The Week in Review 

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week. I am grateful to serve you all in the 118th Congress. Read below to see what I’ve been working on this week. 

Voting Against the Speaker Johnson-Senator Schumer Reckless Stopgap Bill

I voted against Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Chuck Schumer’s continuing resolution (CR) that continues to fund the government at recklessly high levels through early March. CRs are short-term funding extensions that provide Congress more time to pass the required 12 appropriations bills. Unfortunately, Congress abuses CRs to maintain excessive spending policies and to avoid making substantial changes in annual spending. Congress was supposed to pass these bills in June, as mandated by law, but has dropped the ball. 

More than 100 House Republicans sided with House Democrats to pass this extension that carries unacceptable spending levels deeper into Fiscal Year 2024. This is yet another missed opportunity for House Republicans to achieve spending cuts, overturn Joe Biden’s radical policies, and secure the border. This is the third continuing resolution passed by the 118th Congress. 

Americans cannot afford another day of an open southern border or $34 million in national debt. Congress should not fund the federal government until these two items are addressed. We must continue to stand up against the DC Cartel and disrupt the status quo.

I’ll keep you all posted with more updates as we get closer to March. 

Protecting Salaries of National Security Personnel Amid Spending Fight

I introduced the “Funding A Secure America Act” to provide an alternative path to those who think Congress can only pass a bloated spending package or shut down the government. My bill would fund the salaries of national-security related personnel—including our military, Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, TSA, and Department of Veterans Affairs—through the end of the fiscal year. Doing so relieves the pressures of the all-or-nothing funding approach that often leads Republicans to pass spending bills that are bad for the country.

House Republicans have a huge piece of leverage against Joe Biden’s reckless policies—the power of the purse. If we want the border secured, if we want spending reined in, if we want left-wing policies ended, we cannot continue to fund Biden’s current policies. I will not support a spending plan that promotes bloated, COVID-era funding levels and continues the status quo, even if it means parts of the government temporarily shut down until the Biden Administration secures the border.

But we must provide for the federal employees who will continue serving on the front lines to keep our nation safe. My bill would fund their salaries until a new spending agreement is reached. This common-sense path provides the breathing room House Republicans need to fight for what’s right while ensuring our national security isn’t jeopardized.

The bill may be read here.

The Washington Examiner covered the bill here. 

Defending the Right to Life

I introduced the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act–legislation that provides pregnant women an opportunity to review ultrasound imaging before proceeding with an abortion. Credible studies have found that about 80% of abortion-leaning women choose to protect their unborn child after they view their ultrasound. My bill has received support from the National Pro-Life Alliance. 

The Biden Administration’s heinous pro-abortion policies continue to incentivize women to end the lives of innocent, unborn American children. My legislation provides pregnant women a safe and intimate opportunity to rethink their abortion. This subtle but important process change can potentially save millions of unborn lives. Defending the right to life remains one of my top priorities in Congress. 

The bill may be read here.

The Daily Signal covered the bill here. 

Thank you to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America for awarding me an ‘A’ grade on their national pro-life scorecard. 

I will continue to protect life from the pro-abortion mob while serving in Congress.

Holding the FBI Accountable for DNA Testing Failures at the Southern Border

I sent a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray in response to a report on the FBI’s DNA testing of illegal aliens encountered at the southern border. There is currently an alleged 15-month analysis backlog, inadequate funds to process the DNA tests, and not enough testing kits at CBP alien processing locations. These problems allow criminal illegal aliens to move freely throughout the country before law enforcement can act on evidence gathered from the testing. 

Americans deserve to know who is coming across their border. With more than 2.5 million encounters at our southern border in Fiscal Year 2023—including at least 169 on our terror watch list—it is necessary now more than ever to identify who is entering our country. 

The FBI does not appear to have a sufficient plan in place to provide quicker testing results and larger quantities of testing kits. That’s unacceptable. I look forward to hearing from Director Wray and to better understanding the FBI’s shortfalls.

The letter may be read here. 

Fox News covered the letter here. 

House Oversight & Accountability Committee Activity

The House Oversight & Accountability Committee held a hearing titled “The Biden Administration's Regulatory and Policymaking Efforts to Undermine U.S. Immigration Law.” My colleagues and I discussed how President Biden and his Administration’s radical immigration policies sparked the worst border crisis in American history. Immigration policy and law enforcement experts testified how the unilateral decisions by this regime are fueling unprecedented illegal immigration and threatening national security. The Biden Administration must return to deterrent-focused initiatives--including the ‘Remain in Mexico,’ program, construction of the southern border wall, and halting “catch and release” policies--to regain control of our southern border. 

I frequently travel to our southern border to survey Biden’s crisis firsthand. One hearing witness from the CATO Institute, a so-called “director” of immigration studies, has never traveled to our southern border. He was unable to tell me how many individuals on the terror watch list have unlawfully entered our country and has no business recommending immigration policies to Congress. Click the image below to watch some of my remarks from the hearing:

My full line of questioning may be watched here.

House Judiciary Committee Activity

The House Judiciary Committee held a markup and passed the following bills out of committee.

H.R. 5736, the Federal Accountability in Interviews Reform (FAIR) Act;

H.R. 1508, the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act;

H.R. 1709, the Tribal Firearm Access Act;

H.R. 5585, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act;

H.R. 6976, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act;

H.R. 6678, the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act;

H.R. 6679, the No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act.

Millions of Americans have been the victim of identity or credit card fraud. A 2018 report found 39 million cases of social security fraud committed by illegal aliens. H.R. 6678, or the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act, ensures that illegal aliens who have been convicted of social security fraud are not admissible to our country and are subject to deportation.

Click the image below to listen to some of my remarks on H.R. 6678:

Leading a Special Order on Border Security 

I led a special order on the House Floor where I discussed why Congress must withhold funds from the Biden Administration until they address our southern border. 

Click the image below to see some of my remarks: 

Legislation & Letters

Bills Sponsored:

• H.R. 6995 - Funding A Secure America Act  
• H.R. 7031 - Ultrasound Informed Consent Act  

Bills Cosponsored:

• H.Res. 941 - Condemning the final agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference that encourages "transitioning away from fossil fuels" (Rep. Miller) 
• H.Res. 974 - Expressing support for the designation of the week of January 21 through January 27, 2024, as "National School Choice Week” (Rep. Moolenaar) 
• H.R. 7035 - Death Tax Repeal Act (Rep. Feenstra) 

Letters Led:

• Letter to FBI Director Wray on the alleged 15-month backlog of processing DNA test kits from CBP. 

Letters Cosigned:

• Letter to Speaker Johnson Demand Defense Bill Prohibit Taxpayer Funds For Abortion Travel (Rep. Burlison)

Alien Invasion Border Documentary

Check out my border documentary titled Alien Invasion. The 30-minute documentary features footage from private ranches along the border, the Darien Gap in Panama, and interviews with members of Congress, Border Patrol, local and state law enforcement, and much more. It addresses how President Biden’s border crisis began, its consequences, and solutions to address the crisis.  

The border documentary may be watched here.

Top Media Appearances of the Week

I joined Fox Business with Liz MacDonald to discuss the latest on holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. Click the image below to see some of the segment: 

I joined Newsmax with Rob Finnerty and Sharla McBride to talk about how the Biden Administration is emboldening Iran and its global terror efforts. Click the image below to see some of the segment: 

I joined War Room with Steve Bannon to discuss Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership and the future of the Republican Conference. Click the image below to see some of the segment:

Tweet of the Week 

Veterans Corner

My HealtheVet

My HealtheVet promotes partnerships between Veterans and their VA providers. The program is a great resource for scheduling and viewing your medical appointments. Your doctor can help you use this tool to learn more about managing your health.

My HealtheVet additionally provides secure messaging. This is a safe way to contact your VA provider and health care team. Your medical correspondence history will be stored here. 

Veterans may access their  “My HealtheVet” account here and notify their physician of the emergency visit.

Constituent Services 

Flags
Would you like to purchase a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol? Flags flown over the Capitol include a certificate, which may be personalized for a particular person, event, or organization. Click here to learn more about purchasing a flag.

Internships
If you or someone you know is interested in completing an internship in either my Mesa or Washington, D.C. office, they can apply directly on my website. 

Help With a Federal Agency 
If you can’t get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. For example, my office routinely helps constituents with issues involving the Veterans Administration, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  You can learn more by visiting my website.

Click here to find out more information about my office’s services. 

Tours and Tickets

Interested in touring the White House or U.S. Capitol? As constituents of the Fifth Congressional District, you may request tickets and tours for various Washington D.C. destinations from my office. 

All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis, so request tickets early.

Click here for more information.