Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I was honored to meet with Madam Ambassador Milena Mayorga, Ambassador of El Salvador to the United States to discuss immigration at our nation's southern border and the U.S.'s trade relationship with El Salvador.

I also attended a ceremony on Sunday with Governor Doug Ducey to honor Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, a member of the Arizona National Guard, for her promotion from Brigadier General to Major General and her appointment as Arizona’s Adjutant General and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. I wish her the best of luck in her new role, and I am confident she will continue to lead with strength and courage.

I toured the Goodyear Fire Department Station #181 with Goodyear, AZ Mayor Georgia Lord to see the new and innovative technologies that aim to protect firefighters from cancer.

I also went to the Robson Reserve at PebbleCreek, where I took a tour and spoke with the residents about services our office provides and what I am doing in Congress to serve Arizonans. I also met with AIPAC to receive an update on the current situation in Israel and the nuclear talks with Iran. I am a strong supporter of our ally Israel and am opposed to the Iran Nuclear Deal that will allow Iran to build up its nuclear arsenal and threaten both Israel and our national security.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearings

I attended a hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee with U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Raimondo where I discussed the importance of increasing domestic chip manufacturing. This is vital to both our energy security and Arizona, as our state is on the cutting edge of chip manufacturing and is home to both the Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Intel. My full remarks can be found here.

I also attended a hearing with the full committee markup on six pieces of legislation. These include the Cyber Sense Act, led by Representatives Bob Latta (R-OH) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, also led by Representatives Bob Latta and Jerry McNerney. I am a cosponsor of these bills that seek to boost our nation’s energy infrastructure and enhance our energy security against foreign and domestic threats. Unfortunately, Democrats in the committee blocked an amendment from Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) to disapprove of the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which only benefits Putin and increases Russia’s energy dominance. Additionally, Democrats failed to include Republican input in their legislation to address Federal Trade Commission reforms and privacy standards, and instead, they put forward a partisan bill that fails to address key issues.

Legislative Update

I signed on to Representative Garret Graves’ (R-GA) letter to President Biden strongly opposing his decision to waive sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. This pipeline will allow Russia to pump more natural gas to the rest of Europe, increasing our allies’ dependence on Putin and Russia. This decision will also cost American jobs and harm our global energy leadership. It is also worrisome that Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline that would have supported American jobs and our nation’s energy security and independence, yet he has given the green light to a pipeline that will benefit our adversaries.

Congressional Recognitions

I was proud to present Congressional Recognitions to Brandon Griffith and his nonprofit, Griffith Blue Heart. Brandon Griffith founded this nonprofit in 2014 after he suffered from cardiac arrest and wanted to better prepare law enforcement for facing cardiac emergencies. Griffith Blue Heart trains law enforcement officers and other first responders through specialized medical programs to better respond to cardiac emergencies. I was also able to present certificates to law enforcement officers who attended Griffith Blue Heart’s advanced training program.

Pictured left to right in the first photo: Brandon Griffith, Congresswoman Lesko

I also presented a Congressional Recognition to Tim Rilley, Arizona Program Director for Sky Kids, a nonprofit founded in June 2011 that provides flights in aircraft with expert pilots to children with special needs. Children experience the wonders and enjoyment of a flight while building self-esteem and confidence by being in command of the airplanes. Tim Rilley is a resident of Goodyear, AZ and is also a Vietnam War veteran.

Ribbon Cutting

Austin from our office attended a ribbon cutting for 808 Social, a coffee shop in Peoria, AZ. The coffee shop was started by Matthew and Charis Browne and specializes in serving Hawaiian-inspired drinks and food to its customers.

Encouraging Story

Monica from our office attended the Women’s Corps meeting at the Salvation Army in Glendale, AZ where the Women’s Corps visited the Glendale Police Department’s Union Hills Division. They brought goody bags for the police officers and thanked them for their service. Two officers in attendance also recently celebrated 20 years of service as police officers!

Casework Highlight

A constituent filed her 2020 taxes in March 2021, but she had yet to receive her refund. Our office reached out to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and as a result, the IRS finalized processing her return and issued the constituent her refund.

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