WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), issued the following statement after voting to permanently place fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This would make fentanyl in all combinations subject to the harshest criminal penalties currently available.

“Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats’ open-border policies have created the worst border crisis in American history and have allowed for deadly fentanyl to flow like a river across our borders, directly contributing to the fentanyl crisis in America. Over 105,000 Americans died in 2021 from this illegal drug, twice as many as died in the entire Vietnam War. A million Americans have been poisoned to death since 2014.

Drug overdoses in America due to fentanyl have skyrocketed and it is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45.  Fentanyl is plaguing our communities. It is poisoning our kids. It is devastating families. I have had enough. We have to stop the drug trade and close the border immediately.

My vote today to permanently deem fentanyl-related substances among the most controlled Schedule 1 drugs would have given law enforcement officials the tools they need to combat this threat and take swift action against drug traffickers. What we really need is to stop it before it gets here, but since that is not being done, we need to punish the drug sellers here. Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress refuse to take this crisis seriously and that is the only reason this important vote failed,” concluded Congressman Gosar.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Top stories…

This week, the Biden administration announced it will end the Title 42 public health policy that was implemented under President Trump and has been used for the past two years to quickly expel illegal lawbreakers at the southern border. This announcement comes just days after the U.S. Border Patrol Chief announced the U.S. will soon hit one million illegal border crossings, and we are only in the beginning of April.

The Trump administration enacted the Title 42 policy in March 2020 as a public health measure to make sure sick, infected and diseased illegal aliens were not allowed to enter our country.  Today, democrats and the Biden administration claim that keeping out sick and infected aliens is somehow wrong and they want American citizens exposed to COVID-19 variants and other diseases.  Thus, they are terminating the Title 42 expulsion program.   Approximately 1,000,000 million infected illegal aliens were barred by DHS and returned to Mexico or another point of origin.  Under the Democrat plan, these sick aliens will be allowed to enter. Our country is under a sustained attack and invasion because of democrat policies.

Notably, Sen. Kelly and Sen. Sinema oppose the democrat plan to end Title 42; some squishy Republicans support terminating Title 42.

Repealing Title 42 will bring another surge of illegals into our country. Joe Biden’s open border policies caused the invasion along the southern border. Now his decision to end the use of Title 42 is turning a major crisis into a catastrophe. As many as 18,000 illegal immigrants per day, which will exceed a half million illegal aliens in April, and countless more amounts of deadly fentanyl will flow across the border because of this inconceivably reckless decision. This policy change will devastate the southern border and cause irrevocable harm to the security of the United States.

Earlier this week, I voted to permanently place fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This would make fentanyl in all combinations subject to the harshest criminal penalties currently available.

Regrettably, Biden’s open-border policies have created the worst border crisis in American history and have allowed for deadly fentanyl to flow like a river across our borders, directly contributing to the fentanyl crisis in America. Over 105,000 Americans died in 2021 from this illegal drug. Drug overdoses in America due to fentanyl have skyrocketed and it is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45.  Fentanyl is plaguing our communities. It is poisoning our kids. It is devastating families. I have had enough. We must stop the drug trade and close the border immediately.

My vote to permanently deem fentanyl-related substances among the most controlled Schedule 1 drugs would have given law enforcement officials the tools they need to combat this threat and take swift action against drug traffickers.  Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress refuse to take this crisis seriously and that is the only reason this important vote failed.

Read my full statement here.

This weekend I had the pleasure to attend and speak at the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association’s meeting in Prescott. Our ranchers are the best stewards of our lands and the country’s best environmentalists, not some out of touch bureaucrat or agency in Washington, DC. Our ranchers are committed to honoring and preserving the important ranching legacy in Yavapai County while protecting the beef industry. Sadly, too often regulators want to tell them how best to manage their cattle and land. They force regulations and heavy-handed mandates that cripple Arizona’s important ranching industry. Arizona’s cattle industry represents nearly 20% of our great state’s economy. The industry contributes more than $1.7 billion to our economy and is vital to our communities. They feed our families and feed the world. Thank you to Keith Cannon and Yavapai Cattle Growers for the thoughtful invitation.

This week, I was visited by a very special VIP. A Very Important Puppy, that is.  I am proud to meet these amazing pups and cosponsor the H.R. 5232, the Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act. The Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act will help @AmericasVetDogs place these furry four-legged friends with those who served our country honorably live with dignity and independence. Service dogs provide invaluable service enriching the lives of our veterans, service members and first responders with disabilities. They make it “paw-sible” for these heroes to live with pride and self-reliance.

This week I cosponsored the TEAM Veterans Caregivers Act.  This legislation takes three steps to increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) family caregivers program. First, it will formally recognize all caregivers of veterans by identifying them in the health records of the veteran. Second, it will require the VA to include specific information when notifying veterans and caregivers regarding any clinical determinations made relating to the downgrade or termination of family caregivers benefits. Lastly, it will extend the family caregivers program benefits for 90 days when a veteran is no longer clinically eligible for the program, with exclusions to protect against fraud and abuse.

Caregivers assume enormous responsibilities by caring for our wounded veterans. Unfortunately, the bureaucratic hurdles veterans and caregivers must go through are cumbersome and inefficient. I’m proud to cosponsor this bill which will increase efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ family caregivers program.

I also cosponsored the TBI and PTSD Treatment Act, legislation that directs the VA to provide Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.  HBOT is an effective, non-invasive therapeutic that can help improve the quality of life and help heal the hidden wounds too offered suffered by veterans.  It is imperative that the VA make this treatment available as soon as possible.

This week I cosponsored H.R. 4441, the Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act. Introduced by Arizona Representative Andy Biggs, this bill prohibits any federal agency from imposing any requirements related to COVID-19 requiring an individual to wear a mask on public transportation. This is an important issue for individual liberty and freedom. In particular, the travel mandate has not made sense from the beginning as travelers were required to wear masks that the Center for Disease Control admits are not effective. Besides the lack of science, the mask mandate is also unconstitutional and part of the federal government’s infringement on personal and medical liberties. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill and I look forward to supporting it on the House floor.

Darren J. Beattie

@DarrenJBeattie: “Raytheon, Lockheed, and others make a ton of money if we send their military equipment to Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine. No one gets rich if less fentanyl comes across our southern border.”

See Tweet here.

Read the referenced Revolver News article here.

This photo was taken and submitted by Ray Snyder of Apache Junction. It features Monument Valley at dawn.

Thank you, Ray!

Now, who is next!?

Do you have photography skills? Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our “Picture of the Week?” Send your best shots of our great State to jessica.lycos@mail.house.gov. We have a beautiful State, let’s show her off!

**We have a correction to issue. Last week our photo of the week featured  a butterfly which we mistakenly called a “Monarch.” We received a number of messages letting us know that this is a common mistake and that the featured butterfly was in fact “Swallow Tail.” We appreciate everyone’s vigilance and avid readership!

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It’s that time of year again! Congressional Art Competition: 1st place winner will be flown to Washington DC for an awards banquet and have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year! Rules are below. Please submit your artwork to Julie Schreiner and the Prescott District office.

Address:

122 N Cortez St.

Suite 104

Prescott, AZ 86301

Call (928) 445-1683 for more information.

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Prescott, AZ – Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), issued the following statement after delivering the keynote address at the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association’s (YCGA) Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 2, 2022.

“I am honored to have delivered the keynote address at the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association Annual Meeting this past weekend.  Our cattle growers are committed to honoring and preserving the important ranching legacy in Yavapai County while protecting our important beef industry.  Our cattlemen are the best stewards of our land and are our country’s best environmentalists, not some out of touch bureaucrat or agency in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, I am not convinced that bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. have the best interest of Arizona’s important cattle industry in mind. Too often they want to tell our ranchers how best to manage their cattle and their land. From crippling taxes, record inflation to onerous regulatory mandates, they force their heavy hand on an industry that literally feeds Arizona and much of the world.

Ranching is vitally important to our great state of Arizona.  I am grateful to have been asked by the YCGA to speak at their annual meeting and I will continue to fight to ensure Arizona’s cattle industry continues to grow and thrive,” concluded Congressman Gosar.