wisconsinites see his name at the post office, that they come to learn and know exactly who Colonel Hans Christian Heg was and what he stood for. May his legendary story of bravely serving our nation live on for generations to come.
You can watch my full remarks on Colonel Heg on the House floor here.
Biden Misses the Mark on Latest Border Action
The southern border remains one of the top issues I receive calls about from many of you in the district.
I know I’ve said it before, but President Biden’s complete failure to lead with good policy at our southern border has turned every state in America into a border state.
We tragically saw an example of this last week when two police officers were shot by an illegal migrant, who entered through the southern border illegally last year and who has been connected to multiple crime incidents ever since.
Thankfully, these two police officers survived the attack and seem to be on the road to recovery. But this is hardly the first incident of innocent Americans and law enforcement being attacked—sometimes fatally—by illegal migrants.
We cannot let these incidents happen in vein, the President must take meaningful action that will actually curb the crisis at the southern border.
And the executive order President Biden issued last week on the southern border is anything but meaningful. He announced an executive order that would still permit a minimum of 1.8 million illegal immigrants to enter the country. To put that in perspective that is 4.5 times the number of illegal immigrants that were encountered at our Southern Border in FY20.
House Republicans know that border security is national security. That is why we passed H.R. 2, the Secure The Border Act of 2023, the strongest border security bill in history. It would reimplement President Trump’s successful border policies and put an end to Joe Biden’s border crisis.
AG Garland Testifies at the Judiciary Committee
The weaponization of our federal government has reached new levels. Last week, AG Garland was testifying in an oversight hearing at the Judiciary Committee—and he had a lot to answer for.
Back in February the Committee subpoenaed the DOJ for the audio recordings of Special Counsel Hur’s interview with President Biden. Three months later and the DOJ has still failed to comply with this subpoena.
I questioned Garland at the hearing last week about this obstruction of Congress and the hypocrisy the DOJ has shown toward protecting President Biden while continually bending the rules to attack Trump.
Even more, the DOJ under Garland’s direction has gone to painstaking lengths to circumvent the justice system for President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who allegedly sold access to our highest levels of government and avoided paying millions of dollars in taxes.
I know Americans are fed up with this two-tiered justice system. I am too. I will keep doing everything I can within my power here in Congress to keep holding these bureaucrats to account.
You can watch my full Q&A with AG Garland here.
Voting to Sanction ICC
Last Week, the House voted to sanction any International Criminal Court (ICC) official who seeks to investigate or arrest U.S. citizens or allies who do not recognize the authority of the ICC.
I supported this bill for a few reasons.
The primary reason is that the ICC has no factual basis for which to issue these arrest warrants. Israel is operating consistent with international laws of war. A May 10 State Department report on the use of American weapons by Israel stated that the U.S. “has no direct indication of Israel intentionally targeting civilians.”
Further, the ICC warrants are a clear double-standard, as the ICC has not issued arrest warrants for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, or Chinese President Xi, all of whom have committed gross human rights violations.
The ICC also has no jurisdiction over the U.S. or Israel, which is why the U.S. has previously rejected ICC investigations of the U.S. and Israel in the past.
Finally, the ICC’s warrants set a dangerous precedent for U.S. officials operating overseas and the potential for actions by U.S. servicemembers triggering similar arrest warrants. The Military Coalition, which represents more than 5.5 million current and former U.S. servicemembers, has warned that this precedent “could lead to the arrest, prosecution, and detention of American military personnel and veterans in foreign countries.”
The ICC has no legitimate jurisdiction, let alone basis, for its warrants against Israeli officials and I was proud to help pass this bill.
Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program
ICYMI, my office is seeking a veteran for a position in WI-05’s Oconomowoc district office. If you or a person you know are interested, I encourage you to apply!
The person chosen for the special position will work with military and veteran constituents to handle veterans-related casework and act as a facilitator between constituents and federal, state, and local agencies.
The Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for veterans within member offices.
The program is limited to veterans who meet all of the following requirements:
- Honorably discharged
- Released from active duty within the last six years
- Terminal pay grades at or below E-5, O-3, or W-2
- Veterans promoted to the pay grades of E-6, O-4, and W-3 within 6-months of separation from active duty are eligible, granted they meet ALL other eligibility requirements.
- Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.
Click here to learn more about the job posting.
That's a wrap for this week's eNewsletter! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on my work for the 5th District of Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Scott Fitzgerald
Member of Congress
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