Speaker Ryan's Retirement

I first met Paul Ryan at GOP events in Wisconsin and could not be more impressed with his enthusiasm, sincerity and knowledge. It was no surprise when he was elected to Congress in 1998 because it was easy for voters to see that he is an intelligent guy who cares about doing the right thing.

As Speaker, possibly his greatest achievement was ushering in the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - which has already brought middle-class families benefits. This productive step forward has not been done in about 30 years!

Paul had a successful run as Speaker of the House, but it took over a month to convince him to accept the job over concerns that he would be away from his family. Not surprisingly, he will be leaving his position as Speaker after two and a half years in order to spend more time with his wife and children. I believe he will be forever known as the family first Speaker.

I am happy for Paul and his family.

I look forward to working with him as he continues to be a part of the discourse in Washington and to continuing to seek his advice and counsel in the future.

Thanks for your Service Speaker Paul D. Ryan!

Speaker Ryan with Congressman Grothman and his family

Balanced Budget Amendment

We are $21 trillion in debt.

That is more than $65,000 for every man, woman and child in America. The reckless government spending today will be a burden to our children and grandchildren tomorrow.

With that in mind, the House brought H.J.Res. 2 to the floor for a vote. This bill proposed the idea of adding an amendment to our Constitution stating that for each fiscal year, government spending could not be greater than revenue.

Unfortunately for our country, the vast majority of Democrats voted against this resolution, striking it down. Voting no on this bill was in essence voting yes for more debt, more partisanship and kicking the can down the road.

I voted voted yes on H.J.Res. 2 and no on the recently passed omnibus because we desparately need to get our fiscal house in order.

Member Financial Transparency Act

This week, I introduced a bill to further deter members of Congress from “insider trading-like” activities.

Due to the nature of the job, members of Congress often receive information on actions that will be taken up by Congress before the general public does. It was brought to my attention that some members, both Republicans and Democrats, decide to use this information for personal financial gain. In the private sector, this is called insider trading and it is strictly illegal.

The Member Financial Transparency Act will require members of Congress to file reports to either the House or Senate Ethics Committee on transactions in stocks, bonds, commodities futures and other forms of securities no later than seven days after the transactions are completed. The bill also modifies the deadline period for the House Clerk and Senate Secretary to make these reports public to no later than 10 days after receipt.

It is time members of Congress on both sides of the aisle stop providing themselves with special rules and play by the same ones as everyone else in the stock market. I believe this is a serious issue that the press needs to cover but it is currently underpublicized.

Wisconsin in D.C.

As always, some of the highlights of my week are when I get to meet with local Wisconsinites in my Washington, D.C. office to talk about issues important to them!

I had a great conversation with the Wisconsin Bankers Association on how tax reform and regulatory relief are helping Wisconsin’s small businesses.

I had an electric conversation with the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association.

The Wisconsin Paper Council makes sure Wisconsin manufacturers are able to keep our schools, libraries and businesses stocked with the paper they need!

As a recovering lawyer, I was happy to meet with the folks from the State Bar of Wisconsin to talk about legal services provided to local communities.

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.

Sincerely,

Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress