The Schweikert Segment: The World Has Now Surpassed Its Record of Debt, at $312 Trillion

District Update September 30, 2024

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.

The World Has Now Surpassed Its Record of Debt, at $312 Trillion

I wanted to try something different this week to highlight important points of my floor speech. I'm going to link a few short clips from the speech above, outlining my biggest takeaways from the message. Let me know what you think from this new format:

An excerpt regarding the demographics of our government spending:

An excerpt outlining that it's almost impossible to buy U.S. sovereign debt:

An excerpt that questions Congress's ability to do any serious business:

Schweikert in Committee: "This Conversation is Much Bigger Than Just TANF..."

Watch my full testimony here.

In the House Ways & Means Committee last week, I spoke about addressing poverty and income inequality in our country. One of the core purposes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is to end government dependency by reconnecting individuals to the workforce, with work being a central component to the health and well-being of an individual.

Currently, however, TANF has no state work requirements, incentives, or minimum standards, essentially depriving Americans in need of fostering better connections to the workforce and gainful employment. As I mentioned during the hearing, one of the primary drivers in income inequality is the normalization of having unhealthy family members and neglected models that work to promote their health and well-being. In fact, there's current economic data showing that an individual’s relationship to work is the single most powerful tool in changing the financial trajectory for themselves and their families.

Service Academy Applications Due THIS Friday!

Last call for high school seniors interested in applying for a congressional nomination to one of our U.S. Military Service Academies. The academy application process for Arizona’s 1^st Congressional District closes this FRIDAY, October 4^th at 5 p.m.! Students interested in learning more about the application process should review the FAQ’s and submission portal on our Service Academies page https://schweikert.house.gov/service-academy-nominations/ or click HERE. For additional questions regarding congressional nominations and the upcoming deadline this Friday please contact Chelsea Lett, Service Academy Coordinator, in my District Office at (480) 946-2411.

LAST CALL to Submit Your Guess for My Total National Debt Contest!

The U.S. Department of Treasury will publish the total national debt number TOMORROW, October 1, at 4:15 p.m. EST. The grand prize will be an American flag flown over our United States Capitol on Constitution Day (September 17, 2024) provided at my personal expense.

We will be accepting submissions up to the day of Treasury’s announcement. Submit your entry by expressing the total debt in trillions rounded to 3 decimal places. For example, 35.xxx trillion. The winning entry will be the submission that is closest to but does not surpass the total as published by the Treasury Department.

As a leg up, I recommend signing up for my Daily Debt Monitor, which is a free text message thread where I send you updates on our growing debt. You can sign up by clicking the image above, or by clicking here! I’m looking forward to reviewing each of your submissions.

American Energy Alliance Names Rep. Schweikert as an 'American Energy Champion'

The American Energy Alliance (AEA) is pleased to release its newly redesigned 2024 American Energy Scorecard for the Senate and the House of Representatives. This comprehensive tool evaluates legislators' voting records and cosponsorship decisions on critical energy issues in order to inform voters and hold Members of Congress accountable to their constituents.

I am proud to announce that I was one of the 90 House members who achieved a perfect score of 100%, demonstrating unwavering commitment to the energy principles outlined by AEA.

The 2024 Congressional App Challenge is Underway

The Congressional App Challenge is a competition aimed at encouraging middle and high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications. The Challenge is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. The House of Representatives knows how crucial these skills are and wants to encourage students to engage in these fields. By encouraging and recognizing our nation’s young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the importance of these skills.

This competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience. We strongly encourage students of all skill levels to participate, enabling them to learn how to create their own apps. Students are encouraged to register online and submit their apps by October 24. For more information and registration, please visit our website.

What I’m Reading & Why It Matters

China is flooding local press outlets with disinformation campaigns, running stories that mirror CCP talking points and further Xi Jinping’s agenda. The Associated Press notes these efforts are designed to paint the U.S. in a negative light and shape perceptions of the U.S. as a declining power where human rights are not protected, and economic development is slowing. China has similarly attempted to influence foreign media outlets, encouraging the press in such faraway countries as the Solomon Islands to run articles containing anti-American rhetoric.

In a recent article released by Foreign Policy, the publication surfaces reports of Russia spreading anti-Ukranian propaganda on many popular U.S. gaming platforms like Minecraft and Roblox. For example, the Kremlin encourages young gamers predisposed to supporting causes to beware of nefarious groups.

Our third deep dive of disinformation/misinformation involves bad actors that exploit low-income Americans who unknowingly signed up for government-subsidized health insurance by the promotion of fake incentives. The Wall Street Journal highlights that "CMS has received more than 208,000 complaints this year of unauthorized ACA insurance sign-ups," where, "nearly two-thirds were about people who hadn’t previously been insured under the ACA." Keep reading below for best practices on staying away from scams.

Schweikert Suggests...

I wanted to take this opportunity to promote some general information to better serve Medicare applicants and current beneficiaries. Medicare’s Open Enrollment is October 15–December 7 each year, and as we prepare for this upcoming period, I wanted to share some best practices in maintaining health and wellness for yourself:

1. CMS Fraud Prevention Initiative

People with Medicare should beware of scammers offering older Americans in-home perks, like free cooking, cleaning and home health services, while they are unknowingly being signed up for hospice services. The scammers then unlawfully bill Medicare for these services in your name. Criminals are using every avenue they can to sign people up including door-to-door visits, false advertising, phone, text and email. Hospice care is for people who are terminally ill and only the patient and doctor can make this serious decision about end-of-life care.
Schweikert suggests remembering this advice to avoid hospice scams:
· Your doctor is the only one who can certify you’re terminally ill (with a life expectancy of six months or less).
· Never accept perks or gifts in return for signing up for hospice services.
· Medicare will never provide “free” services like housekeeping.
· Medicare will never come to your home.
Reporting Medicare fraud protects you and millions of other people with Medicare and those with disabilities. If you or someone you know has experienced Medicare fraud or suspect an offer you’ve received is a scam, report it as soon as possible. You will never be in trouble for reporting fraud. To learn more, visit Medicare.gov/fraud. To report potential fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

2. Falls and Fractures in Older Adults: Causes and Prevention

A simple accident like tripping on a rug or slipping on a wet floor can change your life. If you fall, you could break a bone, which thousands of older adults experience each year.
More than one in four people aged 65 years or older fall each year. The risk of falling — and fall-related problems — rises with age. However, many falls can be prevented. Schweikert suggests exercising, managing your medications, having your vision checked, and making your home safer are all steps you can take to prevent a fall. Click here to find more information regarding recovering and preventing falls.

If you, or someone you know, needs assistance with their Medicare benefits, please reach out to my constituent service team in the district office to see how best we can assist you. Do you have any general questions that I can help answer? Do not hesitate to reach out to my offices at (202) 225-2190 or (480) 946-2411.

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

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