Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good afternoon,

It is great to be back in the great state of Arizona! This week, I was honored to attend Ring That Bell in Sun City, AZ and celebrate July 4th with everyone! It is a great annual tradition where we ring our very own replica of the Liberty Bell to celebrate our freedoms and the birth of our great nation.

I also met with Aval Daryani, a senior at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, AZ. Our office recently awarded Aval a Congressional Recognition for his efforts to support communities impacted by COVID-19. He led a group of students who donated K95 and homemade masks to the Navajo Nation and Deer Valley Unified School District and organized meals for more than 300 doctors and nurses. Aval also tutored students during online learning last year and has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

I met with Krista Aufdemberge, who also recently received a Congressional Recognition from our office. Since she graduated from Liberty High School in Peoria, AZ in 2016, Krista has volunteered in several of Peoria Unified School District’s kindergarten classrooms. When she was unable to volunteer in person in the classrooms due to COVID-19, Krista began recording encouraging videos for the students to watch!

Hispanic Advisory Board Meeting

I also held another meeting with our Hispanic Advisory Board, which focuses on issues facing the Hispanic community in our district. We took a tour of the Goodyear, AZ Police Department with Goodyear Chief of Police Santiago “Jimmy” Rodriguez, who is a member of our board. We also heard from Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb who provided us with an update on the ongoing crisis at our southern border and discussed his experience dealing with the crisis.

Pictured from left to right: Goodyear Police Chief Rodriguez, Gabriel Rivas, Sheriff Lamb, Congresswoman Lesko, Mrs. Janel Lamb, Monica Yelin, Melinda Cadena, Cristina Junge, Gabriela Orozco, and David Alvarado

Mobile Office Hours

Our office is hosting mobile office hours this Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at the Youngtown Clubhouse from 2:00-4:00 PM AZ Time. Our casework team is ready to answer your questions and assist you if you are having issues with a federal agency.

Legislative Update

I am proud to cosponsor Representative Clay Higgins' legislation to urge the Biden Administration to immediately resume border wall construction and finish the wall! Under President Trump, our nation saw 458 miles of border wall completed with hundreds of additional miles fully funded but not yet constructed. Unfortunately, Biden halted border wall construction with an Executive Order on his first day in office. Requiring Biden to finish the wall is a critical step in securing our southern border and addressing Biden's border crisis.

I cosponsored Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ American Broadband Act to close the digital divide by targeting rural and unserved areas and promoting broadband infrastructure and rural wireless infrastructure deployment. This legislation also removes barriers to investment and deployment, encourages public-private broadband partnerships, unleashes private investment, and streamlines the permitting processes. Remote working and learning have shown that a lack of access to broadband harms families, and this legislation is an important step in closing the digital divide.

I joined with Representative Andy Biggs to demand that President Biden provide answers on his door-to-door COVID-19 vaccine push. This push is deeply concerning and violates the privacy of American citizens. The federal government should not be concerned with Americans' private health decisions and should not be entering our communities in an attempt to pressure people into getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

I also joined Representative Matthew Rosendale in expressing concerns to the U.S. Olympic Committee regarding the growing trend of American athletes using their platform to push divisive, anti-American rhetoric. Olympic athletes are barred from any demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda in any Olympic site or venue, plus our U.S. Olympic athletes should be representing our nation on the world stage proudly and patriotically.

Ribbon Cutting

Monica from our office attended a ribbon cutting for SWAN Rehab at their newest location in Goodyear, AZ. Since 2003, SWAN Rehab has been providing physical therapy and rehab services to patients of all ages and conditions.

Pictured left to right: South West Valley Chamber Board Secretary Bridgett Bess, Outpatient Rehab Director Elizabeth Moore, Outpatient Clinical Managers Michelle Whalen and Rachel Dorsey, South West Valley Chamber President Jeffery Campos, Chamber Member Robert Lamb

Monica also attended a ribbon cutting and presented a certificate at the opening of the Edward Jones office, a financial services company, in Goodyear, AZ. It’s great to see businesses opening and growing our local economy!

Pictured left to right: Monica, Brannon Hampton

Encouraging Story

I want to share this story about the Hospice of the Valley, which was presented with the Copper Eagle Award by the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society for its work compassionately supporting veterans in the community. Over the past 10 years, volunteers with the Hospice of the Valley’s Saluting Our Veterans program have made around 3,000 visits to veteran patients and their families to honor their service and sacrifice for our nation.

Casework Highlight

A constituent reached out to our office because he filed his 2020 taxes in February 2021, but he had not yet received his tax refund. Our office reached out to the Internal Revenue Service, and they were able to process the return shortly after.

We are Here to Help

As always, my office is here to help. My Surprise district office is now open and serving constituents. To make an appointment with the office, please call 623-776-7911.

My Washington, D.C. office is open and answering your calls. Please feel free to contact us 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, Instagram, and Parler and like my Facebook page for up to date information on what I'm doing and how my office can help you.

May God continue to bless you and our great Nation.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko