Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

I had a busy last week in Washington, D.C. including several votes in the U.S. House of Representatives! I participated in a classified briefing with Secretaries Anthony Blinken, Lloyd Austin and Alejandro Mayorkas, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on the ongoing situation with Ukraine and Russia.

It was an honor to be asked to speak at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s energy briefing to discuss ways to make the energy industry more consumer-friendly. Our priority has to be first and foremost, reliable, affordable energy for every American!

I also sat down with the Commercial Real Estate Development Association’s Arizona Chapter to discuss issues related to their industry and how they are adapting to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was happy to attend a virtual meeting with teachers from Arizona during the Joint National Committee for Languages’ Advocacy Day to discuss world language education programs!

In the News

I want to make sure that you don’t miss a minute of what I’m doing to fight for our Arizona values each and every day. Check out some of my latest interviews and press clips to learn more. 

One America News Network

ICYMI: I criticized the Biden Administration for continually being caught in untruths and their mishandling of our southern border.

You can watch my interview with Stephanie Hamill on One America News Network here:

A Starting Point

Human trafficking is a horrendous crime that happens everywhere, including in Arizona. WATCH my interview with A Starting Point to find out more about this form of modern-day slavery here:

Constituent Services Op-Ed

Read my latest op-ed in the Peoria Times about all the constituent services our office offers. Click below to read!

One Year of Biden’s Crises Op-Ed

Read my latest op-ed in the Washington Examiner on President Biden’s disastrous first year in office. Click below to read!

Lesko Talks About Our Nation's Over-Reliance on China

Watch me ask questions on our over-reliance on China and how the Biden Administration's energy policies are causing increased prices in a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing.

Lesko Supports the University of Arizona Cancer Center

I urged the National Cancer Institute to renew its Cancer Center Support Grant to help the University of Arizona Cancer Center conduct cancer research and treatment for Arizona's cancer patients.

Lesko Calls on the IRS to Address Backlogs and Customer Service Failures

I joined Rep. Darin LaHood’s letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen raising concern about the current IRS backlog and its potential impact on the 2022 Tax Filing Season.

GET THE FACTS: The Democrats’ America CONCEDES Act

As you may have heard, Democrats came up with a bill that claims to help our nation compete on the world stage, but in reality the Democrats’ America Concedes Act is a legislative gift to Communist China. This bill fails to compete with China, it fails to hold them accountable for releasing COVID-19 into the world, and it fails to counter China for their human rights abuses. This bill also allows members of the Communist China Party to take advantage of a new visa program to get into our country easier. This bill is a waste of American taxpayer dollars on issues that are completely unrelated to China. It includes $8 billion for the United Nation’s Green Climate Fund and $2 million per year in foreign aid to countries to combat climate change.

Around the District 

Our office presented a Congressional Recognition to A Mighty Change of Heart for the hard work they have put in to providing duffel bags filled with essential items for children entering the Arizona foster care system. To date, they've provided bags to over 7,000 children across Arizona!

Monica from our office attended Kiwanis Club of Glendale's 50th Anniversary. Please join me in wishing them a happy 50th anniversary!

Michael from our office attended a packing party at Packages From Home in Glendale, Arizona. These packages go to U.S. military members who are deployed overseas and include requested food, hygiene, and entertainment items! Over 550 packages were packed at this event.

Austin from our office attended a ribbon cutting for A to Z Polish Market, a grocery store in Surprise, Arizona that offers authentic Polish and German items for sale. Wishing this new business a warm welcome to the #AZ08 community!

Monica from our office attended the grand opening for Aroga, which specializes in wellness products. Welcome to Arizona’s 8th Congressional District!

Casework Highlight

A constituent reached out to our office after being a victim of a scam related to his Social Security benefits. After helping him open communication with the Social Security Administration, he was awarded the benefit owed to him.

Encouraging Story

I am happy to share this story about IdentiFREED, a thrift store in north Phoenix that is helping women who have been affected by drug addiction and human trafficking. This faith-based non-profit provides all items in its store for free to women who are recovering from drug addiction or human trafficking. Items cost $5 or less for the public. Money from the store's sales to the public goes toward outreach. It is great to see members of our community stepping up to help others during tough times!

Mobile Office Hours

Our office is hosting Mobile Office Hours on February 9, 2022, at the City of Peoria Development and Community Services Building Benchmark Conference Room from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM AZ Time. Our casework team is ready to answer your questions and assist you with federal agencies.

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, Parler, and Gettr, 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