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.

Requiring a Citizenship Question on the US Census and Ensuring the Representation of American Citizens Only in Congressional and Electoral College Apportionment

This week, the House considered H.R. 7109, the Equal Representation Act. This bill requires the US Census to include a question regarding the citizenship status of every individual in every household. There have only been four censuses in our country’s history that did not inquire about the citizenship status of individuals. The constitutional validity of a citizenship inquiry is well-founded. The bill also requires that only American citizens are counted in congressional and electoral college apportionment.

H.R. 7109 passed 206-202. House Democrats voted unanimously against H.R. 7109. Joe Biden and his regime do not want the number of illegal aliens disclosed to the public. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reports that there are now 16.8 million+ illegal aliens living in the United States–enough to account for approximately 22 seats in the House of Representatives. American citizens should not have their voices diluted by individuals who enter our country illegally.

I testified before the House Committee on Rules on the importance of passing the Equal Representation Act. Click the image below to watch some of my remarks:

I also managed Republican debate on the Equal Representation Act on the House Floor. Click the image below to see some of my remarks:

Fighting for Accountability Within the Politicized Federal Bureau of Prisons

I, along with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), sent a letter to Colette Peters, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), regarding her denial of a requested meeting between a Member of Congress and political prisoner Peter Navarro.

Earlier this week, Rep. Gaetz was denied a meeting with Peter Navarro while Dr. Navarro serves a four-month prison sentence. Additional allegations against the BOP involving Dr. Navarro include denying him the right to meet with his attorney.

Our letter demands that Director Peters explain the concerning politicization of the BOP. The letter also requests Director Peters’s testimony at a hearing in June before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, the subcommittee that I chair. There are many other issues reported from the BOP that require congressional oversight. The Judiciary Committee has oversight jurisdiction over the BOP.

Director Peters claimed that Dr. Navarro is “too notorious” to be interviewed by a Member of Congress, which holds little weight when many high-profile individuals, including mob boss John Gotti, were interviewed during their prison sentences.

Director Peters has a duty to provide answers to my colleagues and me at a hearing in my subcommittee. Congress will continue its constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight over unelected bureaucrats pushing a partisan agenda.

The full letter may be read here.

Exclusive coverage from the Daily Caller may be found here.

Opposing the Uniparty’s Vote to Kill Congresswoman Greene’s Motion to Vacate

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) brought her motion to declare the Office of the Speaker of the House vacant to the House Floor. The Uniparty immediately moved to table the motion to vacate, effectively killing the resolution. The motion to table Rep. Greene’s resolution passed 359-43.

I am profoundly disappointed with Mike Johnson’s tenure as Speaker of the House. When the Republican Conference first nominated Mike for Speaker, I was eager to work alongside him to bring real change to Congress. Unfortunately, Mike has maintained the status quo of growing the national debt and passing America Last legislation.

Speaker Johnson has embraced the idea of a European-style coalition government, too often relying on votes from House Democrats to prop up the DC Cartel’s legislation. Democrats voted to kill Congresswoman Greene’s motion to vacate the Chair.

The Democratic Conference made clear their intention to save his speakership, but I found it necessary to cast my vote in a manner that expresses my frustration with the Speaker’s lack of conservative leadership. 

I hope that the Speaker is not emboldened by this week’s vote and instead chooses to reflect on the many failures of his tenure. A Republican House ought to advance Republican policies instead of kowtowing to the Democrats.

Tele-Town Hall Wrap-Up

I hosted my virtual tele-town hall on Tuesday. Thousands of constituents joined the call to hear updates on what I’m doing in DC and Arizona’s Fifth District. We discussed the Uniparty’s foreign aid spending package, the Biden regime’s push to force taxpayers to pay off student loan debt, VA services, and much more. Be sure to keep an eye out for updates on my next tele-town hall! If you weren’t able to join us this week, click the image below to watch a recap:

House Judiciary Committee Activity

I traveled to Sahuarita, AZ, for a Judiciary Committee field hearing titled  “The Biden Border Crisis: Arizona Perspectives.” Not a single Democrat Member of Congress attended. My Republican colleagues and I spoke with retired law enforcement, local ranchers, and individuals who lost family members because of Joe Biden’s open border policies. Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens are crossing the southern border, and Arizona’s communities are suffering. Click the image below to watch some of my remarks:

Before the hearing, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) and I met with Border Patrol agents. It is crucial for elected officials to visit our southern border and speak with agents who are dealing with the consequences of Biden’s border policies.

The Judiciary Committee also held a markup and passed the following bills out of committee:

• H.R. 354, the LEOSA Reform Act.

Military Service Academy Conference Wrap-Up

Last weekend, I hosted our annual Military Service Academy Conference alongside the office of Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ). I am pleased to report that we had over one hundred attendees who were able to speak with representatives from my office as well as service academy liaisons for information about military academy nominations. I’m thankful for Rep. Eli Crane’s office and the service academy representatives who worked to make this event successful.

If you or a loved one is interested in receiving a nomination to attend a military academy, visit my website for more information.

Drop Zone 2024

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, my office will host our 5th annual DROP ZONE event!

Drop Zone is a one-stop resource fair for veterans, seniors, and residents of Arizona’s 5th District. Participants will have access to many valuable resources in one location: VA benefit consultations, health screenings, Taxpayer Advocacy Services, community support organizations, employment assistance, and more!

Drop Zone will be held on June 1, 2024, from 10 am to 2 pm at the American Leadership Academy Applied Technologies Campus located at 7729 E. Pecos Road, Mesa, AZ 85212.

Stay tuned for more updates. Drop Zone 2023 was a major success and we hope this year’s will be too!

Work Begins on the Apache Trail

As many of you know, a portion of State Route 88, the Apache Trail, has been closed since 2019. The Woodbury Fire, and the monsoon damage that followed, resulted in extensive trail damage and a massive rock slide that blocked the route entirely.

Since that time, my office has been part of a working group – including the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Supervisor Jeff Serdy and Pinal County, Tonto National Forest, the office of Congressman Eli Crane, members of our State Legislature, and local leaders – that is focused on repairing and safely reopening the route.

I’m pleased that ADOT recently began work on an interim reopening plan that will allow off-highway vehicles and high-clearance 4x4s to access the Apache Trail later this Fall.

While the trail won’t be fully open, ADOT crews will be able to access the area and continue work on long-term repairs that will protect this critical and historic route against future storm damage.

I’m grateful that this project is moving in the right direction and I thank our working group partners who have helped keep up momentum on this project. I look forward to traveling the Apache Trail soon.

Mike Benz Joins the What's the Biggs Idea? Podcast

On this week’s episode of the What’s the Biggs Idea? Podcast, I was joined by Mike Benz, a former official in President Trump’s State Department. Mike is a leading voice in online censorship by the federal government. We had a great discussion about the Uniparty’s refusal to require the federal government to obtain a warrant for searches of US persons and the concerning censorship we saw during the height of COVID-19.

Previous episodes of the podcast can be found on my website. Click the image below to watch this week’s episode:

Legislation and Letters

Bills Cosponsored:

• H.R. 8281 – Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (Rep. Roy)  
• H.Res. 1211 – Condemning the violent, anti-American and anti-Israel protests that are occurring on campuses of institutions of higher education nationwide (Rep. Bishop)

Letters Led:

• Letter to President Biden re Allegation Against FDIC Chairman Gruenberg
• Letter to BOP Director Peters re Denial of Request to Interview Peter Navarro

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 The Great America Show with Lou Dobbs to discuss Mike  Johnson’s failures as Speaker of the House. Click the image below to watch some of the segment:

I joined Dan Ball with One America News to discuss the Democrats’ opposition to the requirement of a citizenship question on the US Census. Click the image below to watch some of the segment:

I joined The Todd Starnes Show to discuss the border leverage surrendered by House Republicans. Click the image below to listen to some of the segment:

Tweet of the Week 

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.