This Week in Washington

WASHINGTON D.C. – Here’s what’s happening…

Gosar Proposes $10,000 Direct Stimulus Payments to Americans

Last Friday, as Democrats pushed through their COVID-19 bill in which a mere 9% of the funding addressed the pandemic, I introduced an amendment that would provide $10,000 stimulus checks to Americans hardest hit by the pandemic and lockdowns. The amendment called for the removal of 10 agenda items of the coronavirus relief legislation, including funding for the arts, federal and corporate transit projects, “vaccine confidence activities” and foreign aid.

My proposal was an attempt to show that by removing non COVID-related funding from this atrocious bill, Congress would be able to provide substantially more relief to those who need it most. People need help with car payments, mortgage and rent, and everyday necessities. The government broke it. Now government must fix it. The people, not corporations or billionaires, need this money to survive. A $10,000 stimulus check should be considered a down payment.

Not surprisingly, Democrats shot down my amendment and instead chose foreign aid, Big Tech and Pelosi’s political priorities over direct and substantial relief for American citizens. 

Democrats Push Radical Legislation

Gosar Stands in Opposition to Radical Election and Police “Reform” Bills: 

H.R. 1, the For the People Act, should more accurately be titled the For the Politicians Act. 

Speaker Pelosi and her liberal colleagues introduced this legislation for the sole purpose of removing accountability from future elections by radically altering our election methods. H.R. 1 is riddled with provisions to erode voter registration requirements, accept voter applications from minors, and implement online voting that would increase the potential for hackers and cybercriminals to commit voter fraud.  This legislation has nothing to withprotecting elections, rather, it is about making it easier to fraudulently elect Democrats. But don’t take my word for it: Pelosi made it clear this was not about true reform when House Democrats rejected my amendment to close loopholespreventing foreign entities from influencing our elections. This bill is bad for America and I voted no. 

Also this week, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act was considered.  Pushed by Black Lives Matter and other “defund the police” advocates, the bill was touted by House Democrats as a police “reform” bill to address instances of violence arising between law enforcement and minority populations.  I oppose this bill for many reasons, most notably because I categorically reject the notion that law enforcement is inherently racist. Among the many bad provisions, the legislation would lower the legal burden to charge police officers of committing a crime. The bill also prevents police departments from having access to small arms and unused ammunition from the military which are often needed to protect our communities from large scale riots or other criminal activities.  We saw the effects last summer when Democrat elected officials across the country took no action to stop the looting and widespread riots in our cities. Sadly, this bill makes no serious reforms to law enforcement which is why I could not support it.  

More Democratic Road Blocks for American Jobs

Gosar Reacts to Feds Decision to Halt Resolution Copper Project:

Earlier this week, the United States Department of Agriculture announced it was directing the United States Forest Service to withdraw the Notice of Availability and rescind the Final Environmental Impact Study and the draft Record of Decision for the proposed Resolution Copper on the Tonto National Forest. The Biden Administration’s decision to halt Arizona’s bipartisan supported Resolution Copper project previously cleared by President Trump is completely unacceptable. This project would have created nearly 4,000 well-paying jobs and added more than $60 billion in economic value in Arizona.

The project underwent lengthy and comprehensive environmental studies spanning the two previous administrations, including President Obama. Yet, Mr. Biden once again ignores sound science, wipes out thousands of more jobs and discounts the significance this copper mine is to clean energy, our electrical grid, solar panels, wind turbines and hundreds of other needs.   

While we strongly support the rights of tribe’s voices to be heard, there is nothing sacred about this property. This is mining land first and foremost. The tribal historian confirmed that in 2011. Additionally, the Forest Service conducted hundreds of consultations with Native American tribes and the town of Superior about how best to proceed. The fact remains that Resolution Copper and the Forest Service worked hand-and-glove by consulting with the tribes throughout the approval process. The project would give the Town of Superior a much-needed economic boost. Opposition groups that seek to halt the Resolution Copper project are neither reasonable nor practical. Mining can be done responsibly. Further delay will only create additional economic hardship.  

House Oversight Committee Hearing

High Risk Areas in the U.S. Government:

Every two years, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases a report detailing the highest risk areas in the government for waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. This week the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing to examine that GAO report. This was one of the most important hearings we have this year. I attended the hearing and discussed the Optional Practical Training (OPT), which incentivizes American businesses to hire foreign labor over Americans through tax breaks.  OPT is ripe with abuse and must be added to the report. At the hearing, I also directed my attention to the abysmal state of the Pentagon’s finances and its continued failure to complete an audit. By working with the GAO, I was able to highlight how modernizing the Pentagon’s systems and pushing for financial accountability has found millions in savings, and I look forward to using this hearing to ensure greater accountability of government spending. 

You can watch my line of questioning HERE.

Other Highlights From This Week

By undoing President Trump’s deterrence-focused policies, Joe Biden’s open border policies have created an unnecessary crisis by urging illegal migrant caravans to enter our country. Now, reports indicate that thousandsof unaccompanied minors are being held in container facilities, which is why I joined a letter requesting a hearing on Biden’s bad border policies.

I joined Senator Sinema in introducing the La Paz County Land Solar Development and Job Creation Act which would transfer 4,800 acres of land back to L Paz County. Building off a land conveyance that passed Congress in 2019, this critical legislation will continue the goal of creating and expanding the job and energy hub in La Paz County.

Gosar in the News and Other Stories We Think You’ll Want to Know

The Blaze, GOP rep exposes wasteful spending in Democrats’ stimulus bill by proposing $10,000 stimulus checks  “Democrats chose foreign aid, Big Tech transit, and Pelosi’s political priorities over direct relief to American citizens.”

Washington Times, White House Says Migrants are Tested for COVID-19; Those on Border Say Some Aren’t

Iowa State Daily, Letter: GOP Made the Right Decision with Choosing Trump

AZ Central, Resolution Copper Mine Would Give Our Town an Economic Boost. Don’t We Count? 

Wall Street Journal, Making Every Election Like 2020

“H.R.1 mandates ballot harvesting and limits voter verification.”

Resources

IALERT: Tax Season is upon us once again. If you did not receive a stimulus payment in January 2021 and you should have, or did not receive the correct amount, you may be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return. Click HERE for more information.