Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone had a great week! It has been another busy week in Washington, D.C. If you would like to share this newsletter with others, please direct them to this link and encourage them to subscribe.

Lesko Stands Up for Arizona Taxpayers

I am pleased to announce that our office helped more constituents with casework related to the Internal Revenue Service in Fiscal Year 2022 than any other Arizona congressional office! I am also proud to say we were able to successfully provide relief to approximately 80% of the constituents who filed these cases. 

Lesko Meets with Walmart

I met with members of Walmart and DroneUp to discuss their new drone delivery service program in Arizona’s 8^th Congressional District.

In the News

I want to make sure you don't miss a minute of what I’m doing to fight for Arizonans each and every day. Check out my latest interviews below.

Fox News

I joined Fox News to discuss how I introduced the Border Crisis Prevention Act to address the growing crisis at our southern border. House Republicans are delivering on our promise to restore border security and protect our nation!

The Sean Hannity Show

I joined the Sean Hannity Show to discuss how my House Republican colleagues and I are hard at work to hold the Biden Administration accountable for its COVID-19 response, the silencing of conservative voices, and their failure to stand up to Communist China.

Newsmax

I joined Newsmax to discuss how my colleagues on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic and I will get answers on the origins of COVID-19, whether the National Institutes of Health funded coronavirus research with taxpayer dollars, and the adverse effects of the vaccines.

The Seth Leibsohn Show

I joined the Seth Leibsohn Show to discuss how my House Republican colleagues and I are holding the Biden Administration accountable for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must restore transparency so that we can prevent a pandemic from happening again.

Lesko Reintroduces Bill to Stop IP Theft By Communist China

I reintroduced the Stop China’s IP Theft Act to prevent Chinese government officials, active duty members of the Chinese military, and senior members of the Chinese Communist Party and their family members from obtaining visas into the United States. The Chinese Communist Party has shown increasing aggression toward the United States and has continued to steal our intellectual property. This is a huge national security threat that is costing our economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year. I am pleased to reintroduce this bill to ban certain Chinese Communist Party officials and their families from our nation until the CCP stops stealing our intellectual property. This is a critical step in delivering on House Republicans’ promise to stand up to Communist China and the growing threat it poses around the world.

Lesko Supports Veterans; Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Transparency at VA Medical Facilities

I reintroduced the VA Medical Center Transparency Act to increase transparency between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, Congress, and veterans. Our veterans have selflessly served our nation, and we must ensure they receive the best care we have to offer. I am proud to represent over fifty thousand veterans in my congressional district, and that is why I am honored to reintroduce this legislation to improve transparency at VA facilities, help Congress track how VA medical facilities are performing, and allow members to better serve their veteran constituents.

GET THE FACTS: President Biden's Disastrous Border Crisis 

We are just four months into Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), and President Biden's border crisis continues to break new records. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection faced its worst January in more than 20 years with 156,274 illegal crossings. This is the 23^rd consecutive month with over 150,000 illegal encounters at the southern border on a monthly basis. Collectively, President Biden and his administration are responsible for over 4.6 million illegal crossings. On top of this, there have been more than 1.2 million illegal immigrants who have successfully evaded apprehension. Worse, President Biden's blatant neglect of the border has directly facilitated the influx of deadly fentanyl that is infiltrating our communities. In January 2023 alone, Border Patrol agents came across 1,400 pounds of fentanyl. Sadly, this marks the seventh month in a row with more than 1,000 pounds of this illicit drug seized at our border. To make matters worse, there have been 53 people whose names appear on the Terrorist Screening Database apprehended at our southern border so far in FY23. There is no way around it: Since President Biden took office, Americans have become less safe. This is unacceptable. This is exactly why I reintroduced my Border Crisis Prevention Act to address the many factors contributing to our nation’s border crisis. House Republicans are committed to upholding the law of the land and restoring our nation's border security!

Around the District

Michael from our office attended Operation Rose Garden, which was hosted by the Phoenix Chapter of the Women Marines Association at the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ, to celebrate the 80^th Anniversary of the Women Marine Reserves. We are grateful for their service!

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office after receiving a bill from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since the constituent believed this was an error, we sent an inquiry to the IRS on his behalf. After a review of his tax return, the error was confirmed. The constituent did not owe any taxes, and the IRS owed him a refund!

Tell Congresswoman Lesko

Do you know a business or location I should visit? Click the link here and let me know!

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