Anaphylaxis occurs when someone suffers a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction, most commonly from insect stings, food items and medications. Anywhere from 500-1,000 fatal cases of anaphylaxis occur per year in the United States and is the cause of hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and emergency room visits every year. 

Dillon Mueller was a Mishicot native who tragically passed away in 2014 at the age of 18 after being stung by a bee and falling into a coma due to anaphylaxis. Dillon was unable to receive Epinephrine in a timely manner. Read more about Dillon’s story here.

Since then, his parents, Angel and George Mueller, started the Dillon Mueller Memorial Fund, which has already helped 3,000 Wisconsinites obtain training through the Do It for Dillon Epinephrine Certification Program, approved by Wisconsin Department of Health and the Wisconsin Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons. The course lasts approximately 1 hour, is free of charge and can be provided for any community entity or group interested in Epinephrine training. You can read more about the program by clicking here.

I have worked with Angel and George to introduce H.R. 7873, the Epi for Dilly Act, to incentivize states, using existing grant programs, to expand epinephrine training programs. A version of our bill has already been signed into law in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana with overwhelming bipartisan support.

This bill isn’t limited to children, however. The legislation incentivizes states to allow any properly trained individual to administer Epinephrine to someone experiencing a severe allergic reaction. In Wisconsin, Dillon’s Law was passed with bipartisan support before it was signed into law by Governor Walker in 2017.

Dillon Mueller’s passing was a tragedy. No parent should have to endure the loss of a child, and that is what Dillon’s parents are working to prevent going forward. Training for delivery of epinephrine to an individual is cost effective, quick and can prevent tragedies from occurring every year. I hope that my colleagues in Congress will join me in learning more about Dillon Mueller and how the Epi for Dilly Act can save lives throughout the country.

Dillon Mueller

This week, I joined Congressmen Mike Gallagher, Ron Kind and Tom Tiffany in sending a bipartisan letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and Department of Helath and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar urging them to reconsider dietary guidelines that prohibit full-fat dairy products from being included in federal programs, such as school lunch programs.

We are concerned that the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) did not fairly or seriously consider a massive body of recent science-based research showing that longstanding caps on saturated fats are not supported by science.

You can read the full letter by clicking here.

On August 8, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order to defer the employee portion of Social Security payroll taxes for certain individuals. On August 28, The U.S. Department of Treasury released guidance providing additional detail for the implementation of this executive order. It is important to note that this will not decrease the monthly benefits of social security recipients.

• Department of Treasury Guidance
• IRS Guidance
• FAQ

As you may know, many attractions in Washington, D.C. have been temporarily closed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. This week, the White House announced that it will be reopening to a limited number of public tours starting September 12, 2020 with new health and safety policies in place. If you would like more information or to apply, please visit my website by clicking here.

This week’s Fond du Lac County Towns Association meeting was the first in-person meeting in months and very productive. I discussed how the COVID-19 bills Congress has passed this year are affecting the County.

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 Sixth District. 

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