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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.
Back to School Shopping is Getting Too Expensive for Americans
As the summer months come to a close, I wanted to highlight some deafening statistics provided to me by our Joint Economic Committee economists. The data show an expected decline in both K-12 and college spending levels after reaching record high levels in 2023. Additionally, an estimated $125.4 billion in back-to-school spending shows a decrease from previous years, down from a record $135.5 billion last year. This is just more evidence that America’s consumers are starting to pull back on their spending.
Back-to-college purchases are expected to come in at an average of ~$1,365 per household, some $490 more than reported planned spending for its graded counterpart. Of course, in the age of technological advancement, classroom spending tends not to be just pens, paper, clothes, and backpacks; the largest category for both primary and collegiate cohorts is electronic devices, which accounted for ~35% and ~26% of the budgets, respectively.
Recognizing Some Amazing Citizens of AZ-01
Last week, I had the privilege of presenting to the residents of Westminster Village retirement community regarding many of my main themes, including embracing technology to curb our national debt, the fact that everything Congress votes on is using borrowed money, how much of your income taxes contribute to paying down interest on our national debt, and how demographics play a large role in our continuing reckless spending.
Westminster Village is quite a large operation. It has 211 employees, 324 apartments, and over 380 residents. It has won the "Best in the Valley" award for retirement communities for each of the last six years. So many of you had excellent questions and I'm grateful to have had those conversations with you all. To the gracious faculty and residents at Westminster Village, thank you for having me!
Updates From the USDA Forest Service Regarding Arizona Wildfires
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Suppression repair activities continue across the fires with approximately one day left of road grading and rehabilitation of dozer lines. Crews have finished the necessary chipping and mastication work on the Sand Stone Fire. Firefighters continue to monitor the fires by air and on the ground, patrolling for concentrated heat while remaining ready to assist with new fire starts. Weather is trending towards hotter and dryer with temperatures increasing and relative humidity levels decreasing by mid-week. Chances of thunderstorms are unlikely as a ridge of high pressure remains in place over the Four Corners, bringing drier air over Arizona.
The Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District, has issued a Bartlett Lake Post Fire Flash Flood Public Safety Closure to include National Forest System Road 459 (North Lake Road) and all National Forest System lands within 100 feet of the Bartlett Reservoir shoreline. A closure order for the Sand Stone Fire area also remains in effect. See https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/alerts-notices/ for more information about forest closures. Trail users should avoid using the Arizona National Scenic Trail near the fire areas.
Congressional Opportunities for Students in AZ-01
Ever wanted the chance to intern at our nation's Capitol in Washington D.C.? How about working alongside a Member of Congress? Calling all college students; now's your chance! Students interested in applying for an internship with the Office of Congressman David Schweikert should be motivated, detail oriented, display a strong work ethic, and interact well with constituents. In addition, applicants should have a strong interest in the legislative process and the function of Congress. Students interested in interning in our Scottsdale district office may submit their application documents, as listed on my website, to Ernestina Borquez-Smith at Ernestina.borquez-smith@mail.house.gov. Those interested in interning in our Washington, D.C. office may submit their application documents to Sydney Vermillion at Sydney.Vermillion@mail.house.gov. All materials MUST be submitted by August 19.
On another note, the portal for submitting applications for a U.S. Service Academies nomination is open! For those interested in applying for scholarships to attend a military service academy, you can apply for an academy congressional nomination HERE. For additional questions regarding the application process please refer to our academy resource guide and FAQ link below, or contact Chelsea Lett, Service Academy Coordinator, in my District Office at (480) 946-2411.
Did Your Family Escape the Arizona Heat This Summer?
One of my favorite parts about the summer season is getting to see magnificent footage shared with me by residents of Arizona's First Congressional District of various trips and travels throughout these few months.
Above, I've included recent travel photos from one of our constituents, who just had the opportunity to visit South Dakota. In her words, she described her travel to consist of beautiful weather, with views that encapsulated nature's breathtaking sights.
Do you have travel photos that I can highlight in my weekly newsletter? Email them to David.Schweikert@mail.house.gov with a brief description of your experience. I would love to hear about your travels and be able to share them with the rest of AZ-01.
What I'm Reading & Why It Matters
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Foreign, state–backed actors and UK extremists have taken to the internet in an attempt to incite violence in the UK. All over social media has spread a campaign to get people gather in protest, with most protests turning violent. The UK suspects these bad actors are using bots and accounts with stolen British identities to launch their campaign of terror. The campaign started after three girls were sadly killed in North England. The suspect was identified as a teenager born in Wales to Rwandan parents. This has caused riots to break out targeted at migrants.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers celebrated the return of Americans imprisoned in Russia on what was criticized as politically motivated actions but raised concern that the exchange for Russian prisoners could lead to future hostage-taking.
You've probably heard by now that a federal court found that Google has illegally been acting as a monopoly, violating antitrust law. Google has been violating this law per their restrictive contracts with Apple and other cellphone manufacturers that require Google as the default search engine. This is the first federal antitrust law that has been ruled against a big tech company since Microsoft over two decades ago. Unsurprisingly, Google is appealing the case to try and produce a more favorable outcome for their company.
On the more light-hearted side, I came across some hidden Arizona gems that maybe even the longest-residing natives may not know of. From castles, to pyramid-like structures, to historic architecture, you can see magnificent sights scattered across the state. One of my favorites has to be the Biosphere II in Tucson. This science research facility imitates various ecosystems, such as a rainforest, the savannah and the ocean, all enclosed in an intricately sculpted dome. |