Dear Friend,

As we inch closer and closer to winter, energy prices continue to weigh heavily on kitchen table budgets.
 
Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its outlook for the October-March season, and it doesn’t look good.

If you are like me and use propane to heat your home, on average, it is estimated that users will spend over $1,600 this year. Additionally, if you use natural gas to heat your homes, you will see a staggering 28% increase from last year to $931. This increase comes at a time when 20% of U.S. households have already missed or made a late payment on their utility bills.

That’s the bad news.
 
Now for the good news: These prices can be brought down by simply unleashing American energy.
 
Instead of trying to cut potentially illegal deals with the Saudis and draining our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest level in four decades, all the Biden administration has to do is abandon their hopeless green fantasy dream – which is shaping up to be a nightmare for working families and small businesses.
 
The rapid transition to green energy – or green fantasy as I like to call it – has already failed in Europe and is putting off thousands of dollars in costs to the American people at the gas pump, grocery store, and in their utility bills.
 
That’s why this week, I joined American Experiment to highlight Governor Evers’ disastrous, so-called “100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity” mandate by 2050. Wisconsinites want reliable and affordable energy, not the Biden/Evers’ playbook of intermittent, expensive energy that will wipe out our farmland and food supply. If implemented, Evers’ misguided mandate would cost each Wisconsin electricity customer, on average, an additional $2,755 in electricity costs annually and cause potentially deadly winter blackouts (more on this later).

We need to be moving forward with American energy, not backward. America produces the cleanest oil and gas in the world, so let’s let innovation – not government bureaucrats and handouts – lead the way.
 
That starts with allowing natural gas plants, like the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) in Superior, to come online. The NTEC natural gas plant would provide affordable baseload energy to customers across four states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa – and there is simply no reason for President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be holding it up. It also means approving the Keystone XL pipeline, signing off on the more than 4,600 applications for permits to drill, and ending the regulatory assault on U.S. energy development.
 
We have much more to discuss in this week’s Tiffany Telegram, and I thank you for starting your weekend off with us.

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

I want to give a quick happy anniversary note to my wife, Chris. For 27 years, she has been my rock, my business partner, and a wonderful mother to our three daughters. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to stand by my side, especially back when we owned and operated the Wilderness Cruises.

UN-believable: Are your tax dollars funding the border crisis?
What if I told you that American taxpayers are the single largest contributor to the United Nations – providing about one-quarter of the organization’s total budget? Now, what if I told you that an UN-affiliated organization was using that money to finance a tidal wave of illegal migrants from every corner of the globe into the United States? Sounds crazy, right? But that’s exactly what is going on, according to six Afghan men who told an investigative reporter that they had been given a map and instructions by UN aid workers on how to navigate their way to the U.S.-Mexico border. For those who have been following the worsening Biden border crisis, this is hardly a surprise. One of these shady UN-affiliated groups, the International Organization for Migration or “IOM,” has been under fire for several months for handing out “travel loans” to the many of the migrants flooding into the U.S. in record numbers for the last two years. American tax dollars shouldn’t be handed over to UN bureaucrats so they can finance this assault on American sovereignty. That’s why I joined my colleague, Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05), in cosponsoring legislation that would cut off U.S. funds for groups like IOM and several other UN-linked organizations that are facilitating this invasion. You can read more about our efforts here.
 
Did President Biden break the law?
We’re still waiting for an answer. Telegram readers will recall that last week, I penned a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) requesting a congressional investigation into whether President Biden actively pressured the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to delay a planned cut in oil production in an effort to influence the outcome of the 2022 U.S. election. If he did, as officials from the Saudi Foreign Ministry have suggested, his actions may very well constitute an illegal solicitation of a foreign in-kind campaign contribution. I still haven’t received a reply to my letter requesting transcripts of any calls between White House and Saudi officials, but I intend to keep the pressure on and get to the bottom of what happened. These are very serious allegations, and if the Biden administration did, in fact, attempt to collude with a foreign government to interfere in the American election, that’s something we all deserve to know. You can read more about my efforts here and here.
 
Follow the science guidance?
Yesterday the CDC advisory committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of recommended vaccines for adults and children. This rubber-stamp decision marks the first-ever vaccine to be added to the list without releasing clinical trial data or evidence to show that it reduces disease. In fact, some other developed countries no longer recommend – or even allow – children to receive the vaccine due to their low risk. The CDC was quick to fire back at critics who claimed that they were mandating the vaccine. Technically, the CDC is correct – their guidance is just that, guidance. Ultimately, it is up to the states to decide whether they will follow it. However, as we all witnessed for nearly two years during the height of the pandemic, CDC guidance is often blindly followed by the states. For example, last fall after the FDA merely gave the green light to allow kids aged 5-to-11 to get the vaccine, states began introducing bills to make it a requirement for children to attend public school. As I’ve said before, healthcare decisions are rarely one-size-fits-all, which is why it’s important to have the freedom to make those decisions for yourself. I believe that parents should have the right to decide what is best for their children. Although the Wisconsin Department of Health Services currently states that, “all children ages 6 months and older need to get COVID-19 vaccines,” it is important to note that it is just a recommendation as there is no state law requiring it.

Recent Legislation

Fighting to keep the Gordon Post Office open
The Gordon Post Office has been a staple in the community since it was first established in 1860. After serving the residents of Gordon for nearly 162 years, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced its plan to close the Gordon Post office due to leasing issues. This decision will merge the Gordon Post Office with the Solon Springs Post Office, forcing residents – including many senior citizens – to drive nearly 20 miles roundtrip in unsafe winter conditions. Gordon, like all small rural towns, depends on efficient access to USPS services to pay bills, run small businesses, receive medications, and communicate with family and friends. When communities were first impacted by facility consolidations last fall, I joined several of my colleagues in sending a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asking the USPS to stop planned facility consolidations. That’s why I sent another letter to Postmaster General DeJoy on Wednesday urging the USPS to reconsider its decision. You can read my letter to Postmaster General DeJoy here.

District Update

All around the Seventh District
From Vilas County to Marathon County to Langlade County, I had a busy week around the district this week.

On Monday, the Vilas County Aging and Disabilities Resource Center (ADRC) Committee Members braved the snowy weather and took time to share their concerns with me. Like many rural, northern Wisconsin communities, senior citizens in Vilas County are faced with challenges amid high inflation and rising fuel costs. I shared my priorities of balancing the budget, rewarding workers, and becoming energy independent as solutions to the rising costs affecting all Americans, especially our senior citizens. Thank you to the Vilas County ADRC for all you do to enhance the lives of Wisconsin citizens!

Then, on Tuesday, I attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for North Central Technical College’s new state-of-the-art Smart Manufacturing Lab in Wausau. This new lab will allow college and high school students to learn hands-on manufacturing technologies that they can bring into the local workforce. It is important that we set our students up for success out of college, and this Smart Manufacturing Lab ensures just that! 

Thank you to North Central Technical for continuing to make incredible advancements toward the future of our local economies and workforce.

Following that event, I visited PGA Inc. in Weston where we discussed how things going on in Washington are affecting the construction industry in Wisconsin. While I was there, I was presented with an award naming me a Champion of the Merit Shop by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Wisconsin chapter for my work in supporting the construction trade while in Washington. It was an honor to receive this title and I look forward to continuing my work defending those in the trade.

Honored to receive the Champion of the Merit Shop ABC award at PGA Inc. in Weston.

On Wednesday, I started the day in the Western part of the district in Chippewa Falls where I joined American Experiment to discuss the devastating impact of Governor Evers’ green fantasy. Back in 2019, Governor Evers signed Executive Order 38 to establish the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy (SCE) and require 100 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity to be generated by “carbon-free electricity sources” by 2050. As mentioned earlier, this mandate would cost Wisconsin $248 billion and lead to potentially deadly power outages. With energy prices through the roof and blackout warnings already on the horizon, the last thing the Evers administration ought to be doing is making matters worse.

I joined Isaac Orr, an American Experiment fellow, to warn against Governor Evers' COSTLY 100 Percent Carbon-Free Electricity Mandate.

Later on in the day, I headed to Antigo to tour Parson’s Dairy Farm, a fourth-generation farm, where I was able to speak with farmers who are experiencing firsthand how the inflation crisis is hurting family farms in Wisconsin. While I was there, I received the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Friend of Farm Bureau award showing my dedication to addressing the issues farmers are facing across the state. As someone who grew up on a dairy farm, I will always fight to lower the burdens for local farms so that we can ensure they are around for generations to come.

I enjoyed touring Parson’s Dairy Farm in Antigo.

Watch out for scammers
There have been reports of Wausau area businesses receiving phone calls from someone portraying themselves as an officer with the Wausau Police Department and asking for money. The scammer will claim that the business manager has a warrant out for their arrest and then asks for money. Please be aware that this is not the Wausau Police Department and if you receive a call like this, do not give them any money or personal information. Additionally, utility scams in Wisconsin are also on the rise. WPS and We Energies customers should be aware that bad actors are targeting people with threats to immediately turn off their energy unless they provide payment. If you suspect a red flag, the best thing you can do is hang up. If you spot or become a victim of a scam, you can report it to the FTC by clicking here to use their online reporting tool.
 
Apply today for a spring internship
My offices in Wausau and Washington, D.C. are always looking for eager interns to join Team Tiffany. These internships are excellent opportunities to learn about the legislative process firsthand, and they are open to organized, detail-oriented, and energetic college students. If you would like to join Team Tiffany next spring, make sure to get your application turned in as soon as possible. The internship application can be found on
my website.

                                  Resources  

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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