Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

This week, I was in Arizona, where I attended a Veterans Day celebration at Radiant Church in Sun City where I spoke about the work our office is doing to support veterans in our district and around the country. I was also grateful to go to the Pueblo El Mirage Veterans Day Celebration to honor our brave veterans, including two World War II veterans! I also joined Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers for Glendale’s flag-raising ceremony, a Veterans Day tradition in our community. I am thankful for all of the veterans who have served our great nation. This week, I also had a call with TSA Administrator Pekoske about what TSA is doing to maintain our security and how they are working to keep travelers safe during the pandemic.

Legislative Update

I wrote a bipartisan, bicameral letter with members of the Arizona congressional delegation to United States Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett to request a meeting to discuss Arizona’s exceptional qualifications for hosting the permanent location of the U.S. Space Command headquarters. This is an important letter advocating for Arizona. Arizona offers the necessary military infrastructure, future workforce, and community support for the U.S. Space Command. Our district is also home to Luke Air Force Base, and Arizona is home to multiple aerospace and defense industry companies that make Arizona uniquely qualified to host the U.S. Space Command headquarters.

Encouraging Stories

I loved seeing this story about an Air Force Veteran, Dennis Sheffield, who received a Veteran's Day surprise! An organization called Baths for the Brave remodeled his bathroom for free so he can live and take care of himself safely! His family was also able to fly in all the way from Pennsylvania to join in the surprise. It is so important we honor our veterans who sacrifice so much to serve our country and defend our freedoms, and I love seeing the ways people give back to honor their service!

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because she had withdrawn from Medicare Part B in February of 2018, but she was still being charged Part B premiums. She had contacted Social Security and Medicare, but she was never able to get the issue resolved. Our office contacted the Social Security Administration, and they were able to confirm her withdrawal date. They worked with the payment center to expedite a refund of her premium amounts, and the constituent reported receiving her refund within three days.

Coronavirus Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted us because he did not have health care coverage and thought he may have had the Coronavirus. Our office researched the issue and found local emergency rooms close to him where he could go to get treatment. We also discussed coverage options available through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and connected him with a plan specialist who could take his initial benefits application over the phone.

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