As of midnight on October 1st, the federal government is shut down. This was not something that I or any of my Republican colleagues wanted, but we were forced into it by Congressional Democrats.
On September 19th, House Republicans passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open while continuing to work on passing our bipartisan appropriations bills to fund the government next year. This was a clean, 7-week CR that would ensure that federal workers and service members continue to get paid and our government remains functioning. This was an apolitical resolution and included no partisan spending.
However, Senate Democrats, including our Senator Tammy Baldwin, are blocking the 60 votes necessary to pass it. Instead of working with us to keep the government open, they are holding our government hostage to cater to the far left in their party.
Their partisan demands include $1.5 trillion in new spending, free healthcare for illegal aliens, a $50 billion cut from rural hospitals, and $1.1 billion for left-wing media outlets.
While Democrats and the mainstream media continue to say that they do not want to provide free healthcare for illegals, they are simply lying to the American public. When Republicans passed our Working Families Tax Cuts earlier this year, we put an end to loopholes that allowed blue states to provide taxpayer-funded Medicaid to illegal aliens. In the Democrats’ current proposal, they would undo our work, allow this madness to continue, and provide $200 billion of your hard-earned money for free healthcare for illegal aliens. That is an indisputable fact.
To put it simply: Democrats are prioritizing illegal aliens over hardworking Americans, and it is shameful.
I urge every Senate Democrat to put their country over party, pass our clean CR, and reopen our government. Just last year, Senator Baldwin said, “American families suffer if we let the government shut down. It threatens to take Border Patrol off the beat, halt benefits for our veterans, and block food for families in need.” I sincerely hope she heeds her own advice and stops holding our government hostage. Wisconsinites deserve a senator who puts them first.
Despite the shutdown, my office is still open and here to serve the people of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. Please visit my website to find out how this shutdown may or may not impact you, and do not hesitate to contact my office if you need assistance.
Thank you for starting your weekend off with us! I hope you enjoy this week’s edition of The Wied Wire.
Watch my interview with Fox 11 news about the shutdown HERE.
District Update
Connecting with our Farmers
[see featured photo above] I recently had the pleasure of meeting with several members of the Shawano County Farm Bureau and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation at Genex in Shawano. We had a great discussion about their farming operations, the challenges they face, and the work I’m doing as a member of the House Agriculture Committee to support our great Wisconsin farmers right here in the 8th district. Thank you to Genex for hosting and to all of the Shawano County farmers who took the time out of your busy days to meet with me!
REMINDER: Congressional App Challenge Deadline October 30th!
As a reminder, all app submissions for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge are due in the Congressional App Challenge student submission portal by 12:00PM CT on October 30, 2025. Each year, Members of Congress have the opportunity to invite students to participate in this great initiative, one that provides middle and high school students with the ability to pursue an interest in STEM and computer science. If you have any questions regarding this year’s challenge, please contact my District Office at 920-301-4500.
Constituent Services Spotlight
Providing the best constituent services to the people of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District is a top priority for me. From Veterans Affairs (VA) to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), my staff and I are here to help! To request assistance with a Federal Agency, you can contact my District Office at 920-301-4500 or submit a message through my website here.
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 of a Great Egret at the Ken Euers Nature Area in Green Bay. If you would like to submit a picture to be featured in our Photo of the Week section, please email it to twstaff@mail.house.gov with your name and location.
