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 meeting with the Central Arizona Project where we discussed how we need to ensure Arizona has a steady supply of water. I also had a meeting with Oracle to talk about the importance of protecting consumers’ data privacy when crafting legislation in Congress. I also attended a round table discussion with cable providers to talk about focusing on populations without access to broadband and finding commonsense solutions to close the digital divide.

I was honored to meet with the Casertas, who are constituents from Peoria, AZ in our district. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Brandon Act, named after their son, fallen U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta, to establish a confidential process for our military servicemembers to self-report mental health issues and seek care without fear of retribution.

Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing

This week, I attended my first in-person hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on multiple bills. I offered an amendment in the committee to exempt lithium-ion batteries from the Democrats’ PFAS Action Act. These lithium-ion batteries are a key component in electric vehicles and are critical to securing our nation’s energy future. Unfortunately, Democrats on the committee blocked my amendment that would have helped bolster domestic production of these batteries to increase our global competitive edge and decrease our reliance on China. My full remarks can be found here.

Legislative Update

I wrote a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman calling out the agency’s inefficient management of the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant program and requesting that the SBA immediately prioritize the program. From launch delays, to applications being completely ignored, this program is riddled with mismanagement that leaves small venue operators in Arizona without the assistance they need. I voted for this funding to support businesses that were negatively impacted by COVID-19 and government-mandated shutdowns, and we must get to the bottom of this so that Arizonans can have the relief they deserve.

Fighting to Ban Money to the Wuhan Lab

I introduced the Stop the Outlay of Payments Act to stop all grant funding payments to organizations when they violate the terms of their agreement with the federal government. This legislation comes after reports that EcoHealth Alliance continued to receive federal grant money even though they violated the terms of a previous grant by failing to report the amount of money funneled to a lab in Wuhan, China that engaged in bat coronavirus research and posed serious bio-safety risks.

Ribbon Cutting

Austin from our office attended a ribbon cutting for Fairmont Village, a new assisted living and memory care facility located in Peoria, AZ that focuses on providing high quality care for all of their residents.

Pictured left to right: Owners Sean and Tara Mockbee, Austin

Encouraging Story

I want to share this story about how the Sun City Agua Fria National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) honored Vietnam War era veterans with 50^th anniversary commemorative pins to thank them for their service to our nation. This DAR branch has also partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense to recognize and thank veterans who served during the Vietnam War. With over 70,000 veterans in our district, it is always great to see people giving back to those who risked their lives to defend our nation.

Casework Highlight

A constituent reached out to our office because he had not received his 2020 tax refund after waiting 13 weeks. Our office reached out to the Internal Revenue Service, they were able to process the refund in three weeks, and the constituent received his 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