Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter Have questions? Contact Me Here Joe Biden's Tax-and-Spend Budget Proposal is Dangerous and Will Imperil America's Prosperity President Joe Biden’s budget is a radical, unaffordable, tax-and-spend monstrosity. It calls for a $5.5 trillion increase in taxes at a time when Americans across the country are already facing the highest inflation in four decades because of the Biden administration’s policies. In 2022, Americans paid taxes equal to nearly 20 percent of the U.S. GDP, just slightly less than the Greatest Generation did to support Allied efforts in World War II. The defense portion of the budget proposed by Joe Biden is effectively a cut, as the 3.2% increase doesn't keep pace with inflation and the cost to refill depleted supplies around the world. Our greatest adversaries, China and Russia, continue to ramp up military expenditures, which pose a grave threat to U.S. security at home and abroad. Biden falsely claims that this FY24 budget is pro-manufacturers, yet it penalizes innovation and investments by doubling the capital gains tax, among other reckless policies. Raising taxes and adding unnecessary regulations on American manufacturing will force domestic production overseas and harm workers. Joe Biden's budget is simply unacceptable. It continues to promote the Democrat's unrealistic, progressive, and irresponsible spending habits, disincentivizes investments in American businesses and energy production, and raises taxes on American manufacturing. Now that America has elected a Republican House Majority, the American people can rest assured that this disastrous budget proposal is dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. Radical Policies in Biden’s FY24 Budget Proposal: Increases the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, harming U.S. competitiveness and threatening American manufacturing jobs. Dangerously balloons our national debt by $19 trillion to $43.6 trillion by 2033. Fails to offer a plan to protect the long-term solvency of Social Security, which could lead to 20% across the board cuts to benefits in future years. Vastly underfunds the U.S. military, with only a 3.2% increase in defense spending, which fails to keep pace with historic inflation. Levies additional taxes on earned and investment income while doubling the capital gains tax, resulting in higher costs and making investing harder for the average American. Expands price controls on drugs, which reduces innovation and limits access to life-saving drugs for Americans. Increases taxes on oil and gas companies at a time when domestic production is facing unprecedented challenges and consumer prices are rising. We need pro-growth policies that drive taxes down for middle-class families and job creators. This week, the House Ways and Means Committee conducted its second field hearing in Yukon, Oklahoma where we highlighted our policies to support working families and create sustained economic prosperity for all. Secretary Yellen's Testimony Before the House Ways and Means Committee Leaves Many Questions Unanswered As part of the budget process for Fiscal Year 2024, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testified before the House Ways and Means Committee. Unfortunately, her testimony left far more answers than it addressed. For instance, the Biden administration continues to negotiate a global tax surrender with the OECD without consulting with members of Congress. When I posed this concern to Secretary Yellen, her response was entirely unsatisfactory. The Department of the Treasury must work with Congress to ensure that American jobs and taxpayer dollars are protected. Joe Biden’s global tax deal is a threat to our economic prosperity, and this administration must consult with Congress before it moves forward with any additional negotiations. Watch my full exchange by clicking the video below or by clicking here. Introduced Legislation to Hold Albany Democrats Accountable for Soaring Property Taxes New York is the only state in the country that requires local counties to pay a substantial portion of the state’s share of Medicaid funding, amounting to nearly $8 billion per year or nearly a quarter of the non-federal cost share for the program. This week, I introduced the Property Tax Reduction Act, to prevent state governments like New York from unfairly shifting state Medicaid expenses onto local county governments. New York State leads the country with the highest rate of outmigration. This mass exodus directly corresponds with outrageous property taxes, forcing families and small businesses to relocate. One of the driving causes of this crisis is that New York’s 62 county governments have zero say in how New York’s Medicaid program is operated but are forced to pay a significant amount of its costs. This dysfunctional and unfair system burdens county governments, driving up costs for working families. It also lets Albany Democrats off the hook for reckless spending and gross mismanagement. I am reintroducing the Property Tax Reduction Act to require New York’s Democrat lawmakers to take responsibility for reckless spending and prevent them from unfairly shifting costs to local property taxpayers and counties. READ MORE: Tenney introduces bill to force New York to pay its own Medicaid costs (NNY 360) Voted to Reverse Joe Biden's Overreaching WOTUS Rule This week I voted for H.J. Res 27, a joint resolution of disapproval of the Biden administration’s “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. This resolution overturns the damaging new Biden WOTUS rule that expands the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal oversight of large swaths of private agricultural land across our country. President Biden’s WOTUS rule is extreme. It extends unprecedented power to the EPA, giving them the authority to dictate to farmers and landowners what they can and cannot do on their private lands. The Trump administration’s Navigable Waters rule already addressed this issue in a commonsense manner that protected our farmers and landowners from burdensome and unnecessary federal overreach. This vague rule from the Biden administration is a huge step backward that will empower federal bureaucrats while forcing farmers and producers to spend countless hours and dollars in court and on lawyers. The Biden rule is a power grab by the federal government, and I fully support this resolution to overturn it. Learn more by clicking here. My Votes Explained Transparency and a well-informed public are vital components of our self-governing Constitutional Republic! I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor. Some of the key bills we considered this week are explained below. To read more about these votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House of Representatives, please click here. I voted “Yes” on S. 619, a bill to require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information relating to the origins of COVID-19, and for other purposes. This legislation requires the Director of National Intelligence to declassify documents relating to the origins of COVID-19 and the work of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many individuals have speculated that COVID-19 originated in this Chinese laboratory; however, radical left-wing activists and the Biden administration have worked tirelessly to censor these theories, falsely labeling them as “misinformation” and even “racist”. Recently, the Biden administration’s own Department of Energy concluded that the virus likely came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. While the Biden administration continues to avoid being honest with the American people about the origins of COVID, House Republicans are fighting to show the American people the facts. This bill will provide needed transparency and allow every American to see and examine the evidence for themselves. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 419-0. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act. This bill would expand the Hatch Act to prohibit federal executive branch employees from using their official authority, whether on duty or off duty, to promote the censorship of lawful free speech on any computer service, such as social media. Since taking office, the Biden administration has attacked Americans’ First Amendment rights under the so-called label of “combatting misinformation.” The Biden administration has coordinated with social media companies, including Twitter, to censor and de-platform individuals who promoted narratives that the Biden administration disagreed with or simply did not like. Many of these falsely-labeled examples of “mis-information” have since been proven accurate, including the fact that COVID-19 likely came from the Wuhan Laboratory of Virology, which even the Department of Energy has admitted. This anti-American censorship should not be allowed to be carried about by individuals being paid to uphold and defend the Constitution. Importantly, this bill still allows the government to combat crimes, including obscene materials, classified national security information, or criminal activity such as human or drug trafficking. This important bill will help ensure the federal government always upholds every American’s right to free speech, regardless of their viewpoint. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 219-206 I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1226, the Wounded Warrior Access Act, as amended. This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to create an online tool for claimants or their representatives to check the status of their claim and documents associated with the claim. Currently, when veterans want to access these files they need to physically visit their regional VA location. The VA needs to enter the 21st century and allow our veterans to check their claim status online, as most other federal agencies allow. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 422-0. Community Project Funding Process is Open for FY2024 This week I announced the launch of the Community Project Funding (CPF) process for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). The FY24 CPF process is open to local governments and non-profits. The program allows localities and non-profits to submit requests for federal funding for high-priority community projects in New York’s 24th District. All projects are vetted thoroughly and subject to strict oversight. They must also demonstrate strong local support. CPF is targeted and limited; this year, it is capped at .5% of federal spending. The CPF process is an important way for members of Congress to advocate on behalf of essential projects that benefit our communities. It provides transparency, accountability, and oversight to the funding process, rather than simply relying on bureaucrats to make critical funding decisions behind closed doors without congressional input. Click here for more information. READ MORE: Tenney's office accepting Community Project Funding requests in 24th Congressional District ICYMI: My Recent Op-ed on the Northern Border Crisis Since President Joe Biden took office, horrific stories of crime and crisis at the Southern border have flooded our television screens, made the front page of our newspapers, and filled our social media feeds. Americans have watched the Biden administration surrender operational control of our Southern border to cartels, drug smugglers, and human traffickers. Now, tragically, we face the potential for an equally disastrous crisis at our Northern border. To fill the gaps at the Southern border, rather than finish the wall like former President Donald Trump had planned, or hire more agents, the Biden administration and D.C. Democrats simply shifted resources. In one big shell game, scores of U.S. Border Patrol agents were moved from the Northern border down south. This has led to an unprecedented spike in illegal crossings at portions of our Northern border in the North Country. READ MORE: U.S. Rep. Claudia L. Tenney: New Yorkers on the hook for Biden’s border crisis Leading the Effort to Reduce Red Tape for Municipal Water Projects This week, I met with the OCWA, Central New York’s Water Authority, to discuss their priorities, including the FLOW Act, a bill I recently cosponsored. Introduced this week, the Financing Lead Out of Water (FLOW) Act is bipartisan legislation that will remove federal red tape to help more municipalities finance water projects focused on removing lead service lines. Outdated lead pipes are still an issue for many communities, but the process of installing new pipes is often filled with unnecessary and costly roadblocks for municipalities. The FLOW Act removes the federal red tape that prevents too many of our communities from affordably tapping into the investments they need to provide affordable, clean drinking water. REMINDER: Mobile Office Hours for March As a reminder, our office recently announced the next round of in-person one-on-one Mobile Office Hours. These sessions bring the many services of our office right to you. To schedule your appointment with one of our expert caseworkers who can assist you with a federal casework matter, call 315-236-7088. Cayuga County - Auburn Date: March 15th Time: 11 AM – 1 PM Place: Cayuga County Legislative Building Address: 160 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021 Yates County - Penn Yan Date: March 22nd Time: 11 AM – 1 PM Place: Town of Benton Town Hall Address: 1000 NY-14A, Penn Yan, NY 14527 Wayne County - Newark Date: March 29th Time: 11 AM – 1 PM Place: Village of Newark Address: 100 E. Miller St., Newark, NY 14513 Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today. If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, we are just a phone call away and are ready to help you! Please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088 or my Lockport Office at 716-514-5130! Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Have news or updates to share? Email me! If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 24th District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY24 as we can each week. ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Tenney | 2349 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]