On Wednesday, President Trump announced wide-ranging reciprocal tariffs on imports from more than 180 countries around the globe. With these tariffs, President Trump has made it clear that we will no longer allow other countries to take advantage of our economy and our citizens.
For years other countries have levied heavy tariffs on the United States without repercussions. We will no longer accept this. If a country wants to tax the United States for our goods, we will do the same to them.
The goal of these tariffs is simple: to bring jobs and manufacturing back to our country and open foreign markets to American products. If companies want to avoid these tariffs, they will do business in the United States.
I applaud the President for taking a stand against years of unfair trade practices and ensuring we put American workers first. It’s time our foreign trading partners finally live up to their end of the bargain. We need to level the playing field and encourage our trading partners to come to the table to negotiate free and fair trade. I believe that other countries will want this as well.
President Trump and I want to grow our economy and bring jobs back to this country so American workers and families can thrive. These tariffs are a crucial first step towards making that a reality, and that is something we should all be able to rally behind. In fact, our economy added a strong 228,000 new jobs in March, greatly exceeding market expectations.
Watch my full interview with ABC News discussing the President’s tariff announcement HERE.
Last Call: Congressional Art Competition
Reminder to young aspiring artists in WI-08 – all signed documents and artwork to be considered for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition must be delivered by next Monday, April 7th, 2025, by 5 pm to my District Office located at 1702 Scheuring Road, Suite B, De Pere, WI 54115. If you have any questions, please contact my District Office at 920-301-4500. You can also find additional details on my website.
Digging Into Organic Agriculture
This week, I was proud to become a Co-Chair of the bipartisan Organics Caucus with my colleagues Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME). This caucus serves as a bipartisan group of Members of Congress dedicated to the issue’s affecting America’s organic farmers and consumers. Wisconsin is home to the third largest number of organic farms. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic retail sales have grown around 8 percent per year over the last decade. Due to this impressive growth, it is critical we help these producers and consumers retain market access and expanded consumer choice to healthy and nutritious Wisconsin-grown food.
Bridging Gaps in Transportation
The Transportation Development Association (TDA) of Wisconsin is an alliance of over 400 transportation stakeholders. The TDA includes businesses, labor unions, citizen groups, local government, and individuals, dedicated to the development and maintenance of a safe, modern, and interconnected transportation network in Wisconsin. I had the pleasure of addressing TDA stakeholders during their D.C. fly-in to discuss my first months in Congress and the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization. This reauthorization will provide funding for federal highways, public transportation, and passenger rail programs, along with transportation safety and research. I look forward to continuing to engage with a wide array of stakeholders like the TDA to see how these issues impact our state and local communities.
Recent Legislation
Working to Improve Rural Maternal Health
In recent years, we have seen a decline in dedicated labor and delivery facilities in rural hospitals with more than 80 rural hospitals across the United States closing labor and delivery facilities since 2022. Unfortunately, our district saw the recent closure of ThedaCare’s Waupaca labor and delivery center. Even before this closure, some women in our district faced travel times of over 45 minutes to safely deliver their baby. These high travel times increase the risk of complications for both mothers and babies. This week, I was proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act to help in lowering these risks. This bill would provide training and equipment for medical staff in rural healthcare facilities to provide emergency obstetric services during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. More rural healthcare facilities equipped for labor and delivery means shorter travel times and a lower risk of complications for both mothers and their babies. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve access to healthcare in rural America. Click here to learn more about this bill.
District Update
Soaring Eagle Scouts
This past weekend, I was honored to attend the Court of Honor ceremony in Appleton to recognize five boy scouts of Troop 12 for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations to Matthew Suprise, Austin Pauli, Preston Haines, Benjamin Jacobe, and Benjamin Rhodes on this prestigious honor. I am proud to represent such remarkable young men in Congress!
Supporting our Veterans
I recently attended the 6th Biennial Veterans Benefit Expo in Waupaca. I had the privilege to speak with men and women who heroically served our country and learned about more than 40 different organizations that provide assistance to veterans relating to VA compensation, home loans, healthcare, education, and more. Thank you to Waupaca County Veteran Service Officer Jesse Cuff for your work on this event! If you or someone you know is experiencing an issue with the VA, please do not hesitate to contact my District Office at 920-301-4500.
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 is from a spot well known by locals for their craft beer, root beer, and cream sodas – none other than Chilton’s beloved Rowland’s Calumet Brewing. When Rowland’s first opened their doors in May 1990, it was the third smallest brewery in the nation, and Chilton became the smallest city to house a brewery.
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.
