The Week in Review

Happy Friday!

The House was not in session this week, but I was still working hard to advance the interests of the Fifth District. From examining methods to counter President Biden’s reckless $1 trillion student debt bailout plan to holding the Department of Homeland Security accountable for facilitating taxpayer-subsidized illegal alien flights, I hope you’ll read below to learn about the important happenings from the week: 

Biden’s Asinine $300 Billion Student Debt Bailout Plan

This week, President Biden announced a new student loan bailout plan for Americans making under $125,000. The plan provides up to $10,000 in debt relief to each qualifying American and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. The plan will cost American taxpayers at least $1 trillion, according to the latest estimates from the Penn Wharton Budget Model. 

The bailout plan is an affront to American taxpayers, hurts our middle class, fails to address the astronomical cost of higher education, and will exacerbate inflation. The proposal is simply a midterm election gimmick that is inconsiderate of the national interest. Only Congress has the power of the purse or the ability to tax and spend public money for the national government.

The egregious plan has been widely criticized—even by prominent Democrats and the editorial board of the Washington Post. 

Biden’s student loan bailout is not only a terrible policy, but it is also a moral failure. Middle-class Arizonans shouldn’t be forced to pay for coastal elites’ graduate degrees—especially when most middle-class Americans have been fiscally responsible and worked hard to pay off their loans. 

My colleagues and I in Congress are examining methods to hold this administration accountable by raising public awareness of the issue, crafting congressional letters, and exploring litigation.

I will keep you all posted. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci Announces Retirement. I Won’t Let Him Off Easily.

Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci—the nation’s chief medical advisor to President Biden and the individual in charge of our nation’s COVID-19 response publicly—revealed that he would be stepping down from public office in December. 

The timing couldn’t be more convenient for Dr. Fauci as Republicans are expected to regain the majority in both the House and Senate in January. Dr. Fauci believes that he will escape oversight from my congressional colleagues and me but we will still hold him accountable—even as a private citizen. 

Dr. Fauci’s COVID-19 guidance harmed the country over the past three years. His draconian and anti-science guidance led to the unemployment of tens of millions of Americans, the closures of schools and churches, and an increase in domestic violence, child abuse, drug abuse, and suicide rate increases.

Dr. Fauci has proven more adept as a showman than as a doctor. If he wasn't tossing out the first pitch at a baseball game, he was preening in shades sitting by a pool. The sell-by date of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s usefulness has expired and I won’t let him off easily. 

Holding the Department of Homeland Security Accountable for Illegal Alien Commercial Flights

I sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting answers about the department allowing illegal aliens to fly on commercial airplanes—at taxpayers' expense—without presenting acceptable identification.

President Biden’s DHS is failing to adhere to its mission of ‘safeguard[ing] the American people, our homeland, and our values.’

DHS is misusing U.S. taxpayer dollars to transport law-breakers to their destination of choice in our country. Even worse, the department allows these individuals to board commercial airplanes without presenting identification included on TSA’s acceptable forms of ID list.

Transporting potentially tens of thousands of lawbreakers throughout the country—with virtually unknown backgrounds—is a national security risk and defies the recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission. It also incentivizes more illegal immigration to our country at a time when the border has already passed its breaking point.

Secretary Mayorkas must immediately discontinue this appalling practice and provide us with an immediate breakdown of how the department spent its appropriated funding on these operations.

Co-signers include: Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-MN), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Paul Gosar D.D.S. (R-AZ), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-IL), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), Rep. Andy Harris M.D. (R-MD), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), and Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA). 

The letter may be read here.

A Fox News story on the letter may be read here. 

A Breitbart story on the letter may be read here. 

Japanese Embassy Visit to the District 

I had the honor of hosting Japanese Minister of Congressional Affairs at the Embassy of Japan Tomoaki Ishigaki at my district office to discuss U.S.-Japan relations and the state of American politics.

I’m grateful for his knowledge and I look forward to strengthening Arizona’s relationship with Japan.

Letters and Legislation

Bills Cosponsored 

H.R. 8729 – Debt Cancellation Accountability Act (Davidson)  

H.R. 8496 – Fairness for Responsible Borrowers Act (Grothman)  

Letters Led 

Letter with Oversight Republicans calling out the Biden Administration and the Department of Transportation’s false claims about the impact of electric vehicles on the American job market.  

Letters Cosigned 

Letter to Speaker Pelosi calling on her to hold President Biden accountable for his illegal $300 billion Student Loan Giveaway.  

U.S. Service Academy Nomination

If you or someone you know is interested in attending a U.S. service academy, I can help. As a member of Congress, I can nominate individuals to attend each of the service academies, including: 

U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY.

Click here to apply or to find more information. 

Top Media Appearances of the Week

I joined Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt to discuss updates regarding the FBI affidavit from the Mar-a-Lago raid and how two men were recently convicted for their plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

I joined Fox News radio’s Sean Duffy to break down President Biden’s egregious $300 billion student loan debt bailout, the latest encounter totals at the southern border, and the legality of the Mar-a-Lago raid. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

I joined One America News Network’s Dana Alexa to provide an update on Texas and Arizona busing illegal aliens to Washington D.C. and New York and the surprising outrage from their liberal mayors. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

Top Tweets of the Week

Definition of the Week 

This week, the America First movement ousted three key figures in the political and media world. CNN announced that it was pulling the plug on Brian Stelter’s fake news show, Reliable Sources. Similarly, Republican in Name Only (RINO) and vice chairwoman of the illegitimate January 6th Committee Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) got trounced in her primary election by Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman (R-WY). Dr. Tony Fauci revealed that he would be stepping down from his position in December—conveniently before the House of Representatives has the best chance to hold him accountable for his overreaching and anti-science COVID-19 guidance.

These three individuals placed America last and special interests first. 

Inspired by the loss of these three individuals, here’s the definition of the week:

The America First Movement (NOUN): A widely popular movement inspired by President Trump that places Americans and the country before anyone or anything else.