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The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has reached a point where immediate action is necessary in order to ensure our nations security. Many countries throughout the world use secure borders and barriers in order to maintain the safety of their citizens and national interests.
The United States currently houses 12 million illegal immigrants. Many of these illegal immigrants have access to and use our nation's resources, including our federally funded education, healthcare system, and welfare programs which cost the federal government around $50 billion per year. In 2018, 1 in 5 prisoners in Bureau of Prison (BOP) custody were known or suspected aliens – 55% of them unauthorized and subject to final removal. It is unacceptable that individuals who unlawfully reside in the United States are putting U.S. citizens in harm's way.
The United States grants citizenship to approximately 700,000 immigrants per year. We want people from other countries to become part of our communities and have an opportunity to find the same prosperity and freedom that we all enjoy, but this cannot be done when people can illegally cross our borders as easily as they can today.
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While securing our borders in order to ensure proper screening of individuals that cross into our country is essential to the safety of our nation and its citizens, keeping the federal government open and federal employees paid is very important to me.
I have joined many of my colleagues in Congress by requesting that the Chief Administrative Officer withhold my pay until a deal can be reached and the partial government shutdown ends.
In addition to requesting that my pay be withheld, I have joined Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL) by cosponsoring H.R. 271, the No Work Without Pay Act. H.R. 271, would require the federal government to pay the employees who are working during the partial government shutdown in a timely manner.
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This week, I introduced a bipartisan bill along with Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) that will help keep Wisconsin's waterways healthy by restricting the access of invasive species of fish. The bill would amend the Federal Power Act to ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be required to consider the threats posed to Wisconsin's waterways by invasive species of fish prior to authorizing the construction of a new fish passageway.
Fish passageways serve an important purpose of preserving and enhancing the populations of desirable, native fish by allowing them a way to travel around dams. However, invasive species use these same fish passageways to invade rivers and lakes and devastate native species and their habitats. Wisconsin's Sixth District is home to a significant amount of lakes and waterways that should be protected from invasive species of fish in order to conserve their natural habitats.
Wisconsin experiences this problem firsthand with Asian Carp, a well known invasive species that can grow up to three feet in length. Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered the installation of a fishway at the Prarie du Sac dam, a site where Asian Carp populations have been spotted. Installing a fishway in this location would allow the Asian Carp to migrate upstream to the Wisconsin River, Lake Wisconsin and eventually the Great Lakes. This would wreak havoc on native species and threaten the Great Lakes $7 billion fishing industry. I am proud to promote legislation that brings awareness to this issue and helps protect Wisconsin's native fish species and waterways. |
I will be hosting three town hall meetings in January. Two on Friday, January 18th and one on Sunday, January 20th. The times and locations are below.
I hope to see you there!
Friday, January 18, 2019
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Kingston/Dalton Town Hall
W6368 Pine Street
Dalton, WI 53926
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Cambria Village Hall
111 W Edgewater Street
Cambria, WI 53923
Sunday, January 20, 2019
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Manitowoc Public Library
707 Quay Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
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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.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress |
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