What's Ahead Massive Washington Spending Continues.Fighting Predatory Lending.Reminder: August Town Halls.Weekly Roundup.My Contact Information.
Representative Glenn Grothman
 

What's Ahead

 
  1. Massive Washington Spending Continues.
  2. Fighting Predatory Lending.
  3. Reminder: August Town Halls.
  4. Weekly Roundup.
  5. My Contact Information.
 

Massive Washington Spending Continues

 

America is $28.5 trillion in debt. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has authorized $4.5 trillion in new spending, of which, $3 trillion has already been spent. This massive amount of spending in such a short time is one of the main reasons the price of gas and groceries are skyrocketing. For each dollar the federal government prints, every other dollar in circulation loses value. This is unsustainable. The value of a dollar needs to be strong to ensure the U.S. remains a world financial leader. If we keep diluting our currency, it hurts both our economy and your checkbook.


After the extreme amount of COVID-19 spending, logic would tell us that we need to tighten our belts and cut back. That is not the case in Washington.


This week, the House passed nine of the 12 spending bills that will fund the government in 2022. Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats decided the time is right to increase our spending, expand our deficit, and add to our debt. Several bills increased spending over last year's levels (which were an increase over the previous year as well) by over 13 percent, one by 36 percent. During my time in office, I have learned that most Washington politicians are either unwilling or unable to stop spending your money so irresponsibly.


I voted against each of this week's bills because it is unwise to borrow more money and increase spending at a time when the national debt has ballooned so high that it has become a national security threat.

We need to get our fiscal house in order so we aren't leaving mountains of debt to our children and grandchildren. That is why I offered several reasonable amendments to these bills to reign in spending. Unfortunately, the Democratic majority said no to my suggestions and continued their sprint toward increasing the national debt.


Now, more than ever, is the time to have serious conversations about the direction of our country. Some of our problems can be solved with a new law, or an executive order or the elimination of a burdensome regulation. But, the national debt must be addressed by Congress. Before we solve anything, members of Congress who wish to spend more and more each year must come to the table and realize that this kind of reckless spending is unsustainable and will lead to the demise of America.

I will continue to fight for common sense cuts, but since Democrats currently control Congress, the ball is in their court.

 
 

Fighting Predatory Lending

 

Usury has been condemned since Biblical times. Historically, the United States has had usury laws, putting a guard rail up for borrowers. As more and more loans are given online, it becomes more difficult for states to deal with the problem of snowballing debt.


With 12 million individuals taking out payday loans in America every year and payday loans carrying an average interest rate of 391 percent, it is evident that we need to act and protect Americans from financial harm.


Last Congress I, along with Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL), introduced a bipartisan bill, the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act (VCFCA), to curb high-cost, predatory payday loans, auto-title loans and similar forms of toxic credit across America with a 36 percent interest rate cap.


In 2006, Congress passed the bipartisan Military Lending Act, which required the Department of Defense to institute a 36 percent interest rate cap when active duty servicemembers and their families take out loans. This wildly successful rule has protected servicemembers and their families from falling into a cycle of debt that would harm themselves, their families and/or make them unable to perform their duties in the military. This 36 percent interest rate cap does not apply to veterans, Gold Star Families or anyone else for that matter.


We already protect military service members, which means that we have recognized the predatory nature of high-interest loans. This raises the question – if it is wrong to allow predatory lenders to target our service members, why is it right to let them target the rest of the community?


On Thursday, I gave testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee and urged my colleagues on the other side of the Capitol to support this commonsense idea.

 
 
play button
 
 
 

Reminder: In-person Town Hall Meetings

 

I'll be holding three in-person town hall meetings this upcoming week. I hope you can make it!


Tuesday, August 3

6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Omro Town Hall at Scott Park

515 E Main St.

Omro, WI 54963


Wednesday, August 4

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Green Lake Town Hall at Town of Brooklyn

N5988 County Road A

Green Lake, WI 54941


1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Marquette Town Hall at Marquette County Health and Human Services

480 Underwood Ave.

Montello, WI 53949

 
 

Weekly Roundup

 

Did you know one pint of blood can help save up to three lives? I donated blood at the Community Blood Center in Oshkosh and encourage anyone interested in donating to visit their website to find out how easy and safe it is to donate.

 
Donating Blood in Oshkosh
 

It was Christmas in July at the Oshkosh Farmer’s Market.

 
Oshkosh Farmers Market with Santa
 

Thank you to the Sheboygan Early Bird Rotary for having me as a guest lobster cracker at your event to benefit technical school scholarships for students in Wisconsin's 6th District!

 
Lobster Cracking in Sheboygan
 

I was joined by Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-IN) at the Reagan Institute Summit on Education to talk about how we can improve our K-12 schools as well as encourage more students to seek higher education degrees that fit their goals.

 
Regan Institute with Rep. Spartz 2
Regan Institute with Rep. Spartz 1
 

Americans need passports, but are unable to get them due to a backlog of applications at passport centers nationwide. I signed this bipartisan letter to Secretary of state Antony Blinken urging him to do all he can to make sure you’re able to receive your passport in a timely manner. Click the image below to view a larger version of the letter.

 
Blinken Passport Letter
Blinken Passport Letter 2
 

What is the best gift any child can receive? The answer is, by far, two loving parents who teach strong moral values. I spoke with members of the Family Policy Alliance about the importance of preserving this idea in today’s culture.

 
Family Policy Alliance
 

I recently returned from the Rio Grande Valley Sector of our Southern border. They reported processing 20,000 illegal migrants every week. This is just 1 of 12 sectors along the Southern border. The border crisis continues without any leadership from President Biden or Vice President Harris.

 
 
play button
 
 
 

Contact Me

 

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.


You can also stay up-to-the-minute by following me on Facebook (Congressman Glenn Grothman), Twitter (@RepGrothman) and Instagram (@RepGlennGrothman).

 
Sincerely,
Glenn Grothman Signature
 
Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress
WEBSITE | UNSUBSCRIBE | CONTACT
facebook icon  twitter icon  youtube icon