The Tiffany Telegram: September 19, 2025

Dear Friend,

This week, I introduced legislation to elevate the Apostle Islands from a National Lakeshore to a National Park.

The Apostle Islands are a national treasure and deserve the distinction of becoming Wisconsin's first National Park.

30 states, including our neighboring states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Indiana, have National Parks. Why shouldn't Wisconsin join their ranks?

Designated as a National Lakeshore in 1970, the Apostle Islands are among Wisconsin's most cherished public lands. The iconic features of these unique islands are deserving of this long-overdue recognition. The Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act would elevate the current Lakeshore to National Park status.

Here are a few facts about the bill. It would not change any existing boundaries from the current National Lakeshore. Sand Island would become a National Preserve to ensure continued hunting access. You can view a map of the proposed National Park here.

Management and protection of the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve would remain under the National Park Service. Fishing and recreational opportunities will continue to be managed by the National Park Service as they are today, and no mining would be allowed, consistent with the Mining in the Parks Act of 1976.

Furthermore, the legislation explicitly affirms all treaty rights and Tribal sovereignty, stating: "Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting any rights granted, reserved, or established pursuant to treaty, statute, or executive order pertaining to any Tribe, including, but not limited to, rights to hunt, trap, fish, and gather on lands included within the boundary of Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve or any other rights asserted by any Tribe."

After owning and operating Wilderness Cruises near the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest for 20 years, I have seen how federal lands can support small businesses. Elevating the Apostle Islands to a National Park would bring numerous benefits to Wisconsin, including additional conservation resources, heightened prestige, and greater economic output in the surrounding communities, thus supporting more local jobs and businesses.

For a list of frequently asked questions regarding the elevated designation, click here.

Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week's edition of the Tiffany Telegram.

Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress

The Natural Resources Committee joined me this week to wish my mom, Virgal, a very happy 94^th birthday! Watch us sing the famous Boehner birthday song here.

Protecting Wisconsinites from smoke

This week, new information came out about the impact Canadian wildfire smoke has had on the health of Wisconsinites. As I'm sure you all remember, we dealt with numerous instances where our state was suffocated by Canadian wildfire smoke this summer. In response, I was one of the few to call out Canada and urge stronger forest management to mitigate wildfire risk. Even though I was criticized by the media, I turned up the heat - demanding answers and action from Canada as the smoke prevented Wisconsinites from being able to go outside and safely breathe. Well, now we know just how dangerous this Canadian wildfire smoke can be. A newly released study that investigated the impacts of the 2023 Canadian wildfire season revealed that Canada's smoke may have led to hundreds of premature deaths in Wisconsin. With this year repeating the pattern of the 2023 fire season, the health of many Wisconsinites was negatively affected as a direct result of the Canadian smoke. And that's not surprising given how many days this summer the air quality was deemed hazardous. This is why proper forest management and the use of modern technology are so important. People's lives are on the line, and my top priority will always be protecting Wisconsinites.

Selling American farm products, not American farms

It's no secret that the international trading system has been increasingly disrupted and manipulated by bad actors such as Communist China and the globalists in the World Trade Organization. So, if we want to export American products instead of American jobs, it's vital that we strengthen our trade links with like-minded nations on our own. That's one of the key reasons I've been pushing for a U.S. trade deal with Taiwan - a country that has been a reliable trading partner for decades, and a key market for U.S. farm exports for many years. A few years ago, I met with members of Taiwan's Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission, who were in Washington, D.C. to sign letters of intent to purchase billions of dollars worth of American corn, wheat, and soybeans. Back then, Taiwan's goodwill trade missions had purchased more than five billion bushels of American grain valued at more than $34 billion since 1998. This week, we welcomed another trade delegation from Taiwan to the U.S. Capitol, where they announced fresh plans to purchase another $10 billion in U.S. farm produce. That's great news for American farm families. Because while China's Communist Party dictatorship is busy trying to snap up American farmland - something I am working to ban - our friends in Taiwan are buying high-quality American farm products. You can read more about the deal here.

The truth about the OBBB: Week 7

The Working Families Tax Cutopens up new educational opportunities for families and students across Wisconsin. First, it expands Pell Grantsfor hardworking Wisconsinites attending trade schools, giving students in skilled trades the same financial support as those attending four-year colleges. It also addresses the $10.5 billion Pell Grant deficit left by the Biden administration, ensuring low-income students have the funding they need to succeed. Additionally, the One Big Beautiful Billcreates the nation's first federal tax credit scholarship program, available for ALL types of educational settings. Taxpayers can claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per year for donationsto nonprofit organizations that provide K-12 scholarships to low- and middle-income students. These scholarships help parents cover tuition, tutoring, books, transportation, technology, special-needs services, and more, giving families the freedom to choose the educational environment that best fits their children's needs, whether public or private. Unfortunately, the Evers-Rodriguez administration has chosen to block Wisconsin kids from benefitingfrom this program, denying them access to tutoring, special-needs services, and other crucial support. It's clear that they don't care about what's best for kids; they only care about politics. You can read more about it here.

Committee Update

Judiciary

Finally, an FBI dedicated to law and order

Under the Biden-Harris administration and former FBI Director Christopher Wray, the FBI abandoned its core mission of protecting the American people and instead politically weaponized the agency to target Catholics, pro-life activists, and nearly 100 conservative-aligned organizations. Well, this week, the House Judiciary Committee brought in the FBI's new Director Kash Patel to ensure that the agency is returning to its primary objectives: reducing crime and upholding the Constitution. Thankfully, this is exactly what the Trump-Vance administration and Director Patel are doing. Within the past several months, the FBI has been taking agents out from behind their desks and putting them back into the field so that they can tackle key threats to our nation, bringing law and order back to our country instead of engaging in partisan politics. One concern I brought up with Director Patel is the Biden administration's complete disregard of the threat posed by Communist China, and their decision to dismantle the FBI's successful China Initiative - a program launched during President Trump's first term to deal with Chinese espionage and the flow of poisonous fentanyl precursor chemicals to the U.S. Unlike the Biden-Harris FBI, this administration takes the China threat seriously, and has worked tirelessly to reduce the flow of fentanyl, root out Chinese spies, and protect Americans from China's predatory behavior.

Click hereto watch my line of questioning with Kash Patel.

District Update

Service Academy deadline

It is my honor to nominate dedicated and determined high school students to their desired United States service academies. Students who wish to serve in our nation's academies must first receive a nomination from a member of their state's Congressional Delegation, the Vice President, or the President, and then gain an offer of admission from the academy. If admitted, they will earn a four-year university education while committing to serve in the military for a minimum of five years after graduation. The deadline for Service Academy applications is Friday, September 26, 2025. Recently, Maggie Cronin, who oversees the nomination process for my office, attended the United States Naval Academy Training Day in Annapolis, Maryland. She heard from Lt. Gen. Borgschulte, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and other speakers on best practices for the application process. My staff and I are confident that our students here in the Seventh District embody the qualities that align with the mission of the USNA and all service academies, so make sure you do not miss the upcoming deadline. You can learn more here.

Photo of the week

Wisconsin is home to some of the best sunrises and sunsets, and today's photo captures a beautiful sunset over New Richmond. With fall just around the corner, we would love to see your photos of the leaves changing color. If you have a photo of Wisconsin you'd like to share, send it to [email protected] with your name and location. Your photo could be featured in next week's Telegram!

"Glowing Sky!"- Submitted by Jim and Robyn in New Richmond

Resources

Vacation is meant to be relaxing, so don't let renewing or applying for your passport stress you out. The current processing time is 4 to 6 weeks, so we recommend getting this done as soon as possible. For more information, click here.

Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are available in Wisconsin due to economic losses caused by excessive moisture. Click here to see if you are eligible to apply.

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 X, 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.

Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District and Congress

Taking Home the Bacon

Congratulations to Louie's Finer Meats in Cumberland for taking home various championship titles at the 2025 American Cured Meat Championships.

Best High School

Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School was ranked in the U.S. News and World Report as one of the Best High Schools for 2025-2026. Keep up the great work!

World Trapshooting Champion

Jackson James of Cornell took home the top award at the 2025 Amateur Trapshooting Association Junior Category World Championships. Congratulations!

Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye

This week, the Department of Homeland Security announced that in less than 250 days, two million illegal aliens have left the United States. It's working!

Keeping the Government Open

The House passed a bipartisan federal funding billbacked by President Trump to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month.