Dear ,

I hope you and your family are doing well! Below, please find a few updates on my work last week for the residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District.

ICYMI: My Legislation to Expedite the Advancement of Treatments Targeting Addictive Substances

The above photo encapsulates just a five-day snapshot of the illicit substances that are being apprehended by our fearless CBP officers in the Nogales Sector amidst this disastrous border crisis. That's just one port-of-entry's growing tally. Accidental drug deaths in Arizona more than doubled from 2018 to 2022, with the total percentage of fentanyl deaths skyrocketing from 32.6% in 2018 to 68.7% in 2022. To put the fentanyl crisis in even starker terms, five Arizonans a day died from opioid overdose in 2023. Evidently, our current prevention and treatment methods aren't doing enough.

Last week, I introduced my legislation that would allow addictive substances to be eligible for an FDA breakthrough therapy designation, which would fast-track the review and development processes for treatment. Already, there have been research teams in Texas and Brazil that have begun research and clinical trials on vaccines that would treat both cocaine and fentanyl addiction. 

With the Substance Therapy Designation Act, my goal is to save more children and families that are falling victim to the continuing influx of these illicit drugs. This bill speaks to my continuing fixation of making our brothers and sisters healthier, while at the same time, promoting the safety and treatment from these addictive substances.

Join My Team At The Service Academy Fair

As your Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives for Arizona’s First Congressional District, I have the privilege of nominating a limited number of students each year for scholarships to attend our U.S. military service academies. The U.S. Service Academies are among the most highly respected educational programs in the nation, and to be admitted to an academy applicants must not only meet stringent academic, physical and medical requirements specified by public law but must also receive a nomination.  As a cadet or midshipman at the academy, students will be provided a fully-funded four-year college education and the honor of attending an academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve for a minimum of five years upon graduation. 

To learn more about the congressional nomination process, students and parents are invited to attend this years' Service Academy Conference, which will be held on Saturday, May 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the library at Veritas Preparatory Academy.

Representatives of the Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, Military, and Naval Academies will explain the unique academic, career, and military opportunities each school offers. Congressional staff will be present to explain the required Congressional application and nomination process. High School students are encouraged to RSVP here.

2024 Service Academy Fair

Saturday, May 4, 2022

Veritas Preparatory Academy

 3102 N. 56^th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85018

10:00 am to 12:30pm

RSVP HERE

For more information about this event, contact my district office at (480) 946-2411 and review my academy page at  https://schweikert.house.gov/service-academy-nominations/.

Hoping You & Yours Had A Blessed Holy Week

Joyce, Matthew, Olivia, and I would like to wish you peace on this Easter Monday following the close of the Holy Week on Easter Sunday. We hope you celebrated the resurrection surrounded by family and friends, to experience the warmth of the Lord's love & light. 

Today Marks The Start of World Autism Month

This #WorldAutismMonth, I pledge to fearlessly stand for a world where autistic people are recognized and have the opportunities they deserve. Will you stand together with me? Learn more at autismspeaks.org/FEARLESS.

Upcoming Mobile Office Hours With My District Office

My district casework team is here to assist residents of Arizona’s First Congressional District with applications and claims pertaining to federal benefits. Staff from my district office may be in your neighborhood to offer one-on-one casework assistance. Check dates and times below or call the district office at (480) 946-2411 for immediate assistance with the IRS, Passports, Medicare, Social Security, VA and other federal benefits. 

Get Daily Debt Updates Delivered To Your Device

If you've seen one of my weekly House floor speeches, then you understand how passionate I am about reducing government spending in order to protect crucial programs like Social Security. I've created a FREE, daily text messages that gives you the first look at the same numbers I present to you on the floor speech, before they're even available to the public. 

Get updates like these by signing up for my Daily Debt Monitor, which sends a comprehensive chart to your mobile device daily, outlining the rapid rise of our national debt. It's simple; head to my website, scroll past the graphic cityscape, and fill out your information under the Daily Debt Monitor table. 

What I’m Reading & Why It Matters

Each year, the average retirement age gets lower and lower. This week, I've been reading that the average age in which someone collects their full Social Security benefits is 67. Although many will be able to start collecting their benefits by age 62, more and more Americans are looking to start retiring in their 40s and 50s. Basically, workers will experience a significant drop in their average benefit income if they choose to work less than the full 35 years. For example, if someone chooses to work only 30 years, Social Security Administration (SSA) replaces your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) with a total of $0 for each of those five years not working.

I'm also reading about how the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine has developed a study that could revolutionize biotechnology applications and gene sequencing. Essentially, the method forms human artificial chromosomes (HACs) without the common occurrence of DNA segment entanglement. The technique used by the university, also known as transformation-associated recombination (TAR), utilizes a fusion method to add the HACs to the human cell line, as opposed to the less-efficient traditional transfer method. The researchers were even able to keep the HACs in their original condition without the entanglement. The research shows that HACs have many potential benefits, like value for agricultural biotechnology, effective platforms for gene therapy, and a safer DNA insertion into the host genome. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update on my latest work in Washington, D.C. and Arizona’s First Congressional District! If you have any comments or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to my office.

Sincerely,

David Schweikert