Dear Friend,

To maintain the integrity of our elections, we should all agree that each person's lawful vote should only be counted once.

That’s why this week, after several concerned citizens reached out to me, I requested answers about a troubling situation involving duplicate absentee ballots being distributed in Madison.

On Monday, reports surfaced that the City of Madison sent around 2,000 duplicate absentee ballots to voters in a single ward.

In response, I sent a letter to the City of Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl seeking clarity on how such a significant error could have occurred. I asked many questions, including: How was the error discovered, what ward(s) were impacted, and who is responsible for the error? You can read the full letter here.

Shortly after I sent my letter, the Madison Clerk's office began revising their website, altering their initial statements, and shifting explanations.

For example, a spokesman initially claimed that this “error” applied to around 2,000 ballots in a single ward which led the media to report that it was “up to” 2,000 ballots “in one ward.” Within 24 hours of that claim, however, the clerk’s office revised both numbers up substantially. It turns out their “error” spans ten wards, not one, and impacted a total of at least 2,215 ballots – so far.

Further, in what appeared to be an effort to downplay public concern, they also assured voters that individual ballots were marked with a unique barcode that would serve as a “failsafe” against multiple ballots being returned and counted – only to later walk this claim back to say that the barcode was printed on return envelopes. I called them out on X about that here.

The Clerk’s office also claimed to have “immediately” contacted each individual voter to notify them of the blunder. Yet, as of this morning, many of those affected reported that they still haven’t received any notification.

Given the inconsistencies in these statements, the apparent reluctance to allow a third-party investigation, and the Clerk’s questionable ties with a Zuckerbucks-financed organization, I am now more convinced than ever that an independent inquiry is necessary. Voters simply cannot trust the Clerk’s office to grade their own papers.

That’s why I followed up with another letter yesterday, requesting an independent inquiry to ensure public transparency and accountability for those responsible. You can read more about this here.

This is about voters being able to have full confidence in our elections. The Madison’s Clerk’s office should be forthcoming with the voters, make all related records public, and move quickly to hold those responsible before – not after – the election.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram. We will be back in two weeks with more updates.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Click here or the image above to watch my interview on Real America’s Voice explaining why an independent investigation is needed.

It's time for accountability

The end of last month marked the third anniversary of Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sadly, no one has been held accountable yet. Because the Biden-Harris administration withdrew United States forces with no plan and no regrets, 13 brave servicemembers and over 170 Afghan civilians were killed, and 45 other servicemembers were injured. It’s long past time that the right people are held accountable for the avoidable death, harm, and suffering that they caused. Kamala Harris played a large part in this withdrawal, in fact, she was the last person in the room when the deadly decision was made – something she speaks about publicly and proudly. This week, the House agreed on a resolution to condemn Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and 13 others in their administration for their roles in the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. Although disappointing, I was not shocked that all but ten Democrats voted against this resolution, considering the Biden-Harris administration still claims it was an “extraordinary success”. It is unacceptable that, three years later, they still refuse to take responsibility for their catastrophic decisions. This week, the House made it clear that we and the American people know who is at fault here.

Pioneer for Prosperity

I was honored to receive the Pioneers for Prosperity Award from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) for my commitment to advancing policy that promotes lower taxes, limited government, and economic freedom. Megan, from their Wisconsin office, came to my office to discuss the importance of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and what it means for the country if we let it expire. I want to thank AFP for continuing to fight for the livelihood of our economy and everyday Americans through grassroots efforts.

Alzheimer’s walk

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers and attendees at this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s across the Seventh District. This past Saturday, I joined volunteers at the Walk in Wausau to unite for this crucial cause, which has impacted so many in our community. Nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s are counting on us to fight for a world free of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. While much work remains to be done, the government should not have barriers to accessing dementia-related drugs if they are approved, and I will continue to support increased access to FDA-approved treatments. If you would like to participate in one of the Walks to End Alzheimer’s, there are a few tomorrow happening in Marshfield and the Chippewa Valley. Please click here for more information.

Thank you to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s volunteers for leading such a wonderful event in Wausau.

Recent Legislation

Fixing Our Forests clears the House

Over 117 million acres of our nation’s forest are overgrown, fire-prone, and need active management. The good news is that we can reverse this trend, but addressing the health of our forests and rangelands is not an issue that will be solved by simply throwing more taxpayer dollars at it. We need substantive changes in our land management practices. This week, the House passed the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which is the culmination of the House Committee on Natural Resources’ efforts this Congress to advance innovative solutions to increase the pace and scale of forest management, protect vulnerable communities from catastrophic wildfire, and restore health and resiliency to our nation’s ailing forests and federal lands. Specifically, this bill contains tools to expedite costly, bureaucratic, and time-consuming environmental reviews, end frivolous litigation that delays treatment projects, expands Good Neighbor Authority, and prioritize high-risk forests. This will lead to better management and outcomes for our communities, including fewer wildfires, healthier watersheds, and a cleaner environment. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation – you can watch my floor statement here.

District Update

Photo of the week

This week marks the first official week of fall, so be sure to send us any photos you take of the leaves changing colors this year. If you are looking for a tracker on when and where the leaves are peaking their full colors, click here. As a reminder, please email your photo, along with your name and location, to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in the Telegram.

“Pink Skies” – submitted by Edward in Gilman.

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 6 to 8 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. 

Follow Rep. Tiffany