Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Friends,

Good afternoon, and happy Tuesday!

Last week, I issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 1834, which would extend temporary COVID-era Obamacare subsidies for three years. This legislation does not include safeguards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in Obamacare marketplaces.

“My position on this issue has remained consistent: supporting an Obamacare bailout is beyond fiscally irresponsible and does nothing to fix our failed healthcare system. That’s why I voted to pass the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which delivers real healthcare reforms that benefit all Americans, not just the 7% of people on Obamacare's exchanges.

“The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act codifies the Trump Administration’s 2019 Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) rule. HRAs are a proven solution to the problems caused by Obamacare. They allow employers to set aside tax-free dollars for employees to use on medical expenses for themselves and their families. HRAs give employees the ability to select the health plan that works best for them instead of being forced to a single, employer-sponsored option.

“I also voted in favor of the Working Families Tax Cuts bill that was signed into law by President Trump. This legislation provided a historic $50 billion investment in rural healthcare. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Wisconsin received a $203 million award under the Rural Health Transformation Program. This legislation also expanded eligibility to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by reclassifying Bronze and Catastrophic Marketplace plans as qualifying High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). These changes will provide over 157,000 Wisconsinites with the new opportunity to use HSAs for their medical expenses.

“According to the Congressional Budget Office, this three-year Obamacare subsidy extension adds over $80 billion to the deficit. Where does this money go? To insurance companies. A recent Government Accountability Office report also found widespread improper payments and weak verification, exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

“After 15 years, Obamacare has delivered higher premiums and fewer choices. Let’s not forget: Democrats shut down the government for 43 days in an attempt to force a bailout for a subsidy sunset they created themselves when they passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 with only Democrat votes.

“Bottom line: Democrats literally created this healthcare problem, and Republicans are focused on delivering solutions to Obamacare.”

Keep reading on to hear additional updates about what's been happening in Washington and Wisconsin. I hope you have a great week!

Rep. Fitzgerald Meets with VA Secretary Doug Collins

Recently, I had a great conversation with VA Secretary Doug Collins about improving TRICARE and delivering better care for Wisconsin servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Secretary Collins has been a strong advocate for veterans, and I appreciate his leadership as the VA works to better serve those who served our country.

Rep. Fitzgerald’s Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act Passes House Judiciary Committee

My bill, the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act, legislation aimed at combating radical bail policies by subjecting bail bonds to insurance fraud laws, passed the House Judiciary Committee last week. Specifically, the bill defines bail bonds as insurance products, which subjects them to federal insurance fraud laws and allows states to enact licensing requirements for corporate, for-profit, and non-profit entities that post bail on behalf of defendants.

Public safety must come first, and our bail system should never be exploited by left-wing groups that help put dangerous criminals back into our communities. This bill closes loopholes that allow bail funds to operate without meaningful oversight and brings accountability to a process that too often ignores risk and prior violent conduct. I thank Chairman Jordan for bringing this bill before the Judiciary Committee and my colleagues for their support as we work to ensure the bail process prioritizes safety over soft-on crime polices. I introduced this legislation with the six victims of the 2021 Waukesha Christmas parade in mind, and it will help ensure a tragedy like that never happens again.

Read my press release here.

Main Street Capital Access Act Press Conference

Last week, the House Financial Services Committee held a press conference in support of the Main Street Capital Access Act. I was proud to stand alongside my colleagues in support of the legislation as it ensures community banks can focus on serving families, small businesses, and local economies. Our goal is to make life more affordable for Americans and to empower Main Street.

The legislation package includes four of my bills:

• H.R. 5262, Bank Competition Modernization Act: Modernizes outdated bank merger review standards. Specifically, it creates a $10 billion asset threshold, adjusted for growth in nominal GDP, under which federal banking regulators provide a safe harbor from the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) competition analysis, allowing small community banks to grow and achieve operational efficiencies without the delays associated with the DOJ’s competition review.
• H.R. 3379, Halting Uncertain Methods and Practices in Supervision (HUMPS) Act: Strengthens transparency in how banks are evaluated. Specifically, it directs the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) to revise the CAMELS rating system by establishing clear, objective standards for each component and updating the formula used to calculate a bank’s overall rating. It also calls for eliminating or reforming the subjective “Management” component, focusing instead on measurable risk governance and internal controls.
• H.R. 6570, Merger Agreement Approvals Clarity and Predictability Act: Addresses political intrusion into the regulatory approval process for bank mergers and acquisitions.  Specifically, it requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a thorough review of how federal regulators use commitments and conditions when approving mergers of insured depository institutions. It also directs GAO to determine whether regulators rely on extra-statutory considerations, such as policy preferences or non-statutory goals, when conditioning merger approvals.
• H.R. 1900, Bank Failure Prevention Act: Revises the Federal Reserve Board’s review process of merger and acquisition applications for bank holding companies. Specifically, it requires the federal financial regulators to promptly inform applicants whether their application is complete and to either approve or deny an application within 90 days of filing.

Rep. Fitzgerald Talks Streaming Competition and Affordability + Netflix-Warner Bros. Deal

Recently, as Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, I held a hearing titled, “Full Stream Ahead: Competition and Consumer Choice in Digital Streaming.” The hearing examined competition among digital streaming services and how antitrust law relates to a consumer-facing industry undergoing changes through mergers and acquisitions.

Netflix’s agreement to acquire Warner Bros. begins an important conversation about consolidation in the streaming industry and its impact on consumers.

Mergers can create efficiencies, and the streaming industry is no exception. By vertically integrating content production and distribution, platforms can eliminate redundancies and deliver high-quality content at lower prices.

While concerns about competition and the already distressed theatrical film industry deserve serious consideration, antitrust law is meant to protect consumers by promoting competition, and any potential harm must be weighed against consumer benefit.

If a merger results in greater choice, lower prices, and a less fragmented streaming experience, it’s not something we should automatically oppose.

Constituent Services Highlight

If you are a constituent that can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, our office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. Please visit the Help with a Federal Agency page on my website for more information.

That wraps the updates from this edition of my eNewsletter. Thanks for reading along! Be sure to stay up to date on my work on behalf of the 5th District of Wisconsin by following me on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Sincerely,

Scott Fitzgerald
Member of Congress