|
Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Good afternoon, everyone, and happy Monday!
Congress is out of session this week and I am excited to be back in the Fifth District to celebrate the Fourth of July! I’ll be joining in on a number of festivities and hope to see you around.
Last week was a busy week on the hill, the House successfully passed three appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and Foreign Operations, and the Department of Defense. These bills deliver on our Commitment to America - A Nation That’s Safe. Not to mention, these bills also cut billions in government waste from Biden’s budget request. I was proud to support all three of these bills, and I encourage you to read the rest of this newsletter if you’d like to learn more about what was in these appropriations bills.
Have a great week everyone! And thank you for taking the time to read the latest congressional updates.
- Scott
Congratulations to Wisconsin’s Fifth Congressional District Art Winner
I was happy to formally congratulate the winner of our Fifth Congressional District Art Competition last week. Our winner, Maggie, attends Lake Country Classical Academy in Oconomowoc and her artwork is titled Murder of a Pomegranate. Maggie and her mother visited DC last week to attend a ceremony that celebrated the respective art winners across all congressional districts. I look forward to seeing this fantastic piece of work displayed on Capitol Hill! As a reminder, my office holds this art competition every year and I encourage interested artists to get involved!
Supreme Court of the United States Overturns Chevron
As I’ve said before, unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. often do not receive the scrutiny that they deserve. These Federal workers occupy influential posts in government agencies—like the Department of Labor or the Department of Health and Human Services—and dictate more policy than many in the public realize.
The power of Federal bureaucrats has skyrocketed since 1984, when the Supreme Court handed down a decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council that determined courts, when interpreting an ambiguous statute, should defer to the agency’s interpretation of the statute.
This ruling, known as the “Chevron deference,” has allowed the executive branch to circumvent Congress and issue regulations with the force of law. This has added billions in regulatory costs and allowed unelected bureaucrats at agencies like the ATF and FTC to issue sweeping rules that harm Americans, with no guardrails.
For these reasons, I was very pleased that last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 6-3 to repeal the Chevron deference. Through this ruling, the court has chosen to give the legislative power back to Congress, ensuring that courts independently consider what Congress has said through its statutes rather than putting a thumb on the scale in favor of federal agencies.
House Republicans Pass Appropriations Bills for FY25
As I mentioned above, last week House Republicans passed three appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025. These bills cut billions in government waste while prohibiting funds to be used to house illegal immigrants on military installations, prohibiting funding for DEI, and prohibiting censoring constitutionally protected speech of Americans among other things. Here are few highlights I’d like to point out…
Department of Defense Appropriations:
- Funds a 4.5% pay raise for all military personnel
- Increases funding for the National Guard Counterdrug Program to counter the flow of illicit fentanyl
- Invests in next-generation fighter aircraft, helicopters, tactical combat vehicles, and submarines
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations:
- Provides $600 million for construction of the southern border wall
- Provides $822 million to fund transportation and removal operations for removable illegal immigrants
- Prohibits funding for providing or facilitating abortions for ICE detainees
- Provides $300 million for border security technology
- Sustains funding for 22,000 Border Patrol agents
Department of State and Foreign Operations:
- Prohibits funds for the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party
- Prioritizes funding and policies to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States
- Eliminating funding for the United Nations’ (UN) regular budget, resulting in savings of $761.6 million
- Prohibits funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the EcoHealth Alliance, any gain-of-function research, and labs in adversarial nations like China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, or Cuba
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
|
