As your Congressman, I have the duty to make sure that the approximately 41,000 veterans who live in Wisconsin's 6th District are adequately supported and receive the benefits they have earned. In order to receive these benefits, including health care and small business loans, veterans need copies of their service records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).

Right now, however, the NPRC is facing a backlog of nearly 500,000 requests from veterans across the country. The backlog of request stems from a continued limited workforce due to COVID-19 protocols remaining in place. This is simply unacceptable.

In May, my House Oversight Committee colleagues and I sent a bipartisan letter to Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling on him to prioritize a National Archives and Records Administration plea for assistance in addressing the backlog. This request was neglected and the backlog grew. 

Earlier this week, my House Oversight Committee colleagues and I also wrote a letter to Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) urging her to hold a hearing to investigate why there was no plan to address records requests effectively while COVID-19 limited the agency's ability to work together in-person and how we can ensure such a backlog never happens again.

While we continue to push for the reopening of the NPRC and call upon other leaders to help us address the problem, I have cosponsored the RECORDS Act, introduced by my colleague, Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA). This bill will give the NPRC clear timelines on reopening and addressing the backlog of requests. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) controls what legislation is brought up for a vote, and she is aware of this bill, so hopefully it will soon pass the House because our veterans should not have to put up with this bureaucratic nightmare any longer. 

Veterans, and their families and friends, have made countless sacrifices in defense of our freedom, which is why I consider helping veterans in the 6th District one of my most important responsibilities in Congress. If you are a veteran or military family and need assistance attaining your benefits, please call my office in Fond du Lac at 920-907-0624.

President Biden released his FY2022 budget and has removed the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment has been in budget proposals of Republican and Democrat Presidents alike since 1973 and states that no federal tax dollars shall be used to execute abortions. It is troubling that this provision has been removed in President Biden's budget knowing that the majority of Americans do not want taxpayer-funded abortions.

I do not believe the government should be funding abortions.

Click below to let me know what you think.

Kingston Creamery in Cambria is one of the many reasons Wisconsin has the best cheese in the world. Getting an up-close look at the extra care put into their old practice of producing the highest quality cheese was enlightening and rewarding!

As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter, be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the 6th District, and let them know that they can subscribe by clicking here.

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