Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

This week, I was in Washington, D.C. for votes in the U.S. House of Representatives. I had a call with the Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security to discuss ongoing issues with constituents having difficulty receiving their unemployment benefits in a timely manner. I also had a meeting with the Maricopa County and Arizona Farm Bureaus about the need for rural broadband and the need to use water rights in Arizona effectively so that we can support our farmers as our state continues to grow and develop. I also had a meeting with the National and Arizona League of Cities, as well as Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat, about issues they are facing due to the pandemic and potential solutions at the federal level.

I voted against the Democrats’ resolution to allow the Senate to use budget reconciliation to get around the 60-vote threshold so that they can push their partisan stimulus bill and enact the agenda of the radical left. This bill would cost almost $2 trillion on top of the over $3 trillion Congress has already authorized in COVID-19 relief, and over $1 trillion of those previously authorized funds remain unspent. The proposal also contains provisions that would bail out state governments that have shut down people’s livelihoods and provides education funding to schools with no incentive for them to provide an in-person learning option. This stimulus bill is bad policy that does nothing to help struggling Americans who need relief the most.

Great News!

I am proud to announce that I was selected by Republican leadership to serve as an Assistant Whip to Republican Whip Steve Scalise for the 117^th Congress. Assistant Whips are responsible for helping the Whip get an accurate read on where members stand on important pieces of legislation. They also work to answer any questions or address any concerns that members have with upcoming bills. It is an honor to be selected as Assistant Whip, and I am looking forward to advancing conservative policies that benefit Arizonans and all Americans.

Legislative Update

I introduced the Border Crisis Prevention Act to address the root causes of the national security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border. This is an important bill to increase the integrity of our asylum system, address backlog in the system by increasing the number of immigration judges, and keep our communities safe by allowing the detention of illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. This bill will help border states like Arizona fix our broken immigration system while upholding our border security and national security.

I also introduced bipartisan legislation, the VA Medical Center Transparency Act, to increase transparency within Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. This bill will help Congress track VA medical facilities’ performances and how they can better serve our veterans. I am proud to represent over 70,000 veterans, and we must ensure that veterans who have served our nation receive the best care possible.

Encouraging Story

It was great to see this story about a team of Luke Air Force Base airmen and an Arizona State University graduate student that was selected as one of five finalists for a national Air Force competition after developing a 3D augmented reality system to help pilots train for combat. Congratulations to this team—they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, and I am proud of their work supporting our active duty military service members.

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because she had received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service that a check had been mailed out to her from her deceased mother's estate. However, the check was never received. We submitted an inquiry on her behalf, and after providing the necessary documents, the check was released to the constituent.

Coronavirus Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office because she was trying to file her weekly certifications for unemployment but was unable to access her portal. We asked the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) if they could have an adjudicator contact the constituent. DES said that the constituent’s phone number was not accurate, however, we confirmed that her phone number on record was correct. We sent another request to DES and asked that they help walk her through the portal. The constituent was contacted, the errors on her portal were fixed so that she could file her weekly claims, and her money was auto deposited into her account.

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