Congresswoman Lesko Weekly Update

Good Afternoon,

I hope everyone had a great week! It has been another busy week in Arizona and 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 Speaks with Constituents in Sun City West

I met with constituents in Sun City West, AZ to discuss the work I am doing in Washington, D.C. and how Republicans are fighting for the American people!

Lesko Supports U.S. Military and Veterans 

I participated in a Military and Veteran Advisory Board meeting to hear from those directly involved with helping our veterans. Ensuring veterans in our district have access to the care and services they need is a top priority!

Lesko Meets with Peoria Chamber of Commerce

I also met with Peoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Rhonda Carlson. We addressed the different ways we can help Arizonans thrive.

Lesko Hosts Hispanic Advisory Board Meeting

I attended a Hispanic Advisory Board meeting to discuss how to best support Hispanic communities in Arizona.

Lesko Meets with Miss Glendale

It was wonderful to speak with Lindsey Roman, Arizona’s own Miss Glendale!

Lesko Discusses Autonomous Vehicles in Arizona

In Washington, D.C., it was great to meet with Waymo to discuss autonomous vehicles operating in Phoenix, AZ and how AVs can make it easier for seniors to get around!

Lesko Meets with the Caserta Family

I met with Teri and Patrick Caserta who were instrumental in getting the Brandon Act, named after their son, Brandon Caserta, signed into law. This important legislation helps active duty service members receive the mental health help that they need.

Lesko Joins House Republicans to End Soft-on-Crime Policies

It was an honor to join Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and my House Republican colleagues as Speaker McCarthy signed legislation to address the crime crisis in Washington, D.C. It is time to put an end to Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies.

Lesko Talks with TikTok CEO

I met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the national security concerns surrounding the app ahead of his hearing in front of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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. 

Newsmax

According to testimony in the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, 12 different agencies worked with Big Tech to cover up the lab leak theory. Even worse, Dr. Fauci tried to hide it. Democrats ignored the facts, but House Republicans will find out the truth. Watch my interview on Newsmax below:

I also joined Newsmax to discuss how the lab leak theory is no longer just a conspiracy. We need to know why the former NIH Director and Dr. Fauci went to such great lengths to hide crucial evidence on the origins of COVID-19. My colleagues and I on the Select Subcommittee on COVID-19 will discover the truth! Watch below:

Trish Regan Show 

I joined the Trish Regan Show to talk about how Americans have lost faith in our government agencies. The NIH Director claims that U.S. taxpayer money sent to the Wuhan Lab didn't fund COVID-19 research, but he also stated that NIH didn't get the data from EchoHealth and the Wuhan Lab about the research they were conducting. So if NIH didn't have the data from China, how can the NIH Director know what the Wuhan Lab was working on? He either had the data or he didn't. Both cannot be true. Get my full interview below:

Fox News

I joined Fox & Friends to discuss important questions on the coronavirus pandemic. Why were American taxpayer dollars going to a lab in Wuhan to fund COVID-19 research? Americans deserve not to be lied to by the government, and we MUST be able to combat a future pandemic! The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will get answers. Watch:

NTD

I joined NTD to discuss whether the NIH funded COVID-19 research, the potential lab leak theory cover-up, and what role American taxpayer dollars played in it all. We will get to the truth! Watch my interview below:

Lesko Investigates COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory

The hearings on the origins of COVID-19 must not be political. The questions are simple! Why did Dr. Fauci try to silence the lab leak theory? Did the NIH use taxpayer dollars to fund COVID-19 research? I asked these questions during a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing. Watch below:

Lesko Amendment to Support Taiwan and U.S. Global Competitiveness Passes Energy and Commerce Committee

Taiwan is an important U.S. ally, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has made historic investments in our district! I’m pleased that the Energy and Commerce Committee passed my amendment to promote investment and improve our nation’s global competitiveness. Watch my full remarks in support of my amendment below:

Lesko Condemns Cancellation of Keystone XL Pipeline

I am pleased that the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed my legislation to send a clear message of disapproval to President Biden for his disastrous cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline. Watch my remarks in support of this critical legislation:

Lesko Statement on Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic's First Hearing on COVID-19 Origins

This week, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic held its first hearing on the origins of COVID-19.

This hearing proves why it is essential to investigate the origins of COVID-19, and there is still much that needs to be uncovered. Through this first hearing, we learned that in September 2019, the control of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) changed from civilians to the Chinese military, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and China deleted genetic sequences, and the WIV changed their ventilation systems. These facts indicate that COVID-19 likely came from the Wuhan lab.

Evidence also leads one to believe that Dr. Fauci misled the public and coordinated with other scientists to intentionally suppress the lab leak theory. Fauci left then-CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield out of conversations regarding the origins of COVID-19 after Dr. Redfield told Dr. Fauci he believed that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak. The American people deserve to know why Dr. Fauci worked so hard to suppress the lab leak theory. We also need answers on whether the NIH, through grants to EcoHealth Alliance, used taxpayer dollars to fund research that directly led to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was just the beginning of the Select Committee’s investigation, and I remain committed to finding out the truth and delivering long-overdue answers on this pandemic.

Lesko Legislation to Address Drug Crisis Passes Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee

This week, my bill, the Securing the Border for Public Health Act, passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health. This legislation uses Title 42 to stop the flow of illicit drugs. The Biden Administration’s open border agenda has enabled criminal cartels to traffic record amounts of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into our communities. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support on this critical bill, and I hope this bill will be brought up for a full vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee soon.

Lesko Introduces EXIT Act to Curtail the Use of Illegal Cross Border Tunnels 

I introduced the Eradicate Crossing of Illegal Tunnels (EXIT) Act to expedite the approval process to fill cross border tunnels by removing the unnecessary red tape currently preventing our U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents from addressing these vulnerabilities at our southern border.

Criminal cartels have utilized underground tunnels to illegally smuggle migrants and drugs across our southern border. This is contributing to the unprecedented crisis at our southern border. This legislation will help remove bureaucratic red tape and allow our CBP agents to fill these tunnels quickly to stop the record-breaking flow of illegal immigrants and deadly drugs across our southern border.

GET THE FACTS: President Biden's Busted Budget Proposal

President Biden released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024 on Thursday, and this budget indicates he has no plan to stop his reckless tax-and-spending agenda. His budget will add fuel to the fire of America's cost of living crisis. President Biden plans to increase federal spending by nearly $500 billion, and the federal deficit would increase next year by nearly $300 billion. Total spending over the next ten years will eclipse $82 trillion. President Biden's budget once again fails to secure our southern border. His budget allocates $865 million to streamline this administration's broken asylum and parole policies, and makes no mention of investing in infrastructure to secure the border or combat the criminal cartels. President Biden's budget also wastes over $52 billion to advance the far left's rushed, Green New Deal climate policies and imposes unrealistic climate goals. Worse still, this budget proposes $5.5 trillion in new taxes be levied and slashes seniors' Social Security retirement benefits by 25%. This budget is an unserious proposal that will only exacerbate the crises Arizonans and Americans across the nation are facing. I commit to working with my House Republican colleagues to stand up for the American people and stop President Biden's disastrous economic agenda.

Around the District

Austin from our office attended a ribbon cutting of a new UPS location in Peoria, AZ. 

Monica from our office attended the grand opening of HR Premier Services, LLC in Anthem, AZ, which provides payroll processing, recruiting, compliance audit, and other solution services to corporations. 

Monica from our office also attended the one-year anniversary ribbon cutting event at Martin Auto Museum and Event Center in Glendale, AZ, which displays a collection of classic and rare vehicles for educational purposes. 

Casework Highlight

A constituent contacted our office after not receiving his eligibility packet from the Department of Labor (DOL), which is needed annually to continue his federal pension.  Since there is a specific eligibility window, he needed assistance to make sure his pension was still going to be paid. We reached out to DOL, helped the constituent take care of the requirements, and ensured he continued to receive his pension.

Mobile Office Hours

Our office is hosting Mobile Office Hours on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the Glendale Main Library in Glendale, AZ from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM AZ Time. Our casework team is ready to answer your questions and assist you with federal agencies.

Tell Congresswoman Lesko

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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