The Week in Review 

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week. I am grateful to serve you all in the 119th Congress. Read below to see what I’ve been working on this week.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Charlie Kirk

On Wednesday, at the first stop of Turning Point USA’s American Comeback Tour, Charlie Kirk was politically assassinated for peacefully debating his opinions. His wife, Erika, and Charlie's young children are in my family's prayers as I know the Lord will cover them in love. Cindy and I ask everyone to continue praying and sending strength to the Kirk family.

We have tragically lost a tremendous leader and a friend. But his most important role was as a loving husband, father, and devout Christian who shared his faith unapologetically. 

Charlie Kirk was an inspiration to an entire generation and will be remembered as someone who changed the course of our country. We will take the time to mourn and grieve our loss.  

But in the immortal words of President Donald J. Trump after the attempt on his life, we must “Fight, fight, fight!”

Honoring the Victims and First Responders on the 24th Anniversary of 9/11/01

24 years ago, we witnessed one of the darkest days in American history. No matter how oppressive the evil forces standing against us, the American spirit will never die. 

We will fight with every fiber of our being to ensure that it never happens again.

Let freedom ring.

House Passes 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

This week, the House passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is the legislative vehicle that authorizes policies, programs, and spending for the Department of War.

Three of my amendments to this year’s NDAA were adopted unanimously. My amendments require the DOD to perform an annual audit, prohibit the federal government from purchasing sensitive IT equipment owned by the Chinese Communist Party, and require the DOD to study the costs, benefits, and feasibility of deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) on military installations to keep our bases secure and our energy resilient.

My amendment requiring an audit of the Pentagon is a bipartisan effort and is crucial for accountability within the executive branch. In addition to requiring an audit, my amendment reduces the funding of the DOD by 0.5% when it is unable to produce a clean audit. In 2024, the Pentagon failed its sixth consecutive audit, failing to properly account for 61% of its $3.1 trillion in assets. Despite the fact that the Pentagon has never produced a clean audit, Congress continues to fund its fiscal irresponsibility. I applaud the House’s passage of my amendment and encourage my friends in the Senate to ensure its position in the final text.

I also sponsored an amendment to prevent woke environmental groups from slowing military readiness. Unelected bureaucrats and activist groups exploit the Endangered Species Act to impose restrictions that do little to recover species, but much to block military land use and weaken readiness. My amendment ensures military and National Guard lands cannot be designated as critical habitat when the DOD determines those lands are necessary for national defense. Click the image below to hear more about my amendment:

Unfortunately, my amendment to bolster military readiness was struck down. I will continue leading the effort to stop woke activist groups from interfering with military preparedness.

Joining President Trump for Dinner
at the Rose Garden Club

It was an honor to join President Donald Trump for the inaugural Rose Garden Club dinner. 

I’ve been on his team since the beginning, and I’ll always fight for his America First priorities. I’m grateful to work alongside the greatest American president of my lifetime.

Speaking at HSI’s HERO Program Graduation

It was an honor to speak to this year's graduates of Homeland Security Investigation’s Human Exploitation Rescue Operation (HERO) Child-Rescue Corps Program.

HERO trains veterans to become computer forensic analysts to combat child exploitation and rescue victims.

Thank you for your service!

House Oversight and Government
Reform Committee Markup

The Oversight Committee held a markup and passed fourteen bills to combat crime in Washington, D.C., bolster President Donald Trump’s efforts to restore law and order, codify key elements of President Trump’s March 27, 2025, Executive Order on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful, address chronic juvenile crime and truancy, and expand Congress’s Constitutional oversight role over the District.

My bill, the Strong Sentences for Safer D.C. Streets Act, changes the mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines in D.C. Code commensurate to nationwide standards for criminal sentencing, including for first- and second-degree murder, rape, first-degree sexual abuse, kidnapping, carjacking, and first-degree burglary.

The D.C. criminal code contains mandatory minimums that are much lower than the rest of the nation. For instance, currently second-degree murder and rape have no mandatory minimum sentence. First degree burglary has only a five-year mandatory minimum. First degree child sexual abuse has no mandatory minimum. My legislation updates mandatory minimums for a few violent crimes. My bil nsures that several offenses including first and second-degree murder, rape, first-degree sexual assault of a child, armed and unarmed carjacking, and first-degree burglary are taken seriously in D.C. courts. These reforms are necessary to address violent crime in the District.

Click the image below to hear more about my bill: 

In addition to my bill, the Oversight Committee passed the following out of committee:

• H.R. 5183, The District of Columbia Home Rule Improvement Act;
• H.R. 2693, District of Columbia Electronic Transmittal of Legislation Act;
• H.R. 5103, Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act;
• H.R. 5214, District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act;
• H.R. 5242, A bill to repeal D.C.’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act of 2016 and the Second Chance Amendment Act of 2022;
• H.R. 5163, Clean and Managed Public Spaces Act;
  H.R. 4922, DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (DC CRIMES) Act;
• H.R. 5140, District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act;
• H.R. 5181, SOAR Act Improvements Act;
• H.R. 5107, Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now in D.C. (CLEAN DC) Act;
• H.R. 5143, District of Columbia Policing Protection Act;
• H.R. 5125, District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act;
• And H.R. 5179, District of Columbia Attorney General Appointment Reform Act. 

House Judiciary Committee Markup

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

• H.R. 4371, Kayla Hamilton Act;
• H.R. 4323, Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025;
• H.R. 3770, Fighting Irrational Regulatory Enforcement to Avert Retailers’ Misfortune (FIREARM) Act;
• H.R. 3592, Protect LNG Act of 2025;
• And various measures to amend the United States Code.

NEXT MONTH: Senior Citizens Resource Fair

Join me on Friday, October 3, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM for a Senior Citizens Resource Fair. It will be held at Redemption Church in Gilbert and will feature an informational session and Q&A with federal and local resource providers.

For more information, please reach out to my office at 480-699-8239.

The Congressional App Challenge is Back!

Applications are now open for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge! I encourage all interested Arizona students to participate for the chance to have your app featured in the U.S. Capitol and on the House of Representatives’ website. 

Visit the Congressional App Challenge website to register before October 30th.

Letters and Legislation

Bills Cosponsored:

• H.R. 1525 - Protecting Life from Chemical Abortions Act

Letters Cosigned: 

• Letter to Speaker Johnson and Chairmen Jordan and Comer on the Formation of a Select Committee to investigate the Left’s assault on America and the rule of law

Top Media Appearance of the Week

I joined Fox News with Harris Faulkner to discuss the millions of illegal aliens who crossed our borders under Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas. Click the image below to watch part of the segment: 

I joined Newsmax2 with Ed Henry to discuss Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies. Click the image below to watch the segment:

I joined Kathleen Winn on Winn Tucson to discuss the life and legacy of my friend Charlie Kirk. Click the image below to listen to part 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 
I 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.