Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

This week, I was back in Arizona! It was good to come back home after two very crazy weeks in Washington, D.C. I am pleased to announce that I have been selected to serve on two subcommittees on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. I will be serving on the Subcommittee on Energy and the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce for the 117th Congress. I am very excited to build on my experience from the Arizona State House and Senate to advocate for “All of the Above” energy policies that provide high-quality, low cost energy solutions for all Americans. I am also looking forward to working on issues including interstate and foreign commerce, consumer protection, data privacy, travel, and tourism. These are important issues, and I hope to work with my colleagues on solutions that benefit all Arizonans and Americans. My full statement and information on these subcommittees can be found here.

Legislative Update

I am an original cosponsor of Representative Greg Steube’s legislation, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which has been reintroduced in the 117th Congress. This bill provides a level playing field for women and girls in competitive sports by ensuring that federal education funds do not go toward schools that permit a biological male to participate in female-only sports programs. This is an important bill to uphold Title IX and the integrity of women’s sports, as well as to protect the privacy of female athletes.

Congressional Recognition

Gisele from our office presented a Congressional Recognition to Paul Schickel, who is a member of the Daisy Mountain Fire Department and runs many of their public trainings, including CPR and the Community Emergency Response Team, a group of volunteers who assist the fire department in the event of a disaster. He was also recently named as the Public Servant of the Year by the Anthem Chamber of Commerce. Our office is proud to recognize Paul for giving his time and energy to serve his community.

Ribbon Cutting

Gisele also attended a ribbon cutting for Moment of Truth Physical Therapy in Peoria. Founded by Amy Vander Linden, Moment of Truth helps women have healthy, active pregnancies and faster recoveries after delivery so they can get back to doing the activities they love. It is great to see places like this supporting expectant mothers!

Encouraging Story

I loved seeing this story about Maricopa County volunteers at the non-profit, For Goodness Cake, which bakes and delivers birthday cakes to children in foster care and other children in need. They have volunteers serving children across the Valley. Volunteers bake cakes and decorate them the way the children want. It is so great to see so many people stepping up to help children in need and make their birthdays special!

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because he had applied for disability benefits twice and both applications were denied. Our office worked with the constituent and his family to get through the hearing process. The constituent received a favorable judgment, was approved for benefits going back to September 2017, and received his back payment.

Coronavirus Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because she filed for unemployment and received a debit card but did not receive her benefits. We sent her information to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), and they told her they fixed the issue. However, she still did not receive her benefits. She then contacted the agency, and they told her it was an IT issue, but after two weeks, it was still not fixed. We then followed up with DES again, they were able to have IT fix the issue, and her benefits were released within three days.

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