Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week in Arizona! Our office has been hard at work to support our constituents and Arizonans across our great state.

Lesko Cosponsors Legislation to Combat Wildfires and Promote Better Forest Management

Arizonans and Americans across the West have faced an increase in wildfires, and one of the ways to address this issue is to improve forest management strategies. That is why I cosponsored Rep. Jay Obernolte’s (R-CA-08) Salvaging American Lumber Via Action with Greater Efficiency (SALVAGE) Act to improve forest management and decrease the risk of wildfires by expediting salvage and reforestation operations on federal lands.

GET THE FACTS: President Biden's Student Loan Debt Scam

This week, President Biden pushed through his terrible student loan debt plan. The Penn-Wharton Budget Model estimates that this plan will cost between $300 billion and $980 billion over the next ten years. 87 percent of Americans do not have student loan debt because they have already paid it off, did not take out student loans in the first place, or decided not to attend college. In fact, more than 60% of Americans do not have a college degree. Meanwhile, 56% of student loan debt is held by people with graduate degrees. Hardworking taxpayers will be forced to pay off the debt of the 13% of Americans who have student loans and make up to $125,000 per year. Even more, 70% of the benefits from this plan will go to the top half of income earners. President Biden's inflation crisis is already crushing working- and middle-class families, and they should not be forced to foot this costly bill for Americans who have multiple degrees and voluntarily took out student loans.

Around the District

Monica from our office attended the ribbon cutting for Global Sourcing Solutions, a supplier management firm that helps manufacturers reduce costs, manage inventories, and promote supply chain resiliency. Welcome to Arizona’s 8th Congressional District!

Our district office met with some of our constituents who are part of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, a non-profit that supports the Hindu-American community. They recognized our district staff for their dedication to helping our constituents in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District!

Austin from our office dropped off books from the Library of Congress at Copperwood Elementary School in Glendale, AZ through our surplus books program! So far this year, our office has donated over 500 books through this program. Schools and libraries can request books here.

Monica from our office attended the kick-off for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s National Conference with many local Hispanic leaders and business owners! Arizona is so proud to be home to many Hispanic-owned businesses.

Casework Highlights

Our office received a call from an Arizonan who had a nine-year-old niece in Ireland who needed to come to the U.S. quickly for life-saving cancer treatment. We contacted the family in Ireland and determined that they had been given the wrong information on how to navigate through this process. We guided them on how to apply for a vaccination waiver so they could travel and then opened a casework request with the Dublin Embassy and the CDC. The CDC approved the request, and the family can now travel to the U.S. to pursue this critical medical care.

A constituent reached out to our office after she unsuccessfully attempted to receive her second and third Economic Impact Payments from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After we contacted the IRS, they identified and cleared the error on her account, and she was issued the correct payments.

Encouraging Story

I want to share this story about Betty Grenig, who recently turned 101 and has been volunteering with the American Red Cross, including the Phoenix, AZ chapter, for 84 years. Betty has also volunteered with the Red Cross in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, where her husband served in the U.S. Army. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden last year. Happy birthday, Betty, and thank you for your dedicated service! 

Mobile Office Hours

Our office is hosting Mobile Office Hours on August 30, 2022, at the Sun City Branch Library in Sun City, AZ from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM AZ Time. Our casework team is ready to answer your questions and assist you with federal agencies.

District Office Internships

Our district office in Surprise, AZ is now accepting applications for internships! Congressional internships are a wonderful way to gain valuable insight into how the federal government works while serving the community, and I strongly encourage students to apply. Click here to submit your internship application, and please call our office at 623-776-7911 if you have any questions.

Military Academy Nominations

Are you interested in attending a Military Service Academy? Applications for Service Academy Nominations are now open! The deadline for this year’s Service Academy Nominations is October 28, 2022. Visit my website or click here to learn more and apply!

Congressional App Challenge

Submissions for the Congressional App Challenge are now open to all middle and high school students! The Congressional App Challenge is a competition to encourage students to engage in coding and computer science. App submissions are due by November 1, 2022. Winning apps will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol! Register today and submit your app here.

We are Here to Help

As always, my office is here to help. My Surprise district office is 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, Gettr, and Truth Social, 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