Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good morning,

This week, I was in Washington, D.C., where I attended multiple hearings in the Rules Committee and a markup on multiple bills in the House Judiciary Committee. I also attended a hearing in the Homeland Security Committee on the Department of Homeland Security’s management of Trusted Traveler programs. The House voted on Speaker Pelosi’s Coronavirus relief bill, which I could not support because it takes advantage of the pandemic to push radical policies and has no chance of getting signed into law. Eighteen Democrats also joined all of the Republicans in voting against this bill.

Week in Review 

Watch the video below to get an update on all I’ve been doing this week in Washington, D.C.

Legislative Update

I am pleased to let you know that legislation I sponsored with Representatives Karen Bass and Guy Reschenthaler, the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act, passed on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives! This is important, bipartisan legislation that will help support and improve conditions for incarcerated pregnant women and their babies, and I hope the Senate passes the bill quickly.

Encouraging Stories

Great to see this story of retired Glendale Fire Engineer Don Jesse, who went above and beyond to help some Glendale residents, one of whom is a veteran. Don Jesse was alerted that a family had vaulted ceilings and had no way to get to their smoke alarms, so Don brought his extension ladder and some batteries to their home. Don replaced their batteries and ensured all their smoke alarms were working properly. Thank you to Don for helping keep people in our community safe!

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because he and his wife had been waiting three months for their passports and had heard nothing from the State Department. They had a trip scheduled that was quickly approaching. Our office reached out to the State Department and conducted an inquiry on the status of their passports. Shortly after our inquiry, their applications were processed, and their passports were sent. The constituents received their passports the day before they left for their trip just in time.

Coronavirus Casework Highlight

An active-duty service member reached out to our office because he believed he was in a toxic work environment at his overseas duty location, and stress due to the Coronavirus pandemic was leading to mental health issues and suicidal thoughts. During this time, he was also notified that his mother passed away due to the Coronavirus. Our office was able to assist in expediting his return to the continental U.S. so that he could receive a change in work assignment and additional medical treatment for his mental health care and be closer to his family.

Voter Registration

The deadline to register to vote in Arizona is October 5, 2020, and Maricopa County offers several resources for voter registration. If you would like to sign up to be on Maricopa County’s Permanent Early Voting List, please click here. To check on your voter registration status, or register to vote online, please click here. To sign up for Maricopa County Elections Department text and email updates, click here. These text and email updates will let you know when your mail-in ballot has been received, when the signature on the envelope has been verified, and when your ballot has been counted. 

We are Here to Help

As always, my office is here to help. Both my Surprise district office and Washington, D.C. office are open to serve constituents. We are available over the phone and via email at both offices. In addition, the Surprise district office is taking appointments for in-person meetings with staff. We are not accepting walk-in meetings at this time due to the Coronavirus. For the safety of staff and constituents, we will be observing CDC guidelines, including wearing masks and social distancing. To make an appointment with the office, please call 623-776-7911. 

Please feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office via phone at 202-225-4576 or via email by going to my website at https://lesko.house.gov/contact/.

I encourage you to visit the website and to also follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page for up to date information about the ongoing outbreak and available resources. 

May God continue to bless you and our great Nation. 

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko