Dear Friend,
Do you believe your tax dollars should be funding transgender operas, terrorist organizations, atheism, and DEI musicals in foreign countries?
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has been happening.
For years, government agencies – especially the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) – have been funneling taxpayer money into wasteful and even dangerous causes. This is unacceptable, and must be stopped.
That’s why President Trump took decisive action by implementing a 90-day freeze on foreign aid spending and pausing some federal grant distribution. This temporary halt allows the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – an initiative not unlike one launched by former President Barack Obama – to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending.
Just this week, DOGE investigators uncovered several appalling examples of wasteful foreign spending. The USAID spent $20 million for an Arabic-language version of Sesame Street, funneled millions to terror groups, doled out $45 million for DEI scholarships in Burma, $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid "binary-gendered language,” and even used your tax dollars to pay millions to left-leaning news outlets, like Politico, the Associated Press, and New York Times.
It’s no wonder we’re $36 trillion in debt.
Those reviewing federal spending are highly qualified government employees with top security clearances. They are not there to collect sensitive personal information – or spy on your transactions like the Biden administration did. Their mission is simple. It’s to ensure that our tax dollars are being spent wisely.
I have constantly fought to rein in out-of-control spending, voting to support one measure last congress to prohibit USAID funding, and a second to slash its budget by 50%. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues did not join me. You can view those votes here and here. This week, I also joined my colleague Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05) in proposing that the frozen foreign funding be redirected toward deporting criminal illegal aliens. You can read more about that proposal here.
As I mentioned last week, essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Pell Grants, Head Start, small business support, rental assistance, and aid for farmers remain fully funded. You can review the full guidance from the White House here.
President Trump promised accountability for your tax dollars, and he is delivering. Reviewing and pausing wasteful discretionary grants from the previous administration is fully within his authority and it’s long overdue. Click here to watch me discuss why it is so important to shed light on how the federal government has been wasting your tax dollars.
Thanks for starting your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
NONE of your tax dollars should ever fund these USAID abuses.
Strength on the world stage
Over the past four years under President Biden, the world descended into chaos. Wars erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, our northern and southern borders were invaded. In the meantime, Communist China’s influence grew stronger. But in just three weeks, President Trump has restored order through strong leadership. This past week alone, his threatening stance on tariffs forced Mexico and Canada to commit to strengthening border security, with Mexico agreeing to deploy 10,000 troops as part of the effort. He also compelled Colombia to accept deported illegal immigrants after they initially refused – and to top it off he got Colombia to use their own planes. He also secured the release of six Americans from Venezuela, and pressured Panama to cut ties with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. This is what real leadership looks like. America is once again leading from a position of strength, and I am grateful to see us back on the path of being a world leader.
Ending the “One China” lie
You’ve probably heard the term “rogue nations.” It’s a term used to describe totalitarian regimes that engage in activities so shocking and outrageous that America will not recognize their legitimacy. This unsavory club includes countries you’d expect – such as Iran and North Korea. But there is another country in this group – one that clearly doesn’t belong there: The democratic nation of Taiwan. That’s because in 1979, former President Jimmy Carter – without consulting Congress – unilaterally cut off U.S. diplomatic ties with Taiwan as a favor to China’s communist rulers. In the more than 40 years since Mr. Carter’s foolish decision, presidents of both political parties have continued to maintain this outdated – and frankly dangerous – “One China Policy.” America shouldn’t treat a friendly democracy like a hostile dictatorship, and we should never have to ask the Chinese Communist Party for a permission slip to talk to our friends. That’s why this week, I reintroduced legislation – cosponsored by more than 20 of my House colleagues – that aims to correct this Carter-era mistake. President Trump signaled openness to a possible change back in 2016, and just this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also made positive statements about enhancing US-Taiwan cooperation. You can read more about my resolution here.
Getting drugs off our streets
This week, I had a great meeting with the Wisconsin Narcotics Officers Association and Regional Information Sharing Systems. We were able to have an important discussion about the HALT Fentanyl Act, which passed in the House earlier this week. This critical legislation will permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances and give law enforcement officers the necessary tools to get these dangerous drugs off the streets. Legislation like this protects our communities and saves lives.
Thank you to the Wisconsin Narcotics Officers Association and Regional Information Sharing Systems for all you do to keep our communities safe.
Committee Update
Natural Resources
Now ore never
We had our first Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing in the Natural Resources Committee this Congress, and it was a fantastic opportunity to highlight an extremely important topic – domestic mineral security. Our focus with this hearing was to highlight the need for us to onshore mineral production. Currently, the U.S. is import-reliant on 49 mineral commodities, and 15 of those we are 100% net import-reliant. This means that we rely on other nations for key minerals that are vital to our national security and our economic well-being. The most alarming aspect of this issue is that Communist China dominates the global market, controlling 60% of the global production of these minerals and 90% of the processing. If America wants to become more self-reliant and reduce the influence of an adversarial nation such as China, we need to make it easier to access these key minerals domestically and do everything we can to promote this critical sector. Right now, it takes an average of 29 years from the discovery of deposits to the first production in the U.S.. This is the second longest mine development time in the world. That is shocking and unacceptable. I remain committed to working with the Trump administration to make mining in America great again. You can watch my questioning, here.
Recent Legislation
Protecting First Amendment speech
By now, Telegram readers are well aware of Big Tech’s war against free speech. It began in 2020 with a coordinated effort by major platforms to remove the now-proven-true New York Post story regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop. Then, in the middle of Trump’s first reelection campaign, Twitter decided to suspend and later remove President Donald Trump from the platform entirely. And these attacks were not limited to just President Trump, but to other Americans as well. The Biden White House coerced social media companies to suppress online speech that they disagreed with and which challenged their political agenda. These events over the past five years have made it clear that something must be done to defend the First Amendment and protect our right to engage in robust, open, and uncensored dialogue. That is why I worked with Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09) to reintroduce the Stop the Censorship Act which will remove the legal immunities Big Tech uses to censor lawful political speech - ultimately holding these companies liable for attempts to silence Americans. You can read more about this legislation here. Also, stay tuned for next week when the House Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing to highlight the extent of the Biden administration’s collusion with Big Tech companies as well as ways to make sure social media companies are held accountable.
Healthcare freedom
Year after year, the American consumer faces rising healthcare costs and greater difficulty accessing care. Americans deserve the opportunity to have more control over their healthcare choices and dollars while moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach too often imposed by bureaucratic mandates. One positive tool is Health Savings Accounts or HSAs. They offer triple tax benefits. Contributions are tax-deductible, the money grows tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are also tax-free. This makes HSAs a great way to save on healthcare costs. That is why I cosponsored Representative Chip Roy’s (TX-21) Personalized Care Act, which improves access to HSAs by decoupling them from high-deductible health plans and expanding eligibility to those with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and other coverages. It increases annual contribution limits for individuals and families, while also expanding eligible expenses to include direct medical care, healthcare sharing ministry fees, and insurance premiums. This is a step toward reclaiming personal choice and dignity in how Americans access and pay for care. You can read more about the bill here and here.
District Update
Free tax tools
It’s no secret that many find tax season to be a stressful time, so I wanted to highlight a couple of free tax assistance services available to you. Leading up to the April 15th filing deadline, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is offering in-person and online tax assistance to anyone – free of charge – and an AARP membership is not required. Click here to find the nearest in-person AARP Foundation Tax-Aide location or get started with your free online tax assistance here. Taxpayers can also visit IRS.gov to get answers on any tax questions they may have. The Interactive Tax Assistance tool is the quickest, most convenient way for taxpayers to have their questions answered.
Photo of the week
With snowfall expected to be heavy this weekend, I wanted to provide a few safety tips. Road conditions are likely to deteriorate quickly. 511 Wisconsin updates road conditions in real time. Please click here to stay up to date on road conditions across our state. If you have a photo you'd like to share of the snow this weekend, submit it to [email protected] with your name and location.
“Winter on the Lake” – Submitted by Bobbi in Willard
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.
Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available in Wisconsin due to economic losses during the wet spring that occurred in April. Click here to see if you are eligible to apply.
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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