I hope you had a great week as you returned from a happy and restful Easter with your family and loved ones this past weekend.
It has been so good to be home in Wisconsin’s 8th District over the past two weeks. During this time, I’ve had the chance to travel across Northeast Wisconsin, visiting local businesses, celebrating the winners of our 2025 Art Competition, meeting with first responders, and touring facilities like the Green Bay Austin Straubel Airport (GRB), the Fox Cities YMCA, local food pantries and more. Meeting with members of our community and local leaders is truly the best part of my job. My mission is always to represent the interests of the great people of Northeast Wisconsin.
On top of all that, it has been very exciting to kick off NFL Draft Week here in Green Bay. This is a great opportunity to welcome NFL fans from all over the country and show them why Wisconsin’s 8th District is truly the greatest district in the country.
Thanks again for starting off your weekend with us! We hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Wied Wire.
I was happy to speak at the Green Bay Port Symposium and discuss my work on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as highlight the significant economic impact our ports have on our district.
Read more about my speech by clicking HERE.
In the Wieds
Breaking the Ice
This week I joined my colleagues, Representatives Stauber (R-MN) and Barrett (R-MI), in requesting funding for a second heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes as a part of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s budget reconciliation process. The Great Lakes facilitate $3.1 trillion in gross domestic products and support over 25 million jobs. However, heavy ice build-up in winter results in lost jobs and revenue due to inadequate icebreaking capabilities. Currently, the USCGC Mackinaw is the only heavy icebreaker stationed in the Great Lakes. A second heavy icebreaker would significantly enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to keep vital shipping lanes open during the harsh winter months, protecting both regional economies and national supply chains.
Supporting our Second Amendment
As your Congressman, I am a proud supporter of your Second Amendment rights. For this reason, I recently cosponsored H.Res. 339 introduced by Representative Roger Williams (R-TX) that formally disapproves the Biden Administration’s open and flagrant attacks on your constitutional rights. This resolution also commends the actions the Trump Administration has and will continue to do to support the Second Amendment. In addition to this resolution, I have also cosponsored other legislation including H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which will establish a federal framework to allow Americans who are able to carry a firearm in their state to do so across state lines. Additionally, I have also cosponsored H.R. 221, the Abolish the ATF Act, as well as H.R. 2395, the SHORT Act, which will remove short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “certain other weapons” categories from the National Firearms Act. I look forward to continuing my advocacy for American’s constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights from further government infringement.
Tour Requests
If you and your family are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. this summer, please let my office know! My staff is more than happy to help set up the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and other tours. Please visit https://wied.house.gov/services/tours-and-tickets to let us know your plans. Tours for the White House must be scheduled three months in advance so fill out the form soon if you are interested!
District Update
Supporting our Veterans
I had the honor of attending the veteran breakfasts in both Suring and Gillett where I met dozens of men and women who heroically served our country. I also presented LT COL Betsy Arndt with a letter of commendation to recognize her recent promotion in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
Thank you to Oconto County Veteran Service Officer, Ron Christensen, Suring American Legion Post 283, Jay Tousey, and Doug Klismet for your efforts in putting together these events to honor and thank our local veterans. If you or anyone you know is having an issue with the VA, please contact my District Office at 920-301-4500.
ICYMI: 2025 Congressional Art Competition Winners Announced
Last week, I attended the 2025 Congressional Art Competition reception held at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay to announce this year’s winners. Kylie Kirkland is a student at Kimberly High School and was the winner of this year’s competition for her chalk pastel drawing titled, “Black Jack.”
First place – Kylie Kirkland
Second place – Esther Gilkerson
Third place – Brinley Woodrow
The first place artwork will be displayed in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol, second place will be displayed in my Washington, D.C. Office, and third place will be placed in my District Office. It was great to see over twenty works of art from talented young artists representing five high schools in our district! Thank you to all the teachers and students who participated in this year’s Congressional Art Competition.
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
I recently had the opportunity to visit and tour the Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin facility located in Appleton. During my visit, I learned that Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin has a network of nearly 400 food pantries, meal programs and shelters and services 35 counties in the State of Wisconsin. I want to thank CEO and President, Patti Habeck, her outstanding team and volunteers that work tirelessly day in and day out to solve hunger.
Photo of the Week
We have received so many wonderful pictures since we launched the Photo of the Week section of the Wied Wire, and I would love to see more. This week’s photo comes from the NFL Draft in Green Bay where there were over 125,000 fans in attendance for the first night! If you would like to submit a picture to be featured in our Photo of the Week section, please email it to [email protected] with your name and location.
