Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Good morning, everyone, and happy Monday!

I want to start off this eNewsletter by discussing a topic that is top of mind—keeping the government open.

Recently, I issued the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026:

“At this point in time, the responsible choice is to keep the government running through November 21, 2025. As President Trump has echoed, a shutdown would only create uncertainty, weaken our national security, and stall the progress we’ve made in restoring regular order to the appropriations process.

“This short-term, clean CR gives us the time we need to finish the work of passing long-term funding bills that reduce spending. I’ll continue working with my colleagues to ensure we keep the government open and move responsible spending bills forward in a transparent process.

“House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and President Trump support this measure. If Democrats force a shutdown, it will be on them and it will show their hypocrisy after rubber-stamping every CR under President Biden while never prioritizing fiscal responsibility.”

Keep reading on to hear additional updates about what's been happening in Washington and Wisconsin. I hope you have a great week.

-Scott

Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) will be open in Wisconsin to assist individuals who have uninsured losses or emergency needs related to the August 9-12, 2025, storms and flooding. At a DRC, you can get help applying for federal assistance, speak to representatives from county, state and federal agencies, receive updates on your FEMA application for assistance and learn about the appeals process. The deadline to apply is November 12, 2025.

Hours and locations:

September 23-30:

Butler Village Hall
12621 W Hampton Ave
Butler, WI  53007

Monday through Sunday: 9:00am – 7:00pm

October 1-4 & October 6-11:

City of Brookfield Public Safety Building
2100 N Calhoun Rd
Brookfield, WI 53005

Monday through Saturday 9:00am – 7:00pm

*Monday, October 6th: 9:00am – 4:00pm

October 13-17:

Muskego City Hall
W182S8200 Racine Ave
Muskego, WI 53150

Monday through Friday 9:00am – 7:00pm

You are not required to go to a Disaster Recovery Center to receive FEMA assistance. The fastest way to apply is by going online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also call 800-621-3362. After applying, create an online account at DisasterAssistance.gov to check your status tracker for updates and upload documents requested by FEMA to move your application forward.

If you are a WI-05 constituent affected by the floods and need help navigating federal assistance, please contact my Oconomowoc District Office at (262) 784-1111.

Business Recovery Centers

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced two Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) will be open in Washington and Waukesha counties to assist businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by severe storms and flooding occurring Aug. 9-12, 2025.

The declaration covers primary Wisconsin counties of Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha; which are eligible for both Physical Damage Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: Dodge, Fond Du Lac, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan and Walworth.

Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

Beginning Friday, September 26, and Monday, September 29, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the new BRCs in Washington and Waukesha Counties to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.

Hours and locations:

Washington County:

Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce
N112 W 16760 Mequon Rd
Germantown, WI 53022

Opening: Friday, September 26, 9:00am – 4:00pm

Monday through Thursday 9:00am – 4:00pm

Friday 9:00am – 12:00pm

Closed Saturday and Sunday

Waukesha County:

Waukesha American Job Center
2607 N Grandview Blvd
Entrance Door A
Waukesha, WI 53188

Opening: Monday, September 29, 9:00am – 4:30pm

Monday through Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm

Closed Saturday and Sunday

Rep. Fitzgerald Questions FBI Director Kash Patel on Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

Recently, I had the opportunity to question FBI Director Kash Patel about the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk and the FBI’s subsequent investigation.

Public reports have suggested the shooter acted alone. But given the discovery of Discord messages and text messages between the shooter and his boyfriend, the public deserves answers. 

I'm sure the FBI will continue to investigate fully and thoroughly. I raise this concern because I’m not convinced that was the case in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald: Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Should Shake Us to the Core

Charlie Kirk, one of the most pivotal voices of the modern conservative movement, was assassinated doing what he loved: engaging America’s youth in meaningful conversations about the future of our country.

Now more than ever, we must defend free speech, as it is the lifeblood of our republic. Disagreement is healthy. But when rhetoric devolves into dehumanization, it paves the way for violence.

Read my op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Rep. Fitzgerald’s Bank Competition Modernization Act Passes Financial Services Committee

My bill, the Bank Competition Modernization Act, legislation to modernize the outdated bank merger review standards, recently passed the House Financial Services Committee.

Specifically, the bill creates a $10 billion asset threshold, adjusted for growth in nominal GDP, under which federal banking regulators provide a safe harbor from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) competition analysis, allowing small community banks to grow and achieve operational efficiencies without the delays associated with the DOJ’s competition review.

The current one-size-fits-all approach can slow consolidation that strengthens smaller banks and reduces the ability of these institutions to serve their communities effectively. Mergers among smaller banks can promote efficiency and allow institutions to achieve economies of scale. This bill enables cost savings that benefit consumers in their own community.

Background: Under federal banking law, bank regulators review proposed mergers and acquisitions for a variety of factors including financial stability risk and anti-money laundering compliance, while the DOJ evaluates the competitive effects. Currently, all bank mergers trigger a review by the DOJ, regardless of the size of the institutions involved. This process can be time-consuming and burdensome, particularly for smaller banks, even when the merger would have minimal impact on competition.

Rep. Fitzgerald Tours Former Grade School Transformed into Housing - Leads Discussion on Challenges for Seniors and Our Workforce

Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing families—not just in Wisconsin, but nationwide. What builders, lenders, and communities need is predictability, fewer bureaucratic hoops, faster approvals, and flexibility to tailor solutions to local needs.

That’s where institutions like the Federal Home Loan Banks can be especially powerful: helping fill the gaps that federal programs often miss, and working directly with local partners who understand the landscape.

Fitzgerald Presses FBI Director Patel on Security Lapses & Possible Accomplice in Kirk Assassination

In case you missed it, I recently joined Fine Point with Chanel Rion on OAN to discuss my questioning of FBI Director Kash Patel when he came before the House Judiciary Committee.

I asked FBI Director Patel if he’d investigate Charlie’s assassination until the very end. Too many feel we never got all the answers about Butler, PA—this cannot occur again. Director Patel assured us the investigation will continue until they have all the answers.

What’s clear is there are serious concerns about the relationship the killer had with his boyfriend. Was he coached into doing this? If so, investigators must dig deeper to uncover the truth.

Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Trump Administration’s Reforms to the H-1B Program to Protect American Workers

Last week, I issued the following statement after President Trump signed a Proclamation to reform the H-1B visa program to protect American workers.

“Relying on foreign labor is not a long-term solution, it’s a broken system. If we’re serious about fixing this problem, we need to put American workers first in American jobs. For too long, the H-1B program has been used as a crutch, bringing in overseas workers instead of training and hiring our own citizens. Right now, 235 positions at UW-Madison are filled by foreign workers because the university hasn’t produced enough skilled American graduates to do those jobs. It’s not just UW. As reported yesterday, some of Wisconsin’s top companies are turning to foreign labor instead of finding talent here at home.

“President Trump’s action takes a critical step toward putting American workers back at the front of the line. If a company insists it needs specialized foreign labor, it can pay the one-time $100,000 fee, and that money goes right back into strengthening our country.

“Drastic measures must be taken with the H-1B program because small or short-term fixes haven’t worked in the past and, in many cases, haven’t even been seriously attempted. That’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing: confronting the problem head-on and making sure American workers have the priority they deserve.”

Fitzgerald Blasts EU’s Digital Markets Act for Targeting American Tech Companies, Innovation, & AI

Recently, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled, “AI at a Crossroads: A Nationwide Strategy or Californication?” The hearing examined how preempting a patchwork of state-level regulations—which could hinder innovation and impose significant costs on the industry—can help reverse misguided regulatory actions in the states and restore clarity and predictability in AI.

During my committee remarks, I discussed how EU’s Digital Markets Act unfairly targets American tech companies with burdensome foreign regulations—ultimately stifling innovation and hurting the AI industry in the United States.

Rep. Fitzgerald Urges the Federal Reserve to Keep Politics Out of Rate Cut Decisions

The House Financial Services Committee recently held a hearing titled, “Less Mandates. More Independence.”

The hearing explored how adding additional goals outside the Federal Reserve’s current mandate hinders its ability to focus on price stability, and the costs associated with failing to achieve its objectives. Additionally, we reviewed the optimal number of mandates the Federal Reserve should have, such as a single mandate on price stability, the current dual mandate on price stability and maximum employment, or mandates greater than two. Lastly, the hearing examined how adding more mandates impacts the Federal Reserve’s independence.

During my committee remarks, I discussed how the Federal Reserve must keep politics out of rate cut decisions—failing to do so hurts the American people.

House Eyes Antitrust Investigation of Vision Insurance Market

As Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, I'm investigating Vision Benefit Managers (VBMs) for potential anticompetitive practices designed to insulate themselves from competition. This can lead to higher prices, fewer alternatives, and limited access to independent providers—which ultimately hurts patients.
 
 Read More in the Washington Examiner:

Social Media Highlight

That wraps the updates from this edition of my eNewsletter. Thanks for reading along!  

-Scott

That's a wrap for this week's eNewsletter! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on my work for the 5th District of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Scott Fitzgerald
Member of Congress