Dear Friend,
 
Halloween is right around the corner, which means fall leaves, carving pumpkins, and kids dressed up in their favorite costumes to go trick-or-treating.

Unfortunately, this year parents need to be on the lookout for something much more ghoulish than your typical fright night prank – the possibility of colored fentanyl disguised as candy.
 
As Telegram readers know during the past year the United States has seen a drastic increase in overdoses. And fentanyl, which is deadly even in low doses, is killing Americans at an unprecedented rate – claiming over 100,000 victims last year alone.
 
This crisis has become so serious that it is now the leading cause of death for Americans from age 18 to 45.

In recent weeks there have been a number of headlines about Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers discovering colored fentanyl, which often resembles candy, hidden in children’s toys or candy wrappers. This is why experts are advising parents to remain vigilant this holiday season and be on the lookout for anything that appears out of the ordinary.

In Washington, I’m doing everything that I can to help address this growing epidemic. I recently signed on to the Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act, which would amend the controlled substances act to prohibit manufacturing or distributing candy-flavored controlled substances for minors. I also introduced the Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act which targets the marketing of candy-flavored drugs to children.

Together, I believe they will go a long way towards protecting our children from this deadly drug, but we also need to close our border to cut off the cartels access to our children – more on that later. For the time being, please stay alert and make sure to double-check your children’s candy this year and when in doubt – throw it out.

We have a lot more to tell you about in this week’s edition of the Tiffany Telegram. From all of us at the Telegram, we hope you have a spooktacular weekend and a happy Halloween!

Sincerely,





Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

Safety tips you autumn know!

Crime-o-ween
It’s no secret that violent crime is ravaging our country, and it doesn’t have Americans feeling good when they turn on their TV after a long day of work to see another homicide, another smash-and-grab robbery, or another assault. In fact, this year, homicide rates across the country have increased by roughly 50% compared to 2019. It is time for politicians to stop favoring criminals over the law and start putting the well-being of American neighborhoods, law enforcement, and victims first, and I am working to do just that. However, it is important to be aware of your surroundings to prevent this Halloween from turning into crime-o-ween as there is typically an uptick in violent crime. The good news is that there are preventable steps you can take to ensure the safety of your home and loved ones. From leaving the lights on when you leave your house to not posting on social media until you are back home safely to moving valuables out of sight of trick-or-treaters, all these steps can help keep you and your loved ones out of harm's way.
 
President Biden’s secret Saudi connection?
Earlier this month, I told you about my efforts to dig into growing concerns that President Biden may have illegally pressured officials in Saudi Arabia to delay a planned cut in oil production in an attempt to impact the outcome of the U.S election. At that time, I wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) requesting a formal inquiry into whether the White House may have constituted an unlawful foreign in-kind campaign contribution. I’m still waiting on a response – but this week new details emerged, raising fresh questions about what President Biden did, and when he did it. On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that the White House scheme may have commenced as early as this spring. The report concluded that President Biden’s top aides “thought they had struck a secret deal to boost [Saudi] oil production through the end of the year – an arrangement that could have helped [President Biden] justify breaking a campaign pledge.” In response to these shocking revelations, I wrote a follow up letter to the Speaker yesterday renewing my calls for a full investigation, and requesting transcripts of any calls President Biden or other senior administration officials had with Saudi officials regarding oil production. If the President or any of his senior appointees actively sought to collude with a foreign government to interfere in our elections, the American people deserve to know about it. You can read more about what’s going on here and here.
 
Border disorder: From bad to worse
I told you earlier about the growing dangers posed by the massive quantities of fentanyl flowing into our communities, courtesy of Mexican drug cartels and their partners in Communist China. Last weekend, we got a clearer picture of how President Biden’s open-borders policies are making this problem much, much worse. Customs and Border Protection officials reported seizing nearly 15,000 pounds of fentanyl at the US border this fiscal year, up from more than 11,000 pounds last year, and nearly three times the 4,800 pounds seized in 2020 – the last year of President Trump’s term. But it isn’t just illegal drugs. The number of illegal migrants encountered this year at the border also set a new record: 2.4 million. That tops last year’s record of 1.7 million, which was also set on President Biden’s watch. Even more alarming, nearly 100 of these individuals were “suspected terrorists or closely affiliated with terrorist organizations.” The reason our border is overrun is in large part due to President Biden’s dangerous decision to bring back the failed Obama-era policy of “catch-and-release.” It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that if migrants know they won’t be detained or expelled, they will simply disappear into American communities. That’s why I joined my colleague Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05) in introducing legislation to end this failed policy once and for all.

Biden's border crisis keeps getting scarier.

Joe Biden’s “witchful" thinking
Yesterday, Joe Biden falsely claimed that gas prices were “over five dollars” when he took office. They weren’t. Despite President Biden’s “witchful” thinking, gas was $2.39 when he took office, and today Americans are paying $1.37/gal more than that. Instead of pointing the finger at Russia, Saudi Arabia, energy producers, and gas station owners, it’s time for President Biden to look in the mirror and take responsibility. And he ought to do so soon. Reports show that the U.S. is down to just 25 days of diesel supply. President Biden needs to urgently allow America – not Russia and the Saudis – to lead the way by tapping into our abundant energy reserves right here at home. Americans have been struggling with soaring fuel prices for far too long, and with a preventable diesel shortage on the horizon, prices at the pump, at the grocery store, and in utility bills could soar even higher. We have the capabilities to be energy independent. The solution is right under the Biden administration’s feet.
 
Pumpkin-flation and scary high candy prices
With candy prices up over 13% and pumpkin prices up over 7% since last year, this Halloween is expected to haunt your wallet. While this is expected to be the most expensive Halloween on record, there are a few tricks to help you save on treats. You might want to stay away from the starbursts and skittles as those are both up over 30%, but by only buying as much candy as you need, being resourceful when putting together a costume, and more, you can potentially avoid scary high prices and budget this Halloween.

 Bidenflation is spooking up Halloween prices.

Orange you excited about Twitter?
Late yesterday, Elon Musk completed his Twitter acquisition and has taken control of the app. After taking the first step of firing three Twitter executives, who have been known to censor conservatives, I hope the app will promote free speech once again. It was reported after the Elon Musk deal was revived earlier this month that conservative lawmakers, myself included, were losing a few hundred to thousands of followers. It’s time to return to free speech on social media platforms, and I hope the change in leadership will ensure a turn in the right direction. If you would like to double-check to make sure you are following me on Twitter, click here.
 
Made in the USA energy solutions
I recently signed on to two very important letters regarding the state of energy here in America. The first one was sent to President Biden, along with 129 other Republicans, and the letter demanded that we unleash American energy right now. The letter, led by Majority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), called on the President to release an offshore energy leasing plan. Issuing a five-year leasing plan with regular lease sales would go a long way in helping ensure American energy independence and more affordable prices at the pump. While such action would be a reversal of the repeated attacks on domestic energy this administration has engaged in, we must do everything we can to offer up solutions and hold this administration accountable. The other letter, led by Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03), asked Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for their plans on easing pain at the pump – as well as whether or not they plan to continue tapping the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We highlighted the fact that it is likely to be a very expensive winter for Americans heating their homes, and asked what plans their respective departments have to confront potential rolling blackouts or brownouts. I expect to receive in-depth and timely responses to both letters.
 
Pick of the patch
Get ahead of the carve by trying your hand at the National Park Service’s Park Pumpkin Carvings Challenge! You can download one of their park themed templates here or make your own. Once you’re done share your pumpkin park art on social media using #FindYourPark to add it to the pumpkin patch!

Carve out some fun and submit your pumpkin for the NPS carvings challenge!

                                  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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