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Dear Friend,
Over the past year and a half, the Democrats’ legislative agenda in Washington has been to go on a nonstop spending spree with your taxpayer dollars.
If you remember, back in March of 2021, they spent nearly $2 trillion of taxpayer funds on the so-called “American Rescue Plan” despite warnings from economists that it could fuel the type of inflation not seen in a generation.
Now, Americans are suffering under the weight of a near 40-year high inflation, paying some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, and forking out an extra $493 each month in expenses. In retrospect, a better name for the “American Rescue Plan” would have been the “American Recession Plan.”
Unfortunately, Democrats did not learn their lesson, even after a second consecutive quarter of negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
Instead, this week, they are doubling down on their failed agenda with another $745 billion tax-and-spend bonanza. Ironically named the “Inflation Reduction Act,” this legislation would add more fuel to the inflation fire that is already burning a hole into American pocketbooks. In fact, even Bernie Sanders admits this legislation won’t tame inflation.
The biggest chunk of change in this bill – over $400 billion – will go to fund Green New Deal mandates that will be paid for out of your pocket. For example, the bill raises an excise tax on crude oil – a surefire way to increase, not decrease, already skyrocketing prices at the pump. Additionally, if you are one of the 1.5 million Wisconsinites that use natural gas to heat your homes in the winter, get ready to be slapped with a natural gas tax, along with growing worries about grid reliability and the prospect of Third World-type rolling blackouts as Democrats and the radical environmentalist lobby pursue a large-scale “transition” to green energy.
And that’s only one part of this over 700-page bill.
On the healthcare front, it includes a prescription drug price-fixing scheme that will undermine medical innovation and put life-saving cures out of reach over the next two decades. It also includes an Obamacare expansion that will cost taxpayers $248 billion over 10 years, without enacting any meaningful reform to a broken system.
By contrast, Republicans have a solution on the table to lower the cost of medicines without harming cutting edge medical advances. Sadly, Democrats have bottled that plan up – relegating it to the waiting room.
But perhaps the worst part of the bill is that it gives $80 billion to the IRS to add 87,000 new IRS agents – more than the capacity of Lambeau Field. This expanded army of bureaucrats will conduct as many as a million more audits per year – the last thing middle-class families and small businesses need. Adding insult to injury, one study shows that more than 78-90% of the money raised from the new IRS enforcement web will raid the pocketbooks of Americans making less than $200,000.
On top of all that, the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” will also raise taxes on small businesses and American manufacturers (more on that later).
Despite the many reasons this is a bad bill (including the 52 reasons here), every single House and Senate Democrat voted to further erode household incomes, raise prices, and expand an already bloated federal workforce.
I hope you enjoy this week’s Tiffany Telegram. We will be back in two weeks with the next one. Make sure to get out and enjoy Wisconsin’s great outdoors this summer – I sure am this August recess.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
The Inflation Reduction Act will employ more IRS bureaucrats than the Pentagon, State Department, FBI, and Border Patrol combined.
The Biden administration’s two-tiered justice system
Do you remember the FBI raid on Hillary Clinton, when they discovered she had classified information in her basement? I don’t either. Or when Michael Sussman, the Clinton attorney who pushed the Russian collusion hoax, was accused of lying to the FBI? Neither do I. It turns out that the only people who get their homes raided are conservatives, and now, the 45th President of the United States. Steve Bannon can be found guilty and convicted of contempt of Congress, while Eric Holder gets a pass. This unprecedented abuse of power must stop. Too often, this White House has converted federal law enforcement agencies tasked with delivering impartial justice into a partisan attack machine. Time and time again, we’ve seen the FBI deployed against critics of the Biden administration while turning a blind eye to the indiscretions of their allies. And this isn’t just a problem at Merrick Garland’s Justice Department. We’ve seen it happen at the IRS, in the State Department during the Obama years, and even in the judicial branch. This must stop. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights protect the rights of all Americans, not just members of one political party. I am committed to getting to the bottom of these abuses and making sure that Congress exercises rigorous oversight of executive branch agencies to make sure it never happens again.
Thank you to Birchwood Manufacturing for showing Team Tiffany the ins-and-outs of forest service products.
American manufacturers slammed by Biden’s gimmicks
Northern and Western Wisconsin produce some of the best forest products in the world, and last week, my team was able to get a first-hand look during a visit to Birchwood Manufacturing in Rice Lake. While we had a great tour of the plywood and hardwood veneer manufacturing process, much of the conversation was about some of the challenges they are facing in the current economy: Overly generous welfare benefits are making it harder for them to hire quality workers. White House energy policies that are driving up fuel costs and fanning the flames of inflation are making it more expensive for them to operate. And making matters worse, many employers may soon face a new hurdle: Higher taxes. Under Biden’s latest tax-and-spend plan, manufacturers would be targeted by a 15% corporate minimum tax. You may recall that in his State of the Union speech earlier this year, President Biden said he wanted to see the “revitalization of American manufacturing,” something all of us want to see. That’s why it is so disappointing to see his administration pushing for a new “book minimum tax.” This new levy would hit manufacturers, like Birchwood Manufacturing, disproportionately. As a result, states like Wisconsin that are known as manufacturing hubs would take the biggest hit. If Democrats were serious about “Buying American” they would be supporting manufacturers on American soil, not cooking up new ways to raise their taxes and put them out of business.
Changing the “science”?
This week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) finally conceded what many people have been saying for a long time: COVID-19 is probably here to stay. Upon this belated realization, the embattled agency finally decided to update their guidelines, eliminating the need to quarantine or social distance. The Danish government also recently reviewed the status of the virus and announced that they will no longer allow children under the age of 18 to take the COVID-19 vaccine due to the low risk they face from the virus. They went on to add that most people in Denmark have either been vaccinated already or have natural immunity as a result of being previously infected. Meanwhile, here in the United States the CDC is still taking the opposite approach, recommending that all children, including those as young as 6 months old, get vaccinated against the virus as soon as possible. However, a recent poll found that just 1 in 5 parents plan to get their child vaccinated most likely due to the data showing that the vaccine only slightly reduces the already low risk children face if infected by the virus. It’s time to trust Americans to make their own decisions about the health of their families in consultation with their family doctors instead of being at the whim of the CDC’s shifting directives.
Recent Legislation
Fortifying America’s food supply
Some of you may have seen that I recently introduced legislation to help enhance America’s food security. The bill is called the GRAIN Act, which stands for Guaranteeing Robust Agricultural Independence and Nutrition for America. This bill would place a one-year moratorium on the enrollment of new farmlands into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This USDA program pays farmers to leave land uncultivated. Going forward, my bill would also keep prime farmland out of CRP. Finally, the bill contains a provision that mirrors a recently announced Biden administration plan allowing farmers to voluntarily opt out of the program if they are in the last year of their contract. It is also important to note that my legislation would not prevent farmers who are already in the program from re-enrolling during the moratorium, nor would it impact farmland that is already part of the CRP. Prime farmland should be available to produce food, and this legislation would help make sure that happens.
District Update
Honoring a lifelong Phillips’ resident
This past Monday I had the honor of attending the Price County Snowmobile Trails Association event to recognize Chairman Frank Dusek. Chairman Dusek is a lifelong resident of Phillips, an Army Veteran, and is known as the “founding father” of the Price County Snowmobile Trails Association with over 54 years of involvement. Dating back to 1968, Chairman Dusek has dedicated much of his time to the Association, and Price County wouldn’t be the same without all his hard work. Thank you, Frank, for all you do for our community!
I was honored to recognize Price County Snowmobile Trails Association Chairman Frank Dusek.
Celebration of advanced technologies in Lake Superior
On Tuesday, I had a great time at the U.S. Geological Survey and Great Lakes Fishery Commission celebration of advanced technologies in Ashland. This summer, from August to September, the USGS is deploying sailboat like-drones, autonomous underwater vehicles, and other large research vessels to better understand Lake Superior’s fish populations. You can view a picture of the sailboat-like drone here. This research will help us better manage the Great Lakes fishery and valuable natural resources in our region.
Pictured behind me, you can see some of the advanced technologies, like Saildrones, that will be gathering research on Lake Superior.
100th Anniversary of the Town of Fence
This weekend, I stopped by the celebration for the Town of Fence’s 100th year anniversary. Fence is a small town located in Florence County, and we had a great celebration at the Fence Community Veterans Pavilion. I ran into some heroic veterans, including Mr. Jerry Henry, who is a Purple Heart recipient. Thank you to all our current and retired service members for their courage and dedication to serving our country, and happy 100th anniversary to the Town of Fence.
Ran into some of Wisconsin’s Seventh District brave veterans, Mr. Jerry Henry and Mr. Tim McLain, at the Town of Fence’s 100th anniversary.
Upcoming Events
Crime-focused telephone town hall
On Wednesday, August 24th, I will be hosting a crime-focused telephone town hall with Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks at 7 PM CST. Over the past year, soft-on-crime prosecutors and President Biden’s open border crisis have fueled a crime epidemic in our country. Sheriff Parks and I look forward to hearing from you as we discuss solutions to ensure a safer America. If you would like to have your questions answered, you may join the telephone town hall by registering online here or by dialing in the day of by calling 833-946-1523. Be sure to mark your calendars – I would love to hear from you!
Resources
As 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.
Small businesses can also apply for assistance through the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan program. This program provides economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue as a result of the pandemic.
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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