|
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.
How Long Before Congress Gets Serious About Burdensome Expirations of Our Tax Code?
 |
| Click here or on the image above to review my full remarks from last week’s speech. |
There becomes less and less time between the current state of our tax code – the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) – and the eventual expiration of such provisions that will slam American taxpayers. TCJA provided ways to maximize economic growth and make the U.S. competitive again. However, in the coming year, some parts of the current provisions will expire, ultimately leaving an immense impact on the working people.
Last week, I was joined by Reps. Chip Roy and Scott Perry to answer questions and discuss measures that ensure your taxes do not increase. Under current law, the average tax increase for people in AZ-01 in 2026 will be $5,921, which is in addition to the existing 26% inflation. I shared with the audience proposals for reducing government spending, incentivizing healthcare cost reductions, and using technology to make government operations smaller and more efficient. Complex solutions are the best way solve complex problems and we have the moral obligation to think disruptively to lower government spending, as well as ensuring to not continue burdening the constituencies that we represent.
Examining the Fiscal Burden the Border Crisis Imposes on the Average American Taxpayer
Most people know that there are real and lasting consequences for the federal government’s failure to secure the border. In the first quarter of this year, there have been over 750,000 encounters of illegal migrants along our southern border. That’s over a quarter-million per month. Unfortunately, many of these illegal border crossers are being allowed by the Biden Administration to remain in the United States. And that decision is costing the American taxpayers dearly.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, in just two years’ time, the American taxpayer will shoulder billions of dollars in additional costs for those illegal border crossers allowed to remain in the United States. I’ve long been a supporter of legal immigration, but the chaos unleashed in the last three years by the Biden Administration’s decisions along the border needs to stop. It is an unfair ask of American taxpayers to shoulder the costs of a crisis created by the federal government’s failure to secure the border.
Live Updates Regarding the Arizona Wildfires
 |
| Click here to view more resources on my website. |
The Adams Fire is now at 100% containment. The Adams Fire location is one mile east of Fort McDowell, and spans for roughly 5,029 acres. Although it is contained, there will still be some smoldering fuels and likely visible smoke for the next few days. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are still in effect for the Tonto, Coconino, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest areas. Yesterday, fire crews mopped up any areas with lingering heat, as well as repaired fences and trails that were used to access the fire. Temperatures remain very hot in the area, with highs of 105 degrees. Fuel moisture is still low and very receptive to fire. Winds are expected to be fairly calm for most of today.
Please continue to avoid the area while crews conduct fire suppression operations and citizens are urged to sign up for the Maricopa County Emergency Notification System to be quickly notified of emergencies. It is important to remember that this fire was human caused – please follow the guidelines provided by emergency and forest services to keep our lands safe.
Got International Summer Travel Plans?
If you plan to take a trip abroad, look up @travelgov’s country-specific information for your destination at travel.state.gov/destination. You can check the travel advisory level, find passport and visa requirements, learn about banned items, and save the contact info for the nearest U.S. embassy all in one place. For peace of mind while traveling abroad, sign up for @travelgov’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This will help the nearest U.S. embassy contact you in an emergency. Enroll your next trip at step.state.gov.
- Avoid common pitfalls:
- Packing ammunition (even accidentally)
- Packing prohibited medications (including CBD and THC products)
- Being pickpocketed
- Not purchasing travel insurance
- Not paying attention to passport expiration dates
AZ-01 Special Passport Acceptance Event with the U.S. Department of State
The U.S. Department of State, and their Passport Services team will be available by appointment on Saturday, June 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 14500 N. Northsight Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, to accept routine passport applications during a special acceptance event. Appointment registration is required. All supporting documentation, photos and fees must accompany the passport application. To schedule your appointment directly with the State Department, and to learn more about the event, please click here.
Serious Schweikert Solutions: The Substance Therapy Designation Act
 |
| Click here or on the image above to hear more about my legislation. |
Each time I release my weekly newsletter to update my constituents on the impact the border crisis has on our communities, I am continually having to update the numbers. In a previous press release I published, I noted that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized over 8.5 million fentanyl pills since December 2023 just within the Nogales sector. It was announced just last week that in one apprehension alone, Nogales CBP officers seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills. If the current Administration refuses to address the further exacerbation of this country's opioid crisis due to the border crisis, it's up to Congress to enact serious legislation that addresses the immorality.
This Serious Schweikert Solution is called the Substance Therapy Designation Act and its intent is to expedite the development for treatments targeting opioid, cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol addiction through an FDA breakthrough therapy designation. 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.
What I’m Reading & Why It Matters
fewa.png "Untitled_design_(6)fewa.png")
There has been a rise in AI manipulated phone calls intended to scam people into sending money, pretending to mimic one of the victim's loved ones needing monetary assistance in an urgent situation. Scammers are able to use AI to manipulate their own voice to sound like someone else's, making the victims even easier to convince. A few ways to protect yourself from this scam is to ignore suspicious/unknown calls, call or text your relative after if you receive one of these frantic calls, and establish a code word to confirm their identity. Other suggestions to keep yourself safe is to ask personal questions to scare the scammer, generally be conscious of what you post since scammers can use any information that is public on the internet against you, and do not rely on deepfake detectors until it is shown they are fully reliable.
An investigation into Arizona's Medicaid program has found that it ignored many warning signs of fraud that targeted mostly Native Americans that has cost taxpayers $2.5 billion for fake services that were never given. 100 companies have been charged by Arizona prosecutors and the first person convicted in connection to the scheme has recently been sentenced to prison.
This last piece is further evidence as to why things like my Substance Therapy Designation Act are imperative in addressing the country's opioid crisis. The Wall Street Journal authored a gut-wrenching story that outlined the negative effects of the newly popular drug "tranq". Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer also known as “tranq”, is creating a new generation of amputees by its effects of rotting a user's body. Along with stripping people of their limbs, Xylazine has a higher tolerance to antidotes such as naloxone, meaning that first responders might administer a second dose. This drug does unspeakable things to people's bodies. It's immoral that we have yet to advance a cure to combat addiction that disintegrates human beings. |