The Week in Review 

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week. I am grateful to serve you all in the 118th Congress. Read below to see what I’ve been working on this week. 

House Oversight and Judiciary Hearing on the ATF's Assault on the Second Amendment

Yesterday, I co-chaired a joint House Oversight & Accountability and House Judiciary Committee hearing with Representative Pat Fallon (R-TX). We examined the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) actions aimed at curtailing the ability of lawful gun owners to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

The Biden Administration is weaponizing the ATF to advance a left-wing gun control agenda without regard for fundamental fairness or constitutional rights.

For example, in January, the ATF issued a final rule to redefine a pistol with an attached stabilizing brace as a short-barreled rifle, contradicting an ATF determination made over a decade ago during the Obama Administration. This new rule exceeds ATF’s statutory authority as Congress has neither criminalized use of pistol braces nor authorized their regulation by ATF. 

Because of the ATF’s final rule, millions of lawful gun owners will be required to obtain a special registration, surrender, or destroy their stabilizing brace by the compliance date, or will face severe criminal penalties merely as a result of this regulatory change. 

The hearing examined the impact of the final rule and the potential harm it will have on millions of law-abiding gun owners.

I am a cosponsor of Congressman Bob Good’s bill H.R. 381, the PISTOL Act, which will prevent ATF from regulating pistol braces. 

Click the image below to see some of my remarks.

House Freedom Caucus Debt Ceiling Press Conference with the U.S. Senate 

The House Freedom Caucus and I hosted a joint press conference with the U.S. Senate to further elaborate on our offer to President Biden to make spending cuts in exchange for consideration of raising the debt ceiling. 

Our nation remains more than $31 trillion in debt, and the Biden Administration wants to raise this debt to $50 billion by 2033. That’s unacceptable and unsustainable.

The House Freedom Caucus wants to cut wasteful, weaponized, and woke spending programs to get this nation back on the right track. 

We must cut current spending by ending President Biden's $400 billion student loan bailout; rescinding all unobligated, unspent COVID-19 funds; recouping the $80 billion in IRS expansion funds, as well as billions of wasteful climate change spending in the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act;" and finding every dollar spent by Democrats that can be reclaimed for the American taxpayer.

Cutting and reforming these programs will leave Social Security and Medicare untouched despite what Biden yells to the media. We will be in a better economic place if these reforms are adopted. We will put the nation back on the path to fiscal responsibility and accountability. 

It’s long been time to shrink Washington and grow America.

Click the image below to see my remarks.

House Oversight & Accountability Committee Tour of DC Jail Holding J6 Prisoners 

This afternoon, I toured the Washington, D.C. jail with members of the House Oversight & Accountability Committee. This jail holds many of the January 6 defendants who have been unjustly jailed while they await prosecution. Many of them are living in horrid conditions. 

I am concerned that the D.C. Department of Corrections is violating the detainees’ constitutional and human rights. 

The visit was productive, but there is still much work left to do. The January 6 defendants should have due process and humane conditions. 

The House Oversight & Accountability Committee is requesting certain documents and information related to the treatment of these defendants, is conducting interviews with the January 6 defendants, and will continue to investigate this situation under House Rule X.

Community Outreach 

I’d like to thank Disabled American Veterans (DAV) for inviting my office to participate in a car giveaway for Army veteran Matthew and his family.

Matthew fell on hard times and this car will assist him in getting his children to school, appointments, and school events. 

I am grateful for his service and will continue to fight for our courageous veterans in Arizona's Fifth District.

I’d also like to thank Ms. Katrina White for coming to my district office and introducing us to her program that addresses post-traumatic and suicide ideations in first responders and veterans.

She is currently an Arizona State University student and also Miss Mesa. She is one to watch!

Passport Tips from Congressman Biggs 

Planning international travel this spring or summer? Don’t wait to update your passport! The U.S. State Department currently takes 8-11 weeks to process passport applications and recommends you submit your application 4 to 6 months before your travel date. Check out these useful passport tips below. There are several small details that you may not know of! 

For additional assistance with your passport application, call my Mesa office at 480-699-8239.

General Passport Tips
Passport Fees
Passport Process
Child Passport
Child Passport II

Save the Date: Drop Zone 2023

My annual Drop Zone event is coming up! Drop Zone 2023 will occur on Saturday, May 13 from 10am to 2pm at the American Leadership Academy, Applied Technologies Campus, located at 7729 East Pecos Rd, Mesa, AZ 85212.

Drop Zone is the one-stop shop for all veterans. You’ll be able to access health screenings, taxpayer advocates services, community support groups, and much more. 

Save the date and we hope to see you there! 

Save the Date: Congressional Art Competition 

The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students residing in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District. 

The first-place winner will have the honor of displaying his/her artwork in the United States Capitol Building, where it will be accompanied by winning entries from other congressional offices around the nation. All winning entries for Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District will be displayed for one year.

Aside from the first, second, and third place winners, a People’s Choice Award will be given. Additionally, one entry from each of the following mediums will also receive recognition for Best of Medium: 

1)            Paintings

2)            Drawings

3)            Mixed Media and Collage

4)            Prints

5)            Computer-Generated Art

6)            Photographs

All entries must be delivered by teachers, parents, or other assigned adults to my district office located at 2509 South Power Road, Suite 204 Mesa, Arizona 85209 by Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

Legislation

Legislation cosponsored:

H.R.1700 - ATF Transparency Act 

H.J.Res.44 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'" 

H.R.1768 - To replace the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with 3 separate national research institutes.

H.Res.236 - FBI Washington Field Office House Arrest Act

Alien Invasion Border Documentary 

Check out my border documentary titled Alien Invasion. The 30-minute documentary features footage from private ranches along the border, the Darien Gap in Panama, and interviews with members of Congress, Border Patrol, local and state law enforcement, and much more. It addresses how President Biden’s border crisis began, its consequences, and solutions to address the crisis.  

The border documentary may be watched here.

Top Media Appearances of the Week

I joined Fox Businesses' Stuart Varney to discuss the national security implications of TikTok usage in the United States. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

I joined CSPAN's Greta Brawner to discuss the latest priorities of the House Republican Conference and fielded live questions from viewers. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

I joined Newsmax’s Shaun Kraisman to provide my instant reaction to New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicating that he would indict former President Trump. Click below to watch some of the segment. 

What's the Biggs Idea Podcast w/ Daniel Horowitz 

This morning, Daniel Horowitz joined me on my What’s the Biggs Idea? podcast. Daniel is the senior editor of TheBlaze and the host of the Conservative Review podcast. 

We discussed the latest news surrounding the Silicon Valley Bank collapse and the problems with House Republicans’ Parents Bill of Rights. We’ll be posting more episodes soon. Check out our social media pages for updates.

Click below to view the podcast. Or visit my website to watch previous episodes. 

Tweets of the Week

Constituent Services 

Flags
Would you like to purchase a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol? Flags flown over the Capitol include a certificate, which may be personalized for a particular person, event, or organization. Click here to learn more about purchasing a flag.

Internships
If you or someone you know is interested in completing an internship in either my Mesa or Washington, D.C. office, they can apply directly on my website. 

Help With a Federal Agency 
If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. For example, my office routinely helps constituents with issues involving the Veterans Administration, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  You can learn more by visiting my website.

Click here to find out more information about my office’s services. 

Tours and Tickets

Interested in touring the White House or U.S. Capitol? As constituents of the Fifth Congressional District, you may request tickets and tours for various Washington D.C. destinations from my office. 

All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis, so request tickets early.

Click here for more information.

Definition of the Week