The Week in Review

Happy Friday!

It was a busy week in Washington, D.C. and my newsletter will tell you all about it! I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve Arizona’s Fifth District in Congress. I hope you’ll read below to learn more about my efforts to represent my constituents.

State of the Union

On Tuesday, President Biden gave his first State of the Union
address to Congress. It was the first time since 2020 the House chamber was open to all House members and Senators for the speech. But, since Speaker Pelosi opted to lock the place down and impose testing requirements on all attendees, I watched the speech from
my Capitol office. 

President Biden had a lot to answer for in his speech–a crisis at the southern, record-high inflation, decline in real wages, disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the policies and posture that paved the way for Russia to invade Ukraine. But, to no one’s surprise, he didn’t answer for any of it. I wrote an op ed comparing the state of our nation today to a year ago, and you can read it by clicking here.
I also live-tweeted my thoughts during the speech, which you can read on my Twitter page. 

Telephone Townhall 

On Tuesday, just before the State of the Union, I held a telephone townhall with my constituents. I gave an update on what I did–and didn’t–expect President Biden to address in his speech and fielded constituents’ questions on a variety of topics, including America’s dependence on Russian energy, how to balance our nation’s budget, how to secure the southern border, and ending COVID-19 mandates. I always enjoy talking directly with constituents and appreciate your participation in the call. See below for the responses to the 3 poll questions asked during the call. 

Calling on Russia
to Withdrawn from Ukraine

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed H.Res.956, which calls for Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine. I condemn Russia’s unprovoked attack against Ukraine in the strongest terms. President Putin has shown himself to be a power-hungry tyrant whose actions have caused unnecessary harm, death, and global instability. H.Res.956 expresses that sentiment and rightfully encourages the United States and our allies to aid the Ukrainian people as they seek to defend themselves against Russia’s violence. 

My vote in support of H.Res.956 came with serious reservations. The language of the resolution opens the door for American troops to become involved in Ukraine, perpetuating a false notion that the United States is the defense force of the world. Instead of blindly reaffirming an “ironclad commitment” to NATO’s Article 5, Congress should debate each potential use of military force to determine whether it’s in our national interest. I would have preferred a resolution that did not include superfluous language, such as a reference to statutorily undefined “strongmen”. But given the seriousness of Russia’s actions, I supported H.Res.956 to condemn Russia’s invasion and affirm my support for Ukraine.

For more of my thoughts on Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, check out the video I posted to my Twitter page by clicking below.

Speech on Biden's Border Crisis

This week, I gave a speech on the severity of Biden's Border Crisis. Deadly fentanyl is flooding across our border and into our communities, women are being assaulted by their cartel handlers, cartels put out a hit on Cochise County Sheriff's deputies, HHS admitted it has lost 20,000 unaccompanied alien children, and Border Patrol apprehended more than 2 million illegal aliens in the last year. All this, and the Biden administration is doing nothing to address it.
It's shameful. Click below to hear my full speech to the House. 

Follow-up Letter to DOJ
Regarding Targeting of Parents

Today, I sent a follow-up letter with 12 of my Republican colleagues to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers to questions in my November 19, 2021, letter regarding reports the FBI had been tracking concerned parents who had the courage to speak out at local school board meetings. Attorney General Garland must explain to Congress what efforts he took to target parents who speak out for their children, especially given President Biden’s announcement that DOJ is forming a new domestic terrorism unit. We need to know what DOJ considers domestic terrorism to ensure they won’t be using their power to target individuals solely because they disagree with the administration. Parents have every right to be involved in and stand up for the quality of their child’s education. It is unacceptable for Attorney General Garland not to respond to our legitimate request for information about his department’s activities. The lack of transparency from the Biden administration will not be tolerated.

The letter sent in November can be viewed here. 

The letter sent today can be viewed here. 

Save the Date: Drop Zone 2022

If  you haven’t already, mark your calendars for our 3rd annual Drop Zone event on Saturday, April 23, 2022. Drop Zone is a resource fair for veterans, seniors, and their families to gain easy access to the services they need. Check out the poster below for more details.
We’d love to see you there!

Tweets of the Week