Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

This week was another crazy week in the U.S. House of Representatives! I flew back to Washington, D.C. for two votes in the House. The first was on a resolution calling on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, and the second vote was on a resolution to impeach President Trump. I voted no on both of these measures.

I Opposed the House Democrats' Push to Invoke the 25th Amendment

The resolution to require Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and take over as president was contradictory. With this resolution, the Democrats clearly displayed they have faith in Vice President Pence to act as president but demanding him to invoke the 25th Amendment indicates that they also believe the vice president cannot be trusted to make the decision on his own. I voted against this resolution, and my full statement can be found here.

I Opposed Impeachment

This week, the Democrats also pushed through another attempt to impeach President Trump. This impeachment was conducted at the 11th hour, just a week before President Trump is set to leave office. It is the fastest impeachment in our nation’s history, and I was alarmed by the lack of any debate leading up to the vote. Any act to remove a sitting president should only be done after intense debate and careful consideration. I could not support this resolution, and my full statement can be found here.

Great News!

I was also pleased to see that I was selected to be on the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 117th Congress. It is an honor to be selected to serve on this prestigious committee. It is one of the oldest committees in the House and has the largest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on this committee on issues including healthcare, consumer protections, telecommunication reforms, and America’s energy independence.

Legislative Update

I am proud to be an original cosponsor for Representative Steve Chabot’s amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ensure that Congress passes a balanced budget. This bill requires that Congress’ budget expenditures do not exceed their income unless Congress authorizes the excess by a three-fifths roll call vote in each chamber. It also would require the president to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. I am deeply concerned with the rapidly growing national debt. We need to curb our nation’s reckless spending and prevent future generations from suffering the consequences of fiscally irresponsible policies.

Encouraging Story

I loved seeing this story about the president of the Grand Pickleball Club, Troy Konz, and his wife who put together the “Grand Pickleball Club Homeless Project” with their pickleball club to put together backpacks with items including hats, scarves, socks, gift cards, blankets, coats, toiletries, and non-perishable food items for homeless people in the community. They also reached out to the Surprise Police Department and an advocacy group at New Beginning Worship Center to help with the distribution of the bags. It is so great to see how people are helping others in our local communities!

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because he needed to get a passport so he could schedule travel through his work, which would not schedule his travel until he had his passport in hand. Our office reached out to the Western Passport Service Center in Tucson, and they scheduled an expedited appointment at our request. The constituent reported that he received his appointment and was able to travel for work.

Coronavirus Casework Highlight

A constituent was helping her disabled son receive unemployment benefits after the business he worked for had to shut down due to COVID-19. He was approved for benefits and received a debit card from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), but he never received his funds. Our office sent his information to DES, and when they contacted him, they told him his funds were added to the debit card.

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 Instagram 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