1. My thoughts on Washington, DC statehood.
2. Protecting Life.
3. Keystone XL Pipeline.
4. Weekly Roundup.
5. My Contact Information.

This week, Congress voted on H.R. 51, the Washington, DC Admission Act, which would make Washington, DC the 51st state. I voted no on this bill for many reasons.

The founding Fathers clearly defined in the Constitution that Washington, DC is to be a federal district, so it would not be beholden to the wishes of a single state. They would have been shocked by the idea of making the city that holds the seat of the Federal Government its own state. It is a government city with minimal agriculture, manufacturing, and natural resources.

With all its government jobs, it is a recession-proof city and should be one of the easiest in the nation to govern. But, how are they actually doing? Despite spending more money per pupil than any state except New York, The Nation’s Report Card indicated that Washington, DC tied for last in fourth grade reading scores, last in fourth grade writing scores, and last in eight grade reading, writing, and math scores. Additionally, the last time the city was given control of their own budget, the Federal Government had to step in and bail them out.

There are also more homeless individuals in Washington, DC than 29 states. Of cities with at least 250,000 people, Washington, DC has the sixth highest murder rate, which means that if the city was to become a state then it would immediately become the state with the highest murder rate in the country.

Another argument is that residents of the city do not have Congressional representation. This is untrue. Washington, DC has one elected Congressional delegate, whose constituency is about the same size as a single Congressional district, so Washingtonians are not being disproportionately represented.

The motive for the 51st state push seems to be political instead of practical, since if Washington, DC were admitted as a state, it would elect two Democrat Senators to serve along with their Democrat Congressional delegate.

I am committed to protecting life from conception to natural death. We have a moral and civic duty to protect those who are voiceless and defenseless, including unborn children. That is why I supported President Trump when he implemented the Protect Life Rule, which ensured that the Title X Family Planning program was more in line with the statutory prohibition on funding programs where abortion is a method of family planning.

Recently, President Biden announced that his administration is moving to overturn this decision, meaning organizations like Planned Parenthood could once again gain access to taxpayer-funded Title X family planning dollars.

That is why, this week, I cosponsored the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act, introduced by Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (R-MN). This bill will codify into law that no organization involved in the taking of human life by way of abortion will receive a single cent of your tax dollars.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden revoked the permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Upon completion of this infrastructure project, the Keystone XL pipeline would have transported 830,000 barrels of oil per day, which could have lowered the price of gas at the pump. It would have also supported 11,000 U.S. jobs. Hundreds of those jobs existed here in Wisconsin and, just days after the President's decision, many of them received notice that they had been laid-off as a direct result of stopping construction of the pipeline. This is a textbook example of coastal elites making decisions that to them are theoretical, but have a real-life negative impact to us Midwesterners. 

As you may know, President Biden recently proposed a $2 trillion "infrastructure" bill. However, a very small amount of money in this bill goes toward roads, bridges, and other physical projects that meet the traditional definition of infrastructure. Some are calling the bill a Trojan Horse for radical left-wing initiatives and Green New Deal policies. I would happily work across the aisle, as I have in the past, on a bipartisan infrastructure bill. I and my Republican colleagues, who make up nearly half of Congress, are not being given that chance, though.

So, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to leadership on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urging them to include bipartisan language in the House infrastructure bill that will restart construction of the pipeline. I believe that any serious infrastructure bill should include this, as the Keystone XL Pipeline is critical infrastructure that will both create American jobs and help the environment.

I spoke with Mike Pompeo at this week's Conservative Opportunity Society meeting. The former Secretary of State had great insight on how the U.S. can hold China accountable.

I joined Felician Village in Manitowoc for a discussion on how Congress can support those suffering from Alzheimer's, and all of our friends and neighbors affected by this horrible disease.

I was happy to speak with the American Fruit & Vegetable Processors and Growers Coalition about the importance of buying American produce!

It was a pleasure to meet with Food Industry Association and the Wisconsin Grocers Association to talk about how we can keep Wisconsin-made food stocked, fresh, and ready to enjoy.

This week, we celebrated Wisconsin's beauty throughout National Park Week. Spring is the perfect time of year to get outside and explore all our beautiful state has to offer.

As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter, be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the 6th District, and let them know that they can subscribe by clicking here.

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