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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.
Revealing the Inconceivable Truths From the Republican Response to the Economic Report of the President
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| Click here or on the image above to review my full remarks from last week’s speech. |
The Joint Economic Committee has spent years refining the data for the response to the 2024 Economic Report of the President to demonstrate that the excess health care costs of obesity to this country over the next ten years will total $9.1 trillion. Why isn't this an alarm bell for the entirety of America?
Let's go even further into the math of the unbelievable findings of the JEC report: If you actually take every dime in income tax and add it up, this year, 36.9% of all income tax will go to just cover Medicare. Then, you add in another 36.5% to represent net interest. If you plug in all net interest, it will be closer to 45%, meaning, in nine years— which, remember, we are an income-tax based tax system— the majority of U.S. receipts come from income tax. We actually cross this threshold in five years. Every dime of tax you pay will go toward just covering Medicare and interest.
My Bill that Emphasizes the Importance of Reimbursement for Wearable Medical Devices
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 8832, the Maintaining Innovation and Safe Technology Act— legislation that would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish reimbursement guidance for remote monitoring devices that use AI to treat patients. Automating the organization and collection of patient information has proven to ease burdens off of physicians, detect health irregularities quicker, and provide hundreds of millions of dollars in savings each year. The potential for wearable devices to save American lives and American dollars is expanding, and it’s time for coverage to reflect that.
Researchers have estimated that the further implementation of artificial intelligence into our health care system could produce savings from 5% to 10% of spending, which equates to around $200 billion to $360 billion annually in 2019 dollars. Forbes has also estimated that promoting the use of health-monitoring wearable devices could result in $200 billion in cost savings over the next 25 years.
Most of you know that my fascination with AI integration has been ever-present. In my floor speech from last week, I highlighted research presented by the Joint Economic Committee's findings showing the return on investment that comes from implementing innovation further in our health care system. Currently, the FDA has approved over 882 devices that use AI or machine learning to treat, diagnose, and care for patients. See below for more examples of how AI technology is continuing to promote cost savings and life-saving support for Americans:
House Ways & Means Committee Hosts a Difficult Conversation Surrounding Flaws of Child Welfare System
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This week, the Ways & Means Committee hosted an important hearing regarding our deeply flawed child welfare system and how Congress can implement change to protect foster kids. This is a topic that hits close to home, as I, along with my father, and now my beautiful children have gone through the adoption process at a young age. Not many people know that I am a part of a generational adopted family, and it's been such a blessing in every possible way.
At the hearing, I related to some of the struggles and challenges that many people involved in foster and adoptive systems face. My wife and I faced many obstacles while adopting Matthew and Olivia. Their birth mother told the hospital to call us at the time of Matthew’s birth so he and his sister could be together. When we got to the hospital, we had to pay a $40,000 adoption fee to bring him home, since his mother signed Matthew over to the agencies.
My story emphasizes that our system is broken. No monetary obstacle should ever prevent potential parents with loving and qualified hearts from bringing what may be the biggest possible blessing into their lives. Every day I remain thankful that my family was in the position to be able to bring Olivia and Matthew into our lives, but countless families who intend to adopt don't get the opportunity due to fiscal hindrances. One of our witnesses, Mrs. Paris Hilton, bravely shared her traumatizing experience at a congregate-care facility with the Committee. Having such a prominent voice express the flaws within the child welfare system is invaluable, and we were grateful to hear her testimony.
A Huge Thank-You to The Western Passport Center!
Last weekend, the Western Passport Center hosted a Special Passport Acceptance event in AZ01 and assisted constituents submit their passport applications. My constituent service team, in collaboration with the State Department, Passport Services, were able to help many families with first time applications and passport renewals for upcoming travel. The efficiency and diligence displayed by both my staff, and the Passport Center staff, is a true testament to our commitment to AZ-01. If you have concerns with your passport application or have urgent travel needs, please don’t hesitate to contact my District Office at (480) 946-2411. Looking forward to the next community event that helps make life more efficient for our constituents!
One of Life's Greatest Joys
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| Click here or on the image above to hear more about my legislation. |
As mentioned above, we heard from numerous witnesses impacted by the foster and adoption systems at a Ways & Means hearing this week. They shared challenges they faced when they were either in the foster care system or trying to adopt/foster children. We often see legislation that focuses on money, which can have adverse effects on how children are treated in foster homes. Legislation that instead focuses on the wellbeing of children could transform each child’s experience for the better.
Adoption should not be an industry centered around agencies taking money from parents, but rather, a system where these children can be placed in safe and loving homes. I am thankful that for three generations, my family has had the means and opportunity to adopt. Finding a unified theory— whether from the adoption perspective, foster care system, or resources for incarcerated parents— starts with prioritizing our kids. It’s immoral that a financial burden could be preventing a miraculous family formation.
Updates Regarding the Boulder View Wildfire
We have some updates regarding the Boulder View Fire, which is currently expanding 3,711 acres with 19% containment. Areas in 'GO' evacuate status were downgraded to 'SET' while areas in 'SET' status were returned to 'READY' status on Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. Containment increased on the East side of the fire after it reached the Wildcat Fire burned area and stopped spreading. The Central West Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team has assumed command of the Boulder View Fire that is under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Tonto National Forest.
On Saturday, June 29, fire crews continued valiant efforts toward full suppression by improving firelines, as well as monitoring for any heat within the interior of the fire. Fire crews made good progress over on the North side and are continuing on working that piece to ensure there's no heat remaining. The South side of the fire continues to persist, and has now checked itself up on the 2-track road. No heat was showing on Thursday, and crews continued to monitor for any possibility of lingering heat through the weekend. The Southeast side is still active and holding a lot of heat. Fire crews have engaged, and if necessary, helicopters will support with bucket work for lingering hotspots.
At this time, 'GO/SET' remain in place. All info in regards to evacuations and pre-evacuation statuses will come from maricopa.gov. Bartlett Dam Road at Cave Creek Road remains closed to the public. You can find additional fire information on my website.
What I’m Reading & Why It Matters
False political information–misinformation or disinformation—is widely spread on social media. This week, I read a journal publication which explored how individual social media users play a large part in the circulation of fake news. However, the aspect that many fail to recognize is that only a sliver of the population actively shares false material, but shares it plentifully. It is important to establish what sets these individuals apart from those who do not, and why they do it. Motivations for sharing may vary and are likely to differ between people who share false material unknowingly and on purpose. This paper considers the extent to which individual differences in personality and other variables, and motivations for sharing, are associated with the likelihood of people sharing false political information both accidentally and deliberately. In a series of four studies, they examined predictors of sharing false political information using different methodological approaches. Across the four studies, a key finding was that positive schizotypy is associated with measures of sharing false information both accidentally and deliberately. Motivations for sharing political information online were also relevant, with sharing for reasons of ’raising awareness’ appearing particularly important.
The United States Supreme Court on the tax law case Moore v. United States, which explored the scope of income taxes constitutionally allowable by the Sixteenth Amendment. Charles and Kathleen Moore argued that it was unconstitutional for the government to tax them for unrepatriated income. The Court's majority opinion, authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, held that the income from the couple's stake in KisanKraft was realized, and thus, the government could tax them. The ruling, however, was specific to the case and did not answer two broader questions: if Congress can tax both the entity and the shareholders or partners on the entity's undistributed income and whether or not realization is a constitutional requirement for an income tax. Many Democrats would like to implement a tax on unrealized and undistributed income, such as President Biden's proposed billionaire minimum tax, which would levy a one-time income tax on unrealized and undistributed income. |