Thank you for reading my newsletter. Here's a summary of last week:

Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Good morning, SE Wisconsin! It was another hot weekend but I continue to hope and pray for some rain and relief for our farmers and gardeners in the state. It’s another packed week ahead, so let’s get right into the recap of last week:

One of my first committee assignments in Congress was the Education and the Workforce Committee. This issue area has remained a top priority of mine which is why I was proud to introduce the STUDENT (Stopping Teachers Unions from Damaging Education Needs Today) Act last week. The bill works to reform the National Education Association (NEA) Federal charter and rededicate the organization to the pursuit of increased student learning and quality education in schools across America.

Unfortunately, since receiving its federal charter, the NEA has strayed far from its original purpose, becoming little more than a political machine masking as an advocate for public education and students. It’s time to put students at the forefront again, especially in the wake of the pandemic school era. I hope this legislation puts the NEA back on a more purposeful track that advocates for student and school excellence. 

Capitol Hill was also graced with the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog who gave a joint address to Congress last week. Israel is one of our most important allies in the defense of democracy and it was a privilege to welcome President Herzog to commemorate not only this alliance but the 75th anniversary of Israel’s statehood. The U.S. stands strong with our friends in Israel.

Keep reading below for important district and legislative updates and be sure to reach out to my office if you’d ever like to leave a message or need help with a federal agency.

Have a great week!

- Scott

Introduced a Bill To Reprioritize Student & School Excellence  

I introduced the STUDENT Act to rein in some of the worst practices to help make the NEA less divisive, more in line with other federally-chartered organizations, and more responsive to the needs of students.

Since receiving its federal charter the NEA has strayed far from its original purpose, in fact, at a conference in recent years, the NEA voted down a business item to “rededicate itself to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America,” but voted in support of the right to an abortion, supporting illegal immigration, and expanding professional development for educators to help create student Gender Sexuality Alliance clubs.
 
The bill adds accountability and transparency provisions commonly found in other federal charters to improve the NEA Federal charter, including:

• Notifying employees of their First Amendment right to refrain from membership
• Receiving clear and affirmative consent to membership and payment of associated dues
• Prohibiting the NEA from engaging in political activities and lobbying
• Requiring the NEA to submit annual reports to Congress
• Prohibiting NEA affiliates from harming students and families with school-shuttering walkouts
• Requiring NEA officers to be U.S. citizens
• Repealing a unique-to-NEA D.C. tax break

The STUDENT Act will rightly hold the NEA accountable to students, parents, and schools.

Penned an Op-Ed for The Wall Street Journal

When Congress granted the National Education Association a federal charter in 1906, it tasked the union with promoting “the cause of education in the United States.” In so doing, lawmakers recognized it as one of the country’s official “patriotic and national organizations.”

Today the NEA (along with the American Federation of Teachers) haunts public education with unparalleled influence in the service of advancing left-wing politics. At the NEA’s 2023 Representative Assembly in Orlando, Fla., this month, the union’s leaders were true to form: cheering an address by President Biden, excoriating Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “attacks on students,” and justifying their intense partisan rhetoric by claiming that “love is actually what fuels our anger.”

As the nation nears another school year, our students desperately need more advocates for quality education. The STUDENT Act that I introduced will help move toward that goal by reining in America’s largest teachers union from its excesses and encouraging it to return to its founding ethos.

Click here to keep reading the op-ed I penned alongside Freedom Foundation CEO Aaron Withe.

Welcomed Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Capitol Hill

It was an honor to welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Capitol Hill last week for a joint address to Congress.

President Herzog came to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Israel’s statehood and reaffirm the U.S.-Israeli relationship. While the U.S. stands strong in alliance with Israel, his visit came on the heels of false and blatantly insensitive comments made by a colleague across the aisle about the country. Thankfully, the House moved swiftly to pass a resolution with resounding support to condemn antisemitism and affirm Israel is not a racist or apartheid state. I was proud to be a part of the coalition supporting this resolution— we must continue to stand strongly with our Israeli allies.

You can click here if you’d like to watch President Herzog’s full address.

Voted to Pass the Schools Not Shelters Act

Educational facilities should be used for educating, not housing illegal immigrants. This may seem like commonsense to most of us, but unfortunately, a wave of Democrats have recently proposed using school gymnasiums and college campuses as housing for immigrants.

Let’s be clear, this awful solution is being proposed because the Biden administration’s open border polices have turned every state into a border state. Schools should be focused on helping students recover from devastating pandemic-era learning loss, which is why I was proud to vote in support of the Schools Not Shelters Act last week.

This bill prohibits the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter or housing for immigrants who have not been admitted into the United States.

The academic success and safety of students must be put first, and the Schools Not Shelters Act makes sure of it.

Interested in a Service Academy Nomination? Don’t Miss Academy Day!

Interested in a Service Academy Nomination? If so, I am pleased to invite all interested students, teachers, and parents to join staff from Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation to meet representatives from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Military Academy, and Naval Academy. This event is a terrific opportunity to learn if a military academy is the right fit for your student and what steps you can take to have a successful path into our nation’s most revered academies.

Logistical details are below:

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
Time: 9 A.M. — 12:30 P.M.
Place: Experimental Aircraft Association
EAA Aviation Center
3000 Poberezny Road Oshkosh, WI 54902

That’s a wrap for this week’s eNewsletter! Follow me on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on my work for the 5th District of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Scott Fitzgerald
Member of Congress