Dear Friend,
You may recall that after former President Biden turned a blind eye and allowed over 10 million illegal aliens to flood our country, the Democrats had the audacity to claim that the border invasion wasn’t their fault.
This, of course, is an outrageous lie.
President Trump’s record-low border numbers prove this. In less than a month after taking office, illegal border crossings dropped to levels we hadn't seen in decades. Click here to see for yourself.
It’s like night and day.
We’re on track to see the lowest border crossings in at least 25 years. Those numbers have plunged by more than 90% since February 2024, and the volume of gotaways has dropped by an even more impressive 93% since the Trump administration took office.
All it took was real leadership. On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the border, ended the disastrous “catch and release” program that saw the Biden administration flood communities from coast to coast with illegal aliens, and deployed military troops to support Border Patrol.
This is common sense, but for four long years, the Democrats deliberately refused to take action. Worse, they continued day after day to let criminal illegal aliens – murderers, gang members, and even terrorists – onto American streets.
Fortunately, ICE and Tom Homan are leading the charge to remove them.
Under the Trump administration, illegal aliens from all over the world have been arrested, including those who have committed crimes like rape, heroin distribution, and child assault.
Congress must continue to give the Trump administration the necessary tools to continue carrying out deportations, and this week we took an important step to do that. You can read more about that here.
The House also passed the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which strengthens criminal offenses and permanently prohibits any illegal alien who flees from Border Patrol from ever receiving legal immigration status. The bill is named for Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr. who was killed in the line of duty on December 7, 2022, while chasing down illegal aliens evading arrest.
Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
Happy Valentine’s Day. Last weekend, Chris and I went on an early Valentine’s date to the Eagle River Ice Castle. This work of art was made by the Eagle River Fire Department and volunteers.
Defunding “NGO” griftocracy
Regular Telegram readers know all about the Beltway “non-governmental organization” shell game. But for those who don’t, here’s how it works: Politicians extract your tax dollars, launder them through a shady international bureaucracy or agency, which then deposits the funds into the bank accounts of so-called “NGOs.” These groups then pass that money along to corrupt foreign governments – or spend them to fund questionable activities (like mass-producing “how to” maps for illegal aliens trying to unlawfully cross our border). Often they do so outside the view of the local communities who stand to be most affected. It’s a racket that has been going on for far too long, and one that several of us in Congress are working to put a stop to with legislation that shines a spotlight on these groups and their legally dubious practices. You can read more about that bill here. You can also check out a thread that the bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05), posted here detailing just how profitable this scheme has been for some of the “non-profits” tapping into this corrupt Washington gravy train.
Sesame Street and terrorists? Abolish USAID
In last week’s Telegram, I highlighted some of the waste and abuse funded with your tax dollars by the now infamous United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This week, even more was discovered. In addition to USAID shelling out millions for a Sesame Street show in Iraq and DEI musicals, it was also uncovered that they provided full funding for al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado. This agency is beyond reform; it needs to be eliminated. That’s why this week I cosponsored a bill to abolish it. Congress must make President Trump’s actions permanent and put an end to wasteful government spending. USAID doles out over $40 billion each year, and this bill is a start at ensuring your tax dollars go to causes that benefit you – like deporting illegal aliens – instead of padding the pockets of foreign countries and left-wing NGOs. You can read more about the bill here.
Removing Biden era barriers
During the previous administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a misguided rule imposing expanded staffing mandates on long-term care facilities. This rule was issued despite a CMS commissioned report that raised alarming concerns, and the fact that approximately 75% of nursing homes nationwide would not meet these one-size-fits-all requirements – meaning that many could be forced to close. Imposing unattainable bureaucratic obligations on providers will only make matters worse - especially for those living in rural communities. In other words, this counter-productive restriction will further jeopardize access to long-term care for Wisconsin seniors. That’s why I cosponsored legislation authored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), the Protecting America’s Seniors Access to Care Act, which would prohibit the implementation of the Biden administration’s costly and ill-advised regulation.
Roses are red, violets are blue…If you are a criminal illegal alien, ICE is going to deport you.
Committee Update
Judiciary
Ending the censorship-industrial complex
Last week, I spoke about how, under the Biden administration, the federal government colluded with Big Tech to censor Americans. Well, this week, we had our first House Judiciary Committee hearing on the “Censorship-Industrial Complex” and steps House Republicans have taken to protect our First Amendment. Over the past few years, the committee has uncovered how federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department pressured social media companies to shut down free, open, and robust speech online. The committee has also highlighted how organizations like the now-defunct “Global Alliance for Responsible Media” (GARM) violated the law by silencing news outlets they disagree with. Thankfully, within just a few years, we have gone from President Trump being banned from Twitter and a broad social media purge of center-right thought leaders to the restoration of these accounts and a commitment by tech companies to end their association with liberal, so-called “fact checkers.” But the fight is far from over, and I am committed to defending the bedrock principle of free expression from would-be government censors and online speech police. You can see the numerous ways the U.S. government collaborated with Big Tech to influence and censor Americans over the years here.
Natural Resources
Restoring multiple use to our public lands
We had our first hearing in the Federal Lands Subcommittee this week, and it was on a very important topic: Restoring multiple use to our public lands. We have our work cut out for us, as President Biden and his federal land managers have spent much of the last four years ignoring this longstanding principle, opting instead for top-down, schemes designed to placate extreme environmental lobby campaigners. This inflicted enormous damage on America’s rural economies, reduced housing affordability, undermined our energy dominance, and put our national security at risk. Small-town America is facing economic devastation, as generations-old grazing and logging businesses have had to shut down due to ruinous regulations. Instead of ignoring local voices, we are putting communities back in the driver’s seat to shape the land and resource policies that affect their lives. We can leverage our public lands, not only to promote conservation and a healthy environment, but also to promote rural America through recreation, resource development, timber harvesting, and grazing. None of which are mutually exclusive. Our hearing had a great panel of witnesses who spoke to the benefits that multiple use brings to their communities and the land. You can view some of what I had to say here.
Recent Legislation
Closing the Chinese “birth tourism” loophole
When most Americans hear the word “Saipan,” they think about World War II, and the heroic American servicemen who liberated it from Imperial Japan in 1944. But today, the area – part of a U.S. territory known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) – has been in the news for another reason: Communist Chinese birth tourism. It’s happening thanks to a dangerous loophole that was opened up during the Obama administration – then blown open even further by President Biden on his way out the door – allowing nationals of the People’s Republic of China to enter this remote U.S. archipelago without a visa. As you might expect, the results have been predictable – a huge surge in births of foreign visitors to the CNMI, jumping from less than 10 in 2009 to almost 600 in 2018. In fact, the practice of non-citizens traveling to Saipan to exploit this destructive technicality has become so widespread that births to foreigners exceeded the number of births to legal U.S. residents there in recent years. That’s crazy, and it’s why I asked President Trump’s new Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to take steps to close this loophole as soon as possible. After all, the value of American citizenship should never be reduced to something a foreign tourist can pick up like a gift shop souvenir on a vacation. You can read more about my effort here.
Justice for murder victims
Currently, an obscure provision of federal law prohibits a defendant from being prosecuted for murder if their victim dies more than a year-and-a-day after the date of an assault. The good news is that modern medicine and advances in life support technology have helped more victims of homicide live past the set 366-day mark. The bad news is that these advances have ironically allowed some violent perpetrators to escape justice. Justice for victims should not come with an expiration date. That’s why this week, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) and I introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Justice for Murder Victims Act. This bill would strike down the “year-and-a-day” rule, ensuring that murderers can be prosecuted no matter how much time has passed. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) also introduced identical legislation in the Senate. You can read more about our proposal here.
District Update
Beware of tax scams
The Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin is warning taxpayers of scams that come along with tax season. The four types of scams that they are telling people to watch out for are IRS or CRA impersonation scams, tax identity theft scams, email phishing scams, and mailing scams. Please note that the IRS does not contact taxpayers via email, text, or social media. Click here to learn specifics on these scams. To avoid getting scammed, the Better Business Bureau suggests that you file your taxes as early as possible, write down your Identity Protection Pin from the IRS before you file, and only deal with tax professionals and tax preparation services. If you ever have any doubts about a message you receive, be sure to call the IRS to verify at 1-800-908-4490. Don’t forget, the deadline to file your taxes is April 15th.
Photo of the week
The Madeline Island Ferry Line ended operations for the season this week. Ice has become too thick for the boats, and windsled or van service will now begin. This picture was taken as the ferry pulled in for the last time this winter season. If you have a picture you'd like to share as a photo of the week, submit it to [email protected] with your name and location.
“Last Ferry Pulling In” – Submitted by Hal from Bayfield
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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