March 2, 2025

House Passes Budget Resolution to Advance One, Big Beautiful Bill

House Republicans took the first step to advance President Trump’s pro-America economic and national security agenda by passing a fiscally sound budget resolution. This sets the stage to extend the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts, provide new tax relief to American workers, small businesses, and families, and deliver enhanced border security, stronger national security, and more American-made energy. This budget will help fulfill the mandate given to President Trump by the American people to undo the harm done by years of failed Democrat policies.

Every House Democrat voted against cutting reckless government spending that has fueled high prices, against preventing tax increases on American families, small businesses and workers, and against helping America’s brave Border Patrol and military protect the homeland.

It is worth confronting the prevailing narrative by Democrats that the budget resolution cuts Medicaid spending.  Let me be clear: it does NOT.  If you doubt me, I encourage you to read the bill for yourself.  I have been in Congress for a long time, and I have weathered several fierce disagreements between colleagues over legitimate differences of opinion or policy.  This is not one of those good-faith debates.  Democrats are lying through their teeth.

What does the budget resolution do?  For one thing, it lowers taxes—and not, contrary to what you might have heard, just for the billionaire class but for all Americans.  Under this budget resolution, overtime will not be taxed.  Tips will not be taxed.  Manufacturers of American-made goods will enjoy tax breaks, encouraging the reshoring of legacy domestic industries.  Seniors will also enjoy tax relief.  If we want the People to flourish, the government must get off their backs and stay off.  This budget resolution is a good start toward lightening the load.

What comes next?  Each House committee is tasked with submitting budget proposals by March 27, 2025, to reduce the deficit within their sphere of jurisdiction by a certain amount.  For instance, the House Committee on Natural Resources on which I serve must devise a plan to “reduce the deficit by not less than $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.”  The framework will then be sent to the Senate and voted on under what is known as the  “budget reconciliation process,” which allows for passing budget-related legislation with a simple majority vote rather than requiring 60 Senators.  Remember: Republicans only hold 53 seats in the Senate.  Reconciliation is critical.

So why did I vote for the budget resolution?  Because the Biden years nearly eviscerated the middle class, but President Trump is working with Congress to stop the bleeding and reverse the damages.  Under this budget framework, we would fulfill many of President Trump’s core priorities including increasing funds for border security and national defense while remaining deficit-neutral.  Importantly, the average taxpayer will suffer a 22 percent tax hike if this resolution is not acted upon.  That would mean the average family of four will see their taxes go up by almost $1,700—even though we are already among the highest taxed people in the world.  Thank God the 2024 election put us in charge, and we can avoid this disaster.  President Trump also campaigned on eliminating taxes on Social Security.  Last July on Truth Social post he said “SENIORS SHOULD NOT PAY TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY!”  In 2021, I sponsored a bill to eliminate taxes on Social Security and I have been fighting for that ever since.  Look, if you are getting social security, you’ve paid enough taxes.  You earned the benefit, you should keep it.

President Trump has hit the ground running at the start of his second term, and he has both eyes locked on the prize: relief for the American People.  But Congress needs to codify his agenda and be smart about it.  Our country is crippled by debt.  Protecting and building on President Trump’s top priority will deliver an America First economy that ushers in a new golden age of prosperity.

It’s Time to End the Three-Year War Between Russia and Ukraine

This week, the Daily Signal published a very timely op-ed I wroteregarding the war between Russia and Ukraine.  Here it is in its entirety:

Three years have now passed since war broke out between Russia and Ukraine.  The toll this needless conflict has taken is unbearable.  From the onset, I have opposed every single penny of American taxpayer dollars to fund the proxy war.

Let me be clear: I feel no animus toward the Ukrainian people, nor any special affinity for Vladimir Putin.  In fact, I would like to see both populations thrive and so I oppose their needless slaughter to serve the misguided ambitions of the pro-war military industrial-complex and its allies in our foreign policy establishment.  The leftist media routinely spins any advocacy for peace as the drivel of a Russian stooge or a puppet for Putin.  I am neither.  For the sake of humanity, peace abroad is in the world’s best interest.

The cause of the ongoing conflict cannot be reduced to a single narrative. In fact, for nearly three decades, the United States played a multifaceted role that undoubtedly led to the war.

In February 1990, Secretary of State James Baker told the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that “if the Soviets allowed a reunified Germany to remain in NATO and US troops remained in that country, the alliance’s jurisdiction would not move ‘one inch to the east.’”

Despite these assurances, in 1993 then-President Bill Clinton expanded NATO, surrounding the former Soviet Union. Clinton was determined to move ahead no matter how the Russians felt and no matter what promises had been made. The basic U.S. attitude was that if Moscow did not like the idea, too bad for them,” write Michael Chapman at the CATO Institute.

In 2002, President George W. Bush announced the United States’ exit from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which sought to cap the arms race by limiting homeland missile defenses, thus reducing pressures on the superpowers to build more nuclear weapons.  Bush promptly ordered the placement of ABM systems along Russian borders.  At Bush’s urging, NATO further exacerbated tensions at the 2008 Bucharest Summit by promising Ukraine entrance into NATO.

In 2010, the Ukrainian people elected Viktor Yanukovych, whose administration favored reconciliation and peaceful relations with Russia.  This was not to the U.S. State Department’s liking.  In 2014, then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland coordinated with assets in the CIA and USAID to unseat Yanukovych in a coup d’état.  During the coup, a call between senior U.S. diplomats leaked to the press wherein Nuland was overheard discussing which leaders should be allowed to remain and which should be removed.

Nuland seemed to have “very clear ideas about what the outcome should be and [was] striving to achieve these goals,” according to the BBC.  Nuland’s choice was Arseniy Yatsenyuk, a rabidly anti-Russian politician.  With America’s help, Yatsenyuk emerged as the new Prime Minister.

Those actions, along with others, caused Putin to feel profoundly betrayed, humiliated and threatened. In response, Russia began massing tanks and troops along the Ukrainian border. Two months before the invasion of Ukraine, Putin recalled America’s past promises noting “We remember … how you promised us in the 1990s that [nato] would not move an inch to the east. You cheated us, shamelessly: there have been five waves of NATO expansion.”

Today, as the war continues, the Western press and the neo-cons refuse to acknowledge America’s three-decade involvement contributing to the conflict, nor do they acknowledge that the Kyiv regime has repeatedly violated its citizens’ civil liberties.

Under Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian government has arrested priests and raided a monastery, suspended 11 opposition political parties, and consolidated all television platforms into one state channel.   Appropriately, President Trump referred to Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections.”  This is correct.

Zelenskyy’s term ended in May 2024, yet he has decided to remain in power, canceling elections and declaring martial law.  Contrast this with the United States, which held elections throughout two World Wars and during the Civil War.

This all changes with President Trump, whose agenda is for peace and negotiation between the belligerents.  This is, and must always be, the first-order priority of the United States.  The role as leaders of the free world should be that of a peacemaker, not a warmonger.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently remarked that he did “not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.”

Critics decried Hegseth’s comments, calling them pro-Russian concessions.  But Hegseth reframed the issue, explaining that “simply pointing out realism — like the borders won’t be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 — is not a concession to Vladimir Putin. It’s a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground after a lot of investment and sacrifice … and then a realization that a negotiated peace is going to be some sort of demarcation that neither side wants.”

The horrific Russia-Ukraine War has lasted three years, taking the lives of countless individuals on both sides and costing American taxpayers countless billions of dollars.

I will never cheer on nor support needless bloodshed, environmental destruction, and potential nuclear annihilation at the exclusive benefit of the military-industrial complex and other war profiteers.

Instead, I will always try my best to pursue peace and reconciliation.  That is why I invited  Putin and Zelenskyy to come to Arizona to engage in peace talks.  I plan to continue my opposition to sending American taxpayer money to Ukraine, as well as my support for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war.

It’s time to end the needless war and I laud the efforts of President Trump, State Secretary Rubio, and Defense Secretary Hegseth to bring the annihilation of multiple Eastern European peoples to an end.

For additional perspective, I encourage you to read this well-written article appearing this week in the Blaze.

Gosar Partners With Trump Administration to Terminate Costly Obama-Biden Housing Rule

This week I reintroduced legislation terminating the Biden-era 2021 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule.  Every American should be free to choose where to live, and every community should be free to zone its neighborhoods and compete for new residents according to its distinct values. The diversity of America’s neighborhoods, from dense cities to wide-open rural communities to suburbs in between, is a treasure that we need to preserve.  Unfortunately, overreaching housing regulations first imposed by Barack Obama and re-upped by Joe Biden have extorted communities into giving up control of local zoning decisions while driving up the cost of affordable housing.

Essentially, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development created a set of rules and regulations forcing communities to conform to or face losing out on tens of millions of dollars in grant money annually.  The mandate resulted in increased local taxes, depressed property values and caused further harm to impoverished communities that urgently needed these funds.

The nation is plagued by a housing affordability crisis, and burdensome regulations like the Obama-Biden Era AFFH make it harder for families to realize the American Dream of homeownership.  My legislation codifies into law the recent decision by the Trump Administration to repeal the onerous Obama-Biden rules that have punished neighborhoods for refusing to fall in line with big government’s takeover of our communities.

Housing decisions are best made at the local level, rather than by some woke bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. telling Americans where they can live and who they will live next to, all in the name of social justice and ideological utopianism. Nothing could be more un-American and more fundamentally wrong. Just like Americans don’t need the government to choose their doctors, they don’t need the government selecting their neighbors.

Click here to read more about this legislation.

Congressional Hearing Exposes Egregious Foreign Aid Spending

This week, the DOGE subcommittee on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing to expose egregious foreign aid spending, review proposed reforms, and aid the Trump Administration’s efforts to implement America-first foreign aid policies. Members of the Subcommittee presented an overwhelming array of examples illustrating how the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has spent taxpayer dollars on programs that undermine American interests. Expert witnesses slammed the Biden Administration for blindly doling out money and not conducting proper oversight of tax dollars.

Back up: More than a decade ago, on July 7, 2011, the House of Representatives included my amendment to HR 2219 (military appropriations), which prohibited the use of any funds, or military assistance, to Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah.  At the time, some of my colleagues approached me to assure me that our money would never be used to fund terrorist groups.  I insisted on a vote on my amendment, and it passed.

Fast forward: this week’s hearing provided confirmation that our tax money was given through a money laundering scheme from USAID, headed by leftist agitator Samantha Power, and passed along to the United Nations funneled to the terrorist group, Hamas in violation of our laws.   At the hearing, witness Gregg Roman stated: “We’ve uncovered evidence of $164 million in approved grants, $122 million of which ended up supporting radical or terror-tied organizations.”

Not surprising to me, our government has been funding our enemies for years while our own schools, roads and bridges languish, our taxes increase, and our debt balloons.  President Trump and Elon Musk are working with Congress to root out this corruption.

Reminder: Still Time to Participate in the Congressional Art Competition

I am excited to announce the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for students of Arizona’s 9^th Congressional District!  Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Like previous years, winners will be announced at a ceremony and recognized for their creativity.  Scholarship opportunities will be available for first, second and third place winners. Additionally, the People’s Choice Award will be given to the student who receives the most votes in an online contest hosted by my office. This year’s award ceremony will be held at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum located at 21 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ on Saturday, May 10^th at 10:00 A.M.

This competition is open and extended to all students within Arizona’s 9^th Congressional District for those in grades 8^th-12^th including those in homeschool, online schools, or alternative learning programs.

The Congressional Art Competition is a great opportunity to encourage artistic talent from Arizona and across the country.  I cordially invite you to participate.  More details can be found in the flyer above or by clicking here.

Tweet of the Week:

Photo of the Week:

Dr. Gary Myers from Yuma, AZ sent in this amazing photo he snapped of several constellations in the night sky.

📸 Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our “Picture of the Week?”   If so, send your best shots along with a brief description to Anthony.foti@mail.house.gov.  Remember to include your name and where you live.

Gosar in the News and Other Must-Read Stories:

📰 Fox 10 PHX: Kelly, Stanton, Biggs, Gosar react to Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

🗞 Fox News: HUD terminates Obama-era housing rule that Trump warned would ‘destroy’ home values

📰 Washington Examiner: Border Patrol daily arrests drop to lowest in over 15 years

🗞 Breitbart: NSA Confirms Investigation into Employees’ ‘Secret Sex Chats’

📰 Victor Hanson: Who Caused the Counter-Revolution?

🗞 Fox Business: Apple unveils historic $500B investment in US manufacturing, innovation: ‘Bullish on the future’

📰 Just the News:  POLITICS & POLICY Harvard poll undercuts Dem narratives, shows DOGE widely popular

⚠ Warning!!  The Gosar Weekly Newsletter is meant for discerning readers with above average intelligence.  We link to interesting stories.  We get stories a couple different ways: Google alerts, a third-party aggregator and sometimes readers send stuff.  We don’t vouch for every publication or every author.  If we link to a story, it is because of that story. The views expressed in any of the publications do not represent any promotion, endorsement or reflection of Congressman Gosar’s views.  While we try our best, we cannot guarantee every news organization spouting hatred, animosity or divisiveness will be filtered from appearing in the Gosar Weekly Newsletter.  We will endeavor to prevent that from happening by never linking to Fake News organizations including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Rolling Stone, the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Mirror, Media Matters or the New Republic.