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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.
Honoring The Men and Women Lost While Serving Our Great Nation
Each year, Americans have the privilege of honoring the brave men and women who have died during the fight of keeping our freedoms truly free. This year, I encourage you to pay tribute to our fearless men and women on a day enriched in so many significant liberties – the surrender of the confederacy, the observation of decoration day, and the declaration of Waterloo as the official birthplace of Memorial Day itself. If you know someone who has served this country, show them your greatest appreciation – not only for their service, but for those who died serving our country, too.
We're Financing Our Brothers and Sisters' Sickness With Partially Borrowed Money
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| Click here or on the image above to review my full remarks from last week’s speech. |
Last week, I had the privilege of being joined by one of my esteemed colleagues, U.S. Representative Andy Harris, M.D. from Maryland's First Congressional District, during my weekly House floor speech. We had an insightful conversation regarding the fact that the morality of loving our brothers and sisters starts with having a healthier society. It's estimated that obesity will result in anywhere between $8.2 trillion and $9.1 trillion in excess medical expenditures over the next decade.
Dr. Harris expanded on the declining access of healthy produce in our food programs, noting that we can send a strong economic signal through Congress's ability to modify what is available under food programs. Dr. Harris and I did the hardest thing possible to do in Congress nowadays; we're actually talking about what we can pay for. Is it possible to reduce the amount of money the government spends on healthcare by promoting a healthier society?
Live Updates Regarding the Arizona Wildcat Fire
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| Click here to view more resources on my website. |
The Wildcat Fire in Arizona has now been 84% contained. We thank the fearless firefighters who've made such great progress in containing this over 14,400 acre disaster. Please don't hesitate to contact my district office in Scottsdale if you are needing any further immediate assistance regarding relief. In the meantime, I have compiled a list of updates and resources on my website for your convenience.
Academy Nominations Application Portal Is Live On My Website!
As your Congressman, I have the privilege of nominating a limited number of students for scholarships to attend a military service academy each year. The U.S. Service Academies are among the most highly respected educational programs in the nation. To be admitted to an academy, applicants must meet stringent academic, physical and medical requirements specified by public law. As a cadet/midshipman at the academy, students will be provided a fully-funded four-year college education. The honor of attending an academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve for a minimum of five years upon graduation. For high school students seeking a congressional nomination to one of our nation’s academies in the upcoming school year, the application portal for AZ-01 is now open!
Noticing Some Amazing Sights in AZ-01
I've been collecting footage sent to me by my neighbors of frequent sightings of Gila Monsters. As you may be aware, Gila Monsters, named after the Gila River in Arizona, are venomous lizards with a bad reputation in the reptile realm. These creatures operate differently based on weather, as they are carnivores, and may hunt for prey in the evenings and early mornings for a more optimal temperature in climates like Arizona's. I should let you know that there's a drug that helps the management of Type II diabetes that uses Gila Monster saliva as an ingredient, as it contains a vital protein called Exendin-4. Although fascinating, these lizards pack a punch; be sure to admire from a distance in order to not fall victim to its vicious bite.
Serious Schweikert Solutions: The FORWARD Act
This week’s Serious Schweikert Solution is something that's been in the works for over a decade now, and it involves finally finding a cure that not only affects our friends and family, but also our furry companions. This one's called the FORWARD Act, which promotes research initiatives curated to detect, treat, and combat Valley Fever. As you may know, Valley Fever is a disease caused by a fungus commonly found in desert soils that can infect the lungs of humans and canines.
The reason for this legislation involves a heartbreaking story where a dear friend of mine experienced the devastating effects of the disease. It was over ten years ago that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and I started the Valley Fever Task Force with the goal of exchanging crucial information with the medical and scientific fields to foster new advancements in prevention and treatment, as well as circulating information on this deadly disease to our communities. In the 117th Congress, former Speaker McCarthy and I introduced the FORWARD Act, bipartisan legislation to support research initiatives to treat Valley Fever.
What I’m Reading & Why It Matters
The United States has seen a drop in birth rates as policy makers aimed to bring down teenage pregnancies. Now, the problem at hand is the increasing shortage of babies. In an article put forth by The Economist, increasing amounts of rich countries are considering pro-natural efforts as other countries, such as Europe, give benefits to professional mothers in the form of cash incentives. The U.S. must consider the impacts of pro-natal efforts, as only 8% of children born from non-college-educated parents find themselves attending a bachelor program. The first unconditional cash-transfer programs in the U.S. have kickstarted in Flint, Michigan, where local mothers receive $7,500 in separate installments from the beginning of pregnancy to the child's first birthday.
I've been meaning to explain for some time the actual percentage that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) spending accounts for. SSDI was comprised of $141 billion in 2021 and accounts for about 2% of the federal budget. The population makeup of those receiving SSDI benefits have extensive work histories, are in their late middle age and suffer from severe mental or musculoskeletal impairment. For most of the program's history, we saw growth due to demographic factors, but has since slowed down, with applications and awards dropping by 40% since 2010. It is projected that the program will rise for the next 20 years then stay stagnant.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are a drug that mimic the function of the gut hormone involved in regulating blood sugar and appetite. You may have heard me speak about this topic during my weekly floor speeches, and the impact it could have on our health care spending. GLP-1s targeted to treat diabetes and obesity are proving that there could be further benefits. Novo Nordisk just obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration, now allowing Wegovy's label to promote the further benefits of aiding in cardiovascular health. Other companies are finding GLP-1 drugs to also aid in combatting fatty liver disease, kidney disease and a range of brain disorders (ex. Parkinson's, Alzheimers, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, substance use disorder and addiction). GLP-1s and the weight loss drug market is estimated to be worth $100 billion by 2030. Certifying other benefits could account for the current lack of competition in the GLP-1 market. |