Backdoor Spending

This week at an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, I questioned experts on “backdoor spending”, which is federal agency spending that occurs outside of the federal appropriations process. This means that federal bureaucrats are deciding how tax dollars are being spent with no Congressional oversight. Due to prior Congresses ceding power to bureaucrats, “backdoor spending” has increased by 88 percent since 1994.

I strongly believe that all spending should have Congressional oversight in order to stay accountable to you, the voter. Backdoor spending is a serious issue and must be curbed. We cannot allow federal bureaucrats to determine where and how tax dollars are being spent without approval or oversight from Congress. It is not fair to hardworking taxpayers. I will be sure to continue the dialogue on backdoor spending and urge the Committee to further investigate how we can put an end to this. For more on my line of questioning and full remarks click here.

Veterans Tax Fairness Act

This past July, over 130,000 veterans throughout the country were informed that they were eligible for a refund from a lump-sum disability severance payment that was inadvertently taxed. This refund is made possible by The Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act. This act provides tax relief to veterans through a refund of taxes paid on disability severance payments.

Military service members eligible for the tax refund under the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act include any veteran who discontinued military service after January 17, 1991 and received a one-time disability severance payment, which, at the time, was included as income on their tax return. I support this tax refund for military service members as it provides well-deserved tax relief to soldiers who have served our country and its people.

The Department of Defense is in the process of administering those letters to the veterans eligible for the tax relief and the IRS has released information on how to ensure ones disability severance pay refund will be distributed to them. Click h ere for full information including a complete set of instructions on how to help veterans obtain their disability severance pay refund.

Farm Bill Passage

This week, Congress passed the Farm Bill and it now heads to President Trump's desk for approval. The 2018 farm bill supports farmers, protects crop insurance and conservation programs, invests in efforts to expand foreign markets, and prioritizes agricultural research and rural development.

This bill is critical to providing all stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers and consumers, as well as the sectors and industries that rely on them, with a consistent playing field over the next five years. Not only does it provide farmers with stability and support, but it also addresses the needs of the modern farming industry.

One of the changes made to dairy policy in the new Farm Bill requires the USDA to establish regionally located dairy innovation centers to assist dairy farmers with diversifying their products to appeal to the modern market. Additionally, the new Farm Bill legalized and provided crop insurance for industrial hemp, a commodity that I have been fighting for, and will boost Wisconsin's agricultural outputs. Overall, the Farm Bill addresses many of the contemporary concerns of the agriculture industry and provides stability to farmers across the country.

Weekly Roundup

Instead of walking to my next meeting indoors, I decided to get some fresh air. Its always a pleasure to walk by such a beautiful building!

Worker earnings growth is at 3.2%, the highest level since 2010, and is far outpacing inflation.

Merry Christmas to the brave men and women keeping our country safe overseas! And thanks to American Red Cross for getting these letters to our troops.

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,

Member of Congress