Dear Friend,

From President Biden’s first day in office, he made it clear that one of his priorities was to reduce American energy independence by dismantling our energy sector – forcing us to rely on foreign nations once again.
 
Biden declared war on American energy on day one when he canceled the Keystone Pipeline, followed by cutting off leasing and permitting on federal lands, and banning new oil and gas leases.

Gas prices soared as a result – climbing from $2.42 a gallon in January 2021 to $3.32 in 2022. Earlier this year we warned Telegram readers that prices could continue to rise yet another $0.45 by the summer.
 
Although it’s not quite summer yet, Biden blew past that figure months ago with gas prices going up $0.60 in just the last month alone. For the first time ever, the average gas price across the United States hit $5.00 a gallon last weekend.
 
The Biden administration's response to Americans struggling with the skyrocketing fuel prices – just invest in a $56,000 electric vehicle and you won’t have to worry anymore. Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy for most Americans to go out and splurge on a new electric vehicle just because the Biden administration refuses to take action.
 
To add insult to injury, not only are prices higher at the pump, but now we’re also at risk of a widespread electricity shortage because power-grids can’t keep up with the new demands.
 
This week an energy-grid operator warned Midwest power companies that there may not be enough electricity this summer, which could result in rolling blackouts for the first time ever in the Badger State. Rolling blackouts are usually done as a last resort in a series of emergency procedures when a power supply shortage is detected in order to prevent even more widespread blackouts.
 
Enough is enough. It’s time for the President to stop forcing his green fantasy on the American people and unleash American energy.  
 
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 Father’s Day to all the great dads out there! While Chris and I will be empty nesters soon as we send our youngest off to college this fall, I am so grateful to be a Girl Dad.

Biden’s border disorder breaks another record
This week, news outlets reported the illegal border crossing statistics for May, and the result was another record-setting month for illegal immigration. This grim milestone is just the latest reminder about the escalating border chaos, as tidal wave after tidal wave of foreign migrants continue to flood into American communities. Last month, the number of illegal aliens crossing America’s southern boundary hit a whopping 239,416, enough to fill Lambeau Field three times over – and this is just the migrants we know about. Even more alarming, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials say they apprehended at least 15 people on the terror watch list trying to sneak into our country, a deeply concerning trend that is getting worse with each passing day. In fact, so far this fiscal year, border agents have encountered at least 50 aliens who appeared in the terrorist screening database – more than the preceding five years combined – and there are still four months to go in the current fiscal year. These shocking numbers underscore what many of us have been warning for a very long time: President Biden’s lax immigration enforcement policies are putting all of us in danger. That’s why I recently introduced legislation with Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) that would empower Border Patrol agents to block the entry of all illegal aliens and restore operational control of our southern border.
 
Deplatforming dictatorship
It’s no secret that left-wing, Silicon Valley billionaires have been aiding the brutal dictatorship in China by allowing its leaders in Beijing to spew propaganda on American social media services – even as the regime deprives their own people of access to these platforms. At the same time, these Big Tech oligarchs have not hesitated to silence the voices of conservative commentators, investigative news reports, comedians, and even former President Trump. Something is very wrong with this picture. That is why this week I joined Reps. Brian Mast (FL-18) and Jim Banks (IN-03) in proposing a bill that would bar tech platforms from hosting Chinese Communist Party officials on their services. If a foreign despot refuses to allow free and unfettered access to American social media platforms, then that dictator and his cronies should be deplatformed, period.
 
Politicizing the Fed
Instead of working on fixing the economy they broke and addressing the multiple crises that are hurting the American people, this week in the House, Democrats were focused on passing more bills that have no chance of becoming law, including H.R. 2543, the so-called Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act. This bill would inject identity politics into our financial system by implementing and expanding a “diversity and inclusion ranking” for banks set by the Federal Reserve. You read that right. While the American people are facing record gas prices, the highest inflation in 40 years, surging home prices, and the biggest interest rate hike since 1994, Democrats are focused on handing over more responsibility to the Fed, politicizing the financial sector, and making credit more expensive and less accessible, especially for those who are already hurting the most.
 
Wisconsinites on the Hill
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in Washington, but it was great to meet with so many fellow Wisconsinites on the Hill. Last Wednesday morning, I met with Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin to discuss affordable energy, inflation, and increased access to healthcare in the Northwoods.

I also sat down with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, where I spoke to Ryan, a dairy farmer who has been farming for over 15 years in Taylor County. Among the issues we discussed were skyrocketing fertilizer and input costs. I have previously called on the White House to change course and unleash American energy, which will help bring down costs. However, the Biden administration officials have been adamant that the recent spike in fertilizer prices is a positive outcome to transition to “compost and manure.” 

                          Committee Update

Natural Resources
Missed opportunity on responsible conservation
This week the House considered the so-called Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which is more about boosting wild Washington spending than conserving wildlife. By the numbers, this legislation would dole out a whopping $1.4 billion in annual mandatory spending with no offsets or sunset date. I offered two amendments to try and make this bill better. The first amendment, which sought to remove the already recovered Gray Wolf from the list of threatened and endangered species, was bottled up by the Rules Committee and did not receive a vote. This is unfortunate because the best way to focus limited resources on preserving truly endangered species is to make sure we remove those that have already bounced back from the list. My second amendment, which was ultimately adopted by the House, would set aside 0.5% of the bill’s funding for the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General – a watchdog who would oversee the program established by the bill to make sure money is spent responsibly and appropriately. Even with the addition of my common-sense amendment, I voted against the package because it will contribute further to inflationary pressures at a time when America is already swimming in debt and grappling with soaring prices. The bill also failed to make any reforms to the deeply flawed Endangered Species Act, which is in desperate need of modernization. Finally, I have serious concerns about new grant programs in the bill that could distribute funds to radical environmental groups – filling their coffers with your tax dollars. You can watch my full remarks on the bill here.
 
Judiciary
Defunding the Police: Good for thee but not for me?
This week in the House Judiciary Committee we discussed
legislation designed to create yet another federal grant program that will do little to curb the wave of violence gripping our country. This is disconcerting given that crime rates have skyrocketed across the country. Data shows that in 2020 alone, the United States tallied more than 20,000 murders—the highest total since 1995, thanks in large part to the so-called “national summer of love," the decriminalization of drugs, and rogue prosecutors that refuse to hold career criminals accountable. Democrats who loudly called for defunding the police, with many jurisdictions like Minneapolis following through, are now wanting the
federal government to save them from a problem they deliberately created. But safety and security were only compromised for their communities, not themselves, as many left-wing politicians have spent public tax dollars to pay for their own personal security. Besides not supporting the people who risk their lives to keep us safe, sadly, these policies will harm those who live in underserved communities the most.

                          Recent Legislation

Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act
During the Vietnam War, Hmong people were recruited by the United States to fight against communist North Vietnam and Pathet Lao. When the United States withdrew from the war, many of those who had aided us were left in communist Laos and ultimately forced to flee to refugee camps in Thailand. During this journey, thousands died of starvation, imprisonment, and execution. Hmong people began immigrating from these camps to the United States in 1975, and Wisconsin eventually became the state with the third-largest Hmong population in the country. One of Wisconsin’s largest Hmong communities resides in Wausau, part of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. We owe it to our Hmong veterans that fearlessly served in the fight against communism to give them the distinction and recognition they deserve. That is why, this week, I cosponsored the Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced by my colleague Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06). This legislation would award a Congressional Gold Medal to our Hmong veterans that honorably served in the Vietnam War and give them the recognition they deserve.

                            District Update

District Update
Dairy Month in full swing
This past weekend, the Lincoln County Dairy Breakfast had a great turnout with some great food. I enjoyed serving cheese curds, and I even got to meet some cowgirls from the Wisconsin River Pro Rodeo, who were also helping out in the serving line. If I haven’t seen you at a dairy breakfast this Dairy Month, I hope to see you at one soon!

Had a great time at the Lincoln County Dairy Breakfast!

Praying for Wisconsin
This week, much of the state was hit with thunderstorms and high winds, including at least one tornado touching down in central Wisconsin and six across the state. While I know many of you were affected by power outages, most of Wisconsin’s Seventh District residents should have their power restored, which you can check by visiting the Wisconsin Public Service website here. A special thank you to the Public Works crews, who are cleaning up fallen trees from our streets and parks, and thank you to our brave first responders, who answer the call when an emergency is at hand. Please join me in praying for all the Wisconsinites that were impacted by the storm and tornado damage. Wisconsinites will rebuild together!

                                  Resources  

As many families struggle to find baby formula, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has compiled resources to help. For resources on where to locate baby formula in our community and for tips from HHS, click here. They also have a social media toolkit in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Haitian Creole here. 

While many begin to travel internationally again, the Department of State is available to assist with passport services. We recommend to apply at least six months before planned travel as routine service may take up to about 18 weeks. For more information, please visit travel.state.gov.

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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