Last week, I visited the FBI Field Office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I had an opportunity to meet with SAC Robert E. Hughes of the Milwaukee Division, Assistant SAC Robert D. Payne of the Milwaukee Division, and Assistant SAC Robert J. Botsch of the Milwaukee Division.
During my visit, we had a productive discussion about issues relating to fentanyl, human trafficking, the border crisis, and violent crime upticks in Wisconsin. The rising crime rates in Wisconsin were of particular concern. One important statistic I learned was that, as of right now, there have been roughly 550 nonfatal shootings so far this year in Wisconsin. Typically, there are around 400 nonfatal shootings per year, but based on the current trends the FBI agents said they could be looking at over 1,000 nonfatal shootings this year just in Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area. Local police and prosecutors are so overwhelmed that the FBI is developing a task force to partner with local communities to investigate these nonfatal shootings.
These troubling numbers come as little surprise amidst continued attacks on our law enforcement. Just earlier this month, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle renewed their demands to ‘Defund the Police.’
Earlier this year, I spoke in opposition to dangerous legislation on the House floor that would do exactly this. I vow to always push back against demands to defund the police and I stand steadfast in my support our men and woman in blue.
President Biden’s Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal
When President Biden took office, he promised the American people an orderly and responsible withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan. To that end, President Biden has failed.
If you’ve turned on the news recently, it’s been almost impossible to miss the horror unfolding in the Middle East as the Taliban regains control over the region. Just last month, the President dismissed suggestions that the Taliban would overtake Afghanistan, another serious misread from this Administration.
Even worse, as these extremists began to take over the entire country day-by-day, President Biden took off on vacation at Camp David. Not only does this failure of leadership leave American service members and civilians remaining in Afghanistan in a vulnerable state, but this irresponsible withdrawal unravels the last 20 years of work our men and women in uniform served to safeguard our freedoms abroad. President Biden must answer to the American people for the botched withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Emergency Scheduling Order for Fentanyl Set to Expire
The emergency scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances is set to expire this fall, leaving Speaker Pelosi little time to take action.
If this order expires, law enforcement will lose the authority to seize these extremely lethal drugs, drug traffickers will be empowered to push deadlier drugs on our streets, skirting federal law by creating new fentanyl formulas, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will lose the authority to seize these substances crossing the border.
I introduced legislation that I believe is the solution. My bill, the SOFA Act, would permanently designate fentanyl as a schedule I drug to ensure law enforcement always have the tools they need to do their job. The GAO released a report earlier this year on the implications of class-wide scheduling of fentanyl-related substances—something my bill would do. Law enforcement officials cited in the report found class-wide scheduling reduced incentives for cartels to circumvent the law through new & existing fentanyl substances.
While Democrats oppose my legislation on the grounds that it disproportionately subjects certain groups to mandatory minimum sentencing, this bill is a commonsense step to save lives.
House Update
Last week, the Democrats announced that the House will convene the week of August 23rd to consider a whopping $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget on the House floor. This Democrat backed initiative, drafted by Sen. Bernie Sanders, is completely irresponsible.
To name just a few items in this reconciliation bill: free community college, universal pre-K, mandatory paid leave, and tax increases on businesses that will lead to higher prices on things Wisconsinites buy every day.
This entire package is being passed under the guise of infrastructure, although it is far from that.
Original source can be found here.
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