Dear Friend,

More than a year ago – and long before Russia invaded Ukraine – inflation was already on the rise. While many of us were signaling warnings of potential generation-high inflation even back then, Joe Biden was dismissing those concerns, claiming inflation would be “temporary.” We now know that was clearly a lie intended to deceive the American people.

In June, inflation exceeded forecasts and roared to a fresh 40-year high – 9.1%. Biden’s inflation tax is crippling Wisconsinites, and Americans are feeling it at every turn.
 
Planning to make a grocery store run? Better hang on to your wallet. Grocery prices have shot up 12.2% since last year. Looking for a home? Buckle up. The median home price has increased by $100,000 since Joe Biden has taken office. Adding insult to injury, Americans’ wages have fallen every month since April of 2021. It’s no coincidence that this was right after Joe Biden signed his nearly $2 trillion inflation-fueling package into law.

Jimmy Carter must’ve called Joe Biden to thank him for making him look good.

Instead of taking responsibility, Democrats are now calling the latest inflation numbers out-of-date. Just remember, the White House also called inflation transitory last year, wrongly predicted it would peak in December, blamed it on Putin earlier this year, and more recently, on Republicans – who aren’t in control of either chamber of Congress or the White House. What excuse will they come up with next?
 
To make matters worse, Democrats in the Senate are working to resurrect Joe Biden’s “Build Back Broke” agenda – a trillion-dollar tax hike plan that would pour fuel on the current inflation fire.

Leave it to Democrats to believe that they can spend their way out of an inflation crisis caused by excessive spending.

In reality, their latest tax hike and spending spree plans will only crush inflation-battered small businesses who are already struggling to make ends meet. Congress should be pushing to keep doors open, not considering policies that could shutter family-owned businesses for generations to come (more on that later).
 
I will continue to oppose spending money we don’t have and promote common-sense solutions, like restoring American energy dominance, and reforming government policies that discourage work.
 
I hope you enjoy this week’s version of the Tiffany Telegram. We have a lot coming your way this week, and I thank you for spending your Friday afternoons with us.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Making America's Navy more "Superior"
As Telegram readers know, Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08) of Minnesota and I have been working together to allow shipyards like Fraser in Superior to take on a larger role when it comes to supporting America’s military. One way we can do that is by making sure that the Navy has the flexibility it needs to address short-term maintenance requirements in times of high demand. Non-homeport shipyards can help meet those needs by providing vital surge capacity while also creating and supporting good family-wage jobs in the Twin Ports area. This week Rep. Stauber and I successfully attached an amendment to the annual Pentagon policy bill that will help do just that. This is an issue I am passionate about, and one I've been focused on since I first came to Congress. Fraser already does a great job supporting our Navy and Coast Guard – and is ready to do even more. Our armed forces must be equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Fraser can help by acting as a force multiplier as we work to address significant maintenance backlogs and an aging fleet. Not only is this an effective way to create new opportunities in our region, it will also strengthen America's national security.
 
Keeping our promises to America’s vets
This week I voted in support of the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which will directly affect how we care for our veterans who were exposed to burn pits, radiation, Agent Orange, and other environmental toxins during their service to our nation. This legislation aims to efficiently connect our veterans with the healthcare and disability benefits they have earned. The bill brings the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to the table, requiring scientific reports to evaluate veterans’ health conditions and their positive association to exposures. This will improve our ability to diagnose ailments and will also result in more accurate and accessible care for America’s fighting men and women. Our veterans have sacrificed immensely for our country – our country must ensure they get the care they earned.

Biden begs Saudis for oil
This week I joined 68 of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden in advance of his trip to the Middle East to beg for oil. The letter, initiated by Rep. Yvette Herrell (NM-02), conveys the growing concern among Americans that our President is pleading with Saudi Arabia to increase their oil production when we have plenty of oil right here in America. Instead of flying off to the Arabian desert to panhandle Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Biden should visit some of the hard-working folks in American communities who produce oil and gas in ways that are cleaner and safer than anywhere else in the world. I sincerely hope the President changes course soon, and works with Republicans and energy producing states to address prices at the pump – not jet-setting off to faraway countries in search of foreign energy. You can read our letter and learn more here.
 
New lifeline for Americans struggling with mental health
Across the nation, Americans are facing a growing mental health crisis that has continued to get worse due to COVID-19 lockdowns and isolation, and growing economic uncertainty. By the end of 2021, many American adults found themselves in their worst mental state in years, which is why Congress recently passed a bill to establish a National Suicide Hotline. This bipartisan legislation, which passed on a voice vote, makes sure that Americans have access to the mental health resources they need. Starting tomorrow, July 16th, people across the country will be able to call or text 988, the new three-digit number for mental health, substance use, or suicidal crises. These resources will be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week – dialing 988 will connect callers directly to a crisis support line or you can chat live online with trained crisis counselors by going to 988lifeline.org. Given the state of our nation, where families are struggling to put meals on the table, gas in their car, and pay their rent, it’s more important than ever that Americans have access to these resources.

                          Committee Update

Natural Resources
Fighting for Made in America minerals
We had a markup in the Natural Resources Committee this week, where we considered 10 bills, including one I wrote about in the newsletter last month. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. McCollum (MN-4), would ban key mining operations in Northern Minnesota. Democrats keep pushing for renewable energy and electric cars, but at the same time, they are openly attacking the very mines that would supply key minerals to produce those vehicles and technology. This bill isn’t about protecting the Boundary Waters, there won’t be any mining in the wilderness area because it's already laced with protections from the state and federal level, but this bill is about shutting down American mining and American jobs. There is a gold mine operating in the same watershed as the boundary waters just across the border in Canada. This mine has been operating safely – even though the permitting process for that mine took much less time. That is why I offered an amendment that would ensure this act does not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior conducts a study analyzing the environmental and safety record of existing mining operations in the Rainy River Watershed. There is already safe and responsible mining in the same watershed where this bill seeks to shut down development. Unfortunately, Committee Democrats rejected my amendment. When we asked them what American mines they do support, they couldn’t name a single one – arguing that there are no safe mines operating anywhere. This is simply not true. When we fail to support responsible mining in America, we increase our reliance on unfriendly nations like China and unstable countries in Africa – where environmental protections are practically non-existent, and the materials are sourced with child and slave labor. You can see some of my comments here.

Judiciary
Stopping the scourge of human trafficking
This week in the House Judiciary Committee I supported H.R. 7566, the
Stop Human Trafficking in School Zones Act, a very important, but unfortunately narrow bill, aimed at preventing this heinous crime in school zones. I believe those who trade in human exploitation should face severe criminal penalties no matter where they are in the United States. Unfortunately, Committee Democrats opposed our efforts to broaden the bill’s protections through increased criminal penalties, the protection of 18-year-olds who are still in high school, and vulnerable migrant children who are being trafficked into our country in record numbers thanks to President Biden’s border crisis. It is a serious problem – and one that is sadly getting worse. Leaked data obtained by media outlets, for example, recently revealed that the Homeland Security Department expects 161,000 unaccompanied migrant children at the border this year. As I have often said, the Biden administration’s policies have made our federal government one of the world’s largest human trafficking organizations. These policies have also made the cartels rich. That is unacceptable, and I am committed to cracking down on human smugglers – whether they are in a school zone or not.

                          Recent Legislation

Recent Legislation
National Park and Abortion Service?
Federal lands have long been enjoyed by the public for their lush forests, pristine waters, and well-maintained trails. The federal government owns and regulates 640 million acres of land scattered across the country, and 95% of those lands are managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management – all of which share a common goal: The conservation of public lands for the enjoyment and use of current and future generations. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues are now looking to “expand” this mission by branching out into the abortion business. Both Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-14) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) are urging the Biden administration to build abortion facilities at America’s National Parks. Snuffing out the lives of future generations on the very public lands that we are conserving for them to enjoy is an idea almost too crazy to take seriously. It is also outrageous that some lawmakers want to spend taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. That’s why I joined my colleague Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-3) in introducing the Protecting Life on Federal Lands Act, which will prevent the use of federal lands to circumvent state abortion laws.

Go woke or go hungry?
Fifty years ago, when President Nixon signed Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law, it was a promise to women across the nation that they would no longer be denied or deprived of the right to fair competition in athletics and the classroom. Sadly, those opportunities are once again at risk. On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Biden administration proposed new regulations that would sweep gender identity into the law’s protections – killing the very definition and promise of Title IX as it will once again put women at a disadvantage. The Biden administration’s new interpretation means that schools will be forced to allow transgender boys and girls to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and play on sports teams with members of the opposite biological sex. Not to mention that students who fail to use another child’s preferred pronouns may now find themselves charged with sexual harassment. It also opened the door for the President to withhold federal funding for meal assistance programs from schools that refuse to adopt this extreme ideology. Using economically disadvantaged kids lunch money to blackmail school districts is wrong. That’s why I co-sponsored Rep. Glenn Grothman’s (WI-06) Stop W.O.K.E. Meals Act to block the Biden administration from moving forward with this cynical policy.

                            District Update

Clark County Farm Technology Days
I had a great time stopping by the Clark County Farm Technology Days today to learn about how family farms in Wisconsin are adapting and innovating with each generation. This year, the Farm Technology Days are taking place at a family-owned dairy farm that has been operating since 1967. It’s so important that we continue to protect family-owned farms like this one from proposed tax plans that seek to eliminate stepped-up basis and impose new capital gains taxes. As you may know, without stepped-up basis, the next generation of farmers in Wisconsin could be taxed off of their land. In fact, a study from USDA’s Economic Research Service, found that if stepped-up basis was eliminated, farms representing 65% of total U.S. agricultural production could have increased tax liability. Stepped-up basis is vital to preserving our farmland, family farms, and small businesses from generation to generation, and I will continue to fight against burdensome regulations and farm-killing tax increases in Washington.

Thank you, to the Roehl family, for hosting Farm Technology Day. It is great to have this annual informative event hosted in the Seventh District!

Lead like a ‘Cane
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Superintendent of Hayward Community School District Craig Olson, Sawyer County Sheriff Doug Mrotek, Hayward Chief of Police Joel Clapero, and Assistant Police Chief JT Wohling to discuss the actions that are being taken to promote school and community safety here in the Seventh District. Congress must do more to ensure that our kids are protected – not chip away at our fundamental liberties. That is why I was glad to visit the Hayward Community School District and share the steps that I am taking to promote student safety by cosponsoring H.R. 7942, the Securing Our Students Act. This legislation would allow schools to use unspent American Rescue Plan funds to update security measures and educate staff on procedures to use during emergency situations.

Thank you, Craig, Doug, Joel, and JT, for everything you do to keep our community safe!

                                  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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