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Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Good afternoon, everyone, and happy belated Father’s Day to all of the dads reading!
Last week turned out to be an incredibly busy week on the hill. The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY25. The bill puts America first, and those who bravely defend our country. We’re bringing back military promotions based on merit, not DEI. We’re raising junior enlisted servicemembers pay by over 19%. And we’re investing in innovative technologies to keep our military at the forefront of the latest advancements. All in all, I was proud to vote in favor of this bill. Keep reading on to get a closer look at what else was included.
Another important move in the House was H. Res. 1292, to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in Contempt of Congress. It’s very simple, the Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena with legitimate legislative purpose and Attorney General Garland has willfully refused to comply. This willful refusal constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants prosecution as prescribed by law.
This week, the House is out of session. We’ll reconvene the last week of June for legislative business.
Have a great week!
- Scott
ICYMI: Joined Mornings With Maria On Fox Business
In case you missed it, last week I joined Fox Business to discuss my thoughts on the Trump verdict, holding AG Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, and the shortcomings of President Biden’s latest executive order on the southern border.
You can watch my full interview here.
Strengthening National Security & Uplifting Our Servicemembers
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) continues to be one of the most important legislative priorities that I vote for as a member of Congress, and this year was no exception.
This year’s NDAA boosts servicemember compensation and improves servicemember housing. The bill also rejects social progressivism we’ve seen pushed by the left, and cuts inefficient defense programs and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy, while still boosting our investments into leading military technology and research to keep our military at a competitive advantage.
Here are some important line items from the bill I’d like to point out:
- Authorizes a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supports a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers.
- Authorizes over $693 million to build new family housing units, and an additional $607 million over the President's request for housing maintenance accounts.
- Requires all military promotions, accessions, and command decisions to be based on individual merit and demonstrated performance, rather than political affiliation, race, sex, ethnicity, or religion.
- Cuts over $4.3 billion in weapons programs that have not met development milestones or are experiencing excessive cost growth.
- Authorizes the Office of Strategic Capital to detail employees to innovative private sector companies.
Congress Holds AG Garland in Contempt of Congress
Let’s be clear, Special Counsel Hur’s report found that Joe Biden mishandled classified documents and was mentally unfit to stand trial. That is completely shocking and precisely why Judiciary subpoenaed the DOJ to produce audio recording of Biden’s interview with Hur.
A subpoena AG Garland refuses to comply with.
AG Garland says the transcripts are enough but why should the Judiciary Committee trust that the DOJ-created and -produced interview transcripts are accurate and complete?
The DOJ has, if anything, given us reasons NOT TO TRUST THEM.
There is recent evidence the White House doctored an official transcript to hide a verbal slip from President Biden, and only fixing the transcript after being caught. Who’s to say the DOJ didn’t do the same thing with the transcripts of Biden’s interview with Hur?
The bottom line is, the Judiciary Committee cannot allow AG Garland to willfully disregard the Committee’s constitutional oversight and impeachment responsibilities. AG Garland’s willful refusal to comply with the Judiciary Committee’s subpoena constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants prosecution as prescribed by law. This is why I voted to pass H. Res. 1292 to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in Contempt of Congress last week.
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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