Ciscomani, Sinema Oppose Proposed VA Rule Cutting Ambulance Reimbursement

Lawmakers from both parties in Congress are vocalizing opposition to a proposed Veterans Affairs cut to reimbursement rates for ambulance services set to take effect in February.

The move is so the department can avoid overpaying for emergency medical transportation services, but critics warn it could lead to less access to that transportation to VA hospitals if the payment model is shifted. 

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Blake Masters Receives Endorsement from Arizona’s Four Republican Representatives

Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters has received endorsements from the state’s four Republican Representatives, and he said he looks forward to joining them in Washington.

“It’s an honor to be endorsed by bold, conservative leaders like Representatives Biggs, Lesko, Schweikert, and Gosar. All are highly respected and effective legislators, which is why Arizona voters continue to re-elect them to fight for their interests in Washington. I look forward to being their partner in the Senate,” Masters said.

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Arizona Representatives React to House Passing the Inflation Reduction Act

Arizona Representatives, including Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), all recently released statements slamming the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as it passed the U.S. House Friday and will move on to President Joe Biden.

“President Biden and congressional Democrats are so out of touch with everyday Americans that they just pushed through a massive tax and spending bill that will increase taxes, gasoline prices, and utility rates all while making the lives of Americans worse,” Lesko said. “I won’t do that to the American people and that is why I voted no.”

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Arizona Republican Lawmakers React to the U.S. Senate Passing the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’

On Sunday, the US Senate passed the Democrat-backed $740 billion “Inflation Reduction Act” by a 51 to 50 vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote. Many Arizona Republican lawmakers are among those claiming the bill will further impact inflation in a negative way while offering no real-time solution to struggling Americans.

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Arizona Republicans Pressure Yellen Not to Claw Back COVID Aid

Republican members of Arizona’s congressional delegation have a demand for United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: don’t take federal relief funding away from the state.

Arizona is scheduled to receive $4.2 billion from the federal government as a part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan; it has received nearly $1.2 billion of that money so far.

However, the United States Treasury Department has warned the state that it may forfeit $163 million if it doesn’t change its actions.

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Two Wisconsin Reps Join an Arizona Rep in Demanding Answers from Biden Regarding COVID Funds Used to House Immigrants

Debbie Lesko, Tom Tiffany ad Mike Gallagher

Wisconsin Representative Thomas Tiffany (R-WI-07) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) joined Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) in demanding answers from the Biden administration regarding the use of COVID funds to house illegal immigrants.

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Arizona Reps. Gosar, Biggs, and Lesko Join Brief Demanding SCOTUS Block Biden’s Vaccine Mandate on Large Private Employers

Three Arizona members of Congress are joining in on a lawsuit against the Biden administration over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees. Reps. Paul Gosar (R-04-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-05-Ariz.), and Debbie Lesko (R-08-Ariz.) along with 180 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate filed an amicus curiae brief in NFIB v. OSHA challenging the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to implement the mandate.

The members of Congress argued that the mandate violates federalism, encroaching on the states’ authority. “[T]he sudden ‘discovery’ of authority under the OSH Act confirms that it was never intended to displace state authority in this area.” They assert, “Congress did not give that power to an agency bureaucrat.”

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Proposed Draft Maps for Redistricting in Arizona a Mixed Bag, Slightly Favor Democrats

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission has been working on the maps updating where Arizona’s congressional districts are drawn to reflect changing demographics, something which takes place once every 10 years. They approved draft maps this week, which makes more congressional districts competitive, but it’s tough to predict how those races could go due to demographics changing in the future — zoning rules can easily tip a district. The legislative districts are also being redrawn, and while they make Republican seats safer, they also create two swing seats that could allow the Democrats to take control of the legislature. 

Under the congressional plan, four of the nine districts would be considered competitive, with two of them genuine toss-ups. The other districts would be three safe Republican seats and two safe Democrat seats. The two highly competitive districts include the newly labeled CD6, which contains much of southern Arizona south of Phoenix. A significant portion of that district is currently represented by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, who is retiring. Its Democratic advantage will be just 1.9 percent. The other one is the newly labeled CD1, which includes Scottsdale and much of Phoenix. It is currently represented by Republican David Schweikert and Democrat Greg Stanton. Its Democratic advantage will be just 1.6 percent. 

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Arizona Representative Lesko Calls on Biden and Blinken to Resign over Afghanistan

Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) asked President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resign due to the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan. Under Biden’s leadership and against the warnings of intelligence and top generals, U.S. troops were withdrawn from the country, leaving the Taliban to take over as the remaining Afghan army was unable to stop them on its own. The U.S. failed to withdraw all of the Americans from the country before the takeover, resulting in the deaths of 13 American soldiers on August 23 by a suicide bomber at the Kabul airport. Although the U.S. sent several thousand troops back into Afghanistan to evacuate the remaining Americans as well as Afghans who had worked with the U.S., they were unable to evacuate all of them by the Taliban’s deadline of August 31.

“After numerous intelligence briefings and reviewing the situation on the ground, it is clear that someone must be held accountable for the chaos that has unfolded in Afghanistan and led to the loss of American lives,” Lesko said in a statement. “From the outset, it has been apparent that the Biden Administration had no plan for a safe and effective withdrawal of U.S. military personnel, American citizens, and Afghan allies from Afghanistan.”

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Arizona Rep. Lesko Introduces Bill to Stop Taxpayer Funds Given to Organizations That Ignore Federal Law

U.S. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ- 08) introduced a bill intended to cease government funding to all organizations that decide to ignore federal laws.

The Stop the Outlay of Payments Act would immediately stop the use of taxpayer funds to any organization that has demonstrated an effort to violate these regulations.

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