APPLETON, Wis. — The devastating EF3 tornado that tore through our Fox Cities community is a heartbreaking reminder that natural disasters do not care whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents. They don’t care who we voted for, what church we attend, or where we live. They simply arrive, and when they do, our government – established for we the people – must be prepared to respond immediately.

My heart goes out to every family, business owner, first responder, volunteer, and neighbor whose lives have been turned upside down. Rebuilding will take months — perhaps years — and the financial cost will almost certainly reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. But the emotional cost will be felt even longer.

Moments like these remind us why the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) exists. Americans should never have to wonder whether disaster relief will become a political bargaining chip or whether Congress will have enough money available when tragedy strikes.

As your representative, I will fight to ensure that FEMA is fully funded every year and insulated from partisan politics.

That is one of the reasons I have proposed the #TinyTax—a simple, broad-based transaction tax designed to replace today’s outdated federal tax system while generating stable, predictable revenue for the programs Congress has already approved.

Under the #TinyTax framework, essential national priorities such as FEMA, Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, national defense, public safety, infrastructure, education, and other programs authorized by Congress would have a dependable funding source instead of facing repeated political brinkmanship and budget uncertainty.

Disaster relief should never depend on which party controls Washington.

The American people expect their government to show up when disaster strikes. That means having trained responders, adequate equipment, and the financial resources necessary to help families recover as quickly as possible.

The storms that devastated our neighbors this week are also a reminder that government works best when it focuses on solving problems rather than creating them.

We cannot prevent every tornado, flood, wildfire, or hurricane. But we can build a government that is financially prepared to respond every single time.

That is the promise behind the #TinyTax: a modern, sustainable way to fund the commitments America has already made, reduce political gridlock, and ensure that when Americans need help most, help is already on the way.

Read the full #TinyTax post here: https://www.mark4wi.info/post/tinytax