Dear Friend,

This week we learned that an Afghan national who slipped into the United States was taken into custody by law enforcement officials for allegedly planning a mass-casualty, ISIS-style Election Day attack on Americans.

It’s the latest example of how the Biden-Harris administration’s reckless border policies continue to put our communities at risk.

According to reports, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi attempted to obtain weapons and ammunition for what he described as a “martyrdom” operation – bragging that it would “earn him 72 virgins and a crown of jewels in heaven.”

Court documents reveal that Mr. Tawhedi, who entered the U.S. in September of 2021 via parole by the Biden-Harris administration, “conspired and attempted to provide material support to ISIS.”

While this is shocking, it is unfortunately not surprising.

After all, this is the same White House that “caught and released” at least 99 foreigners into American neighborhoods whose identities triggered hits on the terrorism watch list.

As Telegram readers may remember, tens of thousands of Afghans were allowed to enter the United States after the botched 2021 evacuation of Kabul. Most did so without valid visas, thanks to the White House’s legally dubious use of a loophole in immigration law known as “parole.” 

At that time, one Homeland Security Department official told CNN that the direction provided by the Biden-Harris administration was “get as many people on the plane as you can, and we’ll sort out the [immigration visa] stuff later.”

Shortly after they arrived, we began to see the consequences of that policy.

Media outlets reported that hundreds of Afghans simply walked out of military bases like Fort McCoy without completing the “resettlement” process – a dangerous step that I warned would circumvent our immigration laws and short-circuit the vetting process.

Predictably, we were soon confronted with troubling reports of parolees being charged with everything from sexual assault and violent attacks to child molestation.

I’ve been sounding the alarm for more than three years when it comes to the Biden-Harris administration’s refusal to enforce our immigration laws – particularly their rampant, improper use of “parole” to flood our country with foreigners who don’t have valid visas.

It’s why I authored a bill to crack down on this dangerous practice – and why my legislation was included in a tough, House-passed border security package. Unfortunately, the Senate has so far refused to take it up.

I hope they will reconsider their obstruction in light of these troubling revelations.

We’ve got a lot more to tell you about in this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram and appreciate you starting off your holiday weekend with us. We will be back in two weeks with more updates.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

FEMA giving illegals money?

First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt prayers to everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton. I also want to thank all of the brave first responders who are working on the frontlines of the recovery efforts, including individuals from Wisconsin Task Force 1 who helped with swift water rescues. The devastation many are facing is unimaginable, and it's critical that we provide them with the necessary resources to recover. That’s why I was outraged last week when DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that FEMA was running out of funds. It turns out that since Fiscal Year 2023, the Biden-Harris administration has spent over $1 billion of FEMA funds on food, shelter, transportation, hygiene products, and health care for illegal aliens. I tried to prevent FEMA from using these critical funds on illegal aliens, but the White House unfortunately got their way. Now, come to find out some of the largest recipients of FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program (SSP) funds are sanctuary cities like New York City and corrupt non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Even though FEMA grants are meant to help taxpaying Americans prepare for and recover from natural disasters, the Biden-Harris administration has used FEMA funds to facilitate illegal immigration into the United States. This is wrong, but not surprising coming from this administration. You can view the full list of entities receiving FEMA money for “noncitizens migrants” here.

Ready to protect and serve

Congratulations to the nine students who graduated from the Northwood Technical College Law Enforcement Academy last month. Since January, in addition to work and training, each graduate completed a 720-hour academy. It was an honor to speak at their ceremony and meet the brave and dedicated individuals who will be protecting Wisconsin’s communities. Each of them has a bright future ahead, and I want to thank them for their willingness to serve.

Congratulations to the graduates of Northwood Technical College Law Enforcement Academy!

Recent Legislation

Working to fix USPS delivery issues

Reliable mail delivery is essential for veterans, seniors, and many rural Wisconsinites who often depend on United States Postal Service (USPS) for services, including the delivery of medication, bills, and correspondence necessary for everyday life. Even a one-day delay could mean substantial differences, and after hearing from many of you, it is clear that changes need to be made to the USPS. That is why, last week, I signed a bipartisan letter, alongside 19 other Members of Congress, urging Postmaster General DeJoy to reconsider his plan that negatively affects mail delivery times for those living in rural areas more than 50 miles from a major USPS processing center. This letter comes after the USPS announced on August 22, 2024, that they will be adjusting mail delivery times, resulting in added delays for rural residents. I am strongly urging the USPS to not implement these changes and reverse course. You can read more about this effort here.

Biden-Harris admin revisions: From rose-colored to reality

Over the past several years, the Biden-Harris administration has tended to paint a picture that makes it seem like things are going considerably better than reality. For example, in March, the Department of Labor published data that significantly overestimated the health of the U.S. economy – only to lower their original estimate by a whopping 818,000 jobs created – nearly one-third of what they had previously claimed. And it is not just the economy – in 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published data claiming that violent crime was down 2.1% – a claim that Biden and Harris have often used to calm Americans' fears about the rise of crime in their neighborhoods. But much like the jobs number, the FBI quietly revised their data later to show that violent crime actually rose by 4.5%, an increase of over 80,000 more violent crimes they left out of the initial report. Those violent crimes they initially missed included: 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults. Misreporting crime statistics significantly impacts public perception and can create a false sense of security and complacency. Misleading the public into believing their community is safer than before is dangerous and unacceptable, which is why earlier this month, I signed on to a letter with my colleague Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05) asking the FBI to clarify how they compiled the 2023 report data and whether any information had been omitted as we saw in 2022. You can read our letter here.

District Update

Do you need help with a federal agency?

You’re in luck. Members of my staff will be in Price, Lincoln, Oneida, Taylor, Clark, Polk, Wood, Burnett, Marathon, Vilas, Forest, Bayfield, and Sawyer Counties throughout the month of October to provide assistance. They will be able to help in matters concerning Veterans Affairs, Social Security, the Internal Revenue Service, Medicare, passports, and more. Click here for specific dates, times, and locations. If you cannot attend but need help, my district staff remains ready to help at (715) 298-9344.

Photo of the week

Did you know that sunflower silage can make a solid source of protein for livestock? As I was driving through Clark County last week, I stopped to take the awesome photo of a few cows in a sunflower patch. If you’ve captured a shot of our great state, we’d love to feature it. Please email your photo, along with your name and location, to [email protected].

“Sunflowers & Cows” – Taken in Clark County

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 4 to 6 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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