The Schweikert Segment: Memorial Day, a day of remembrance

District Update May 26, 2025

Dear ,

Happy Memorial Day. I hope that this weekend was not only a time of rest, but of reflection and thanks giving for the brave men and women who have laid their lives down for our great nation. Lets preserve what they have fought for, and lets solve our debt crisis.

The Solution Requires POLICY backed by REAL MATH

The budget, the debt, the deficit. The math never adds up and it is paramount that we bring real solutions through policy. This week, during my House floor speech, I covered the massive cost of Medicare Advantage, how in nine years we are projected to borrow $100,000 A SECOND, and I remind Congress about our obligation to pursue solutions based on facts.

An excerpt on how Congressional floor speeches have shifted from data driven to intuition driven. Complex problems need math to fix them.

An excerpt explaining that 80% of the spending growth will come from Social Security, Medicare, and maybe the scariest of all INTEREST.

Recognizing Some Amazing Citizens of AZ-01

Banner Health is building a brand-new, privately funded medical campus in North Scottsdale near Loop 101 and Hayden. This isn’t just good health policy—it’s a $750 million economic investment in our community, creating 2,500 jobs and $400 million in annual economic output.

Phase one brings a full outpatient center, urgent care, imaging, pharmacy, and—critically—a world-class Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. Phase two will add a 350,000-square-foot, full-service hospital, including a 24/7 emergency room and 106 patient beds, helping meet the surging demand in one of Arizona’s fastest-growing regions.

This new facility, and the men and women who will build and staff it, are making a major investment in both the economy of our district, but also in the health of our families.

Happy Memorial Day

Today isn't just a three-day weekend. It's the day we pause—really pause—to honor the men and women who gave everything for the freedoms we too often take for granted. Join me today by taking a moment to reflect on that. The opportunities that are afforded to us in this country, the freedoms we possess, come at a cost.

As a reminder of their sacrifices and the pride we take in our nation, you can order an American flag HERE.

Better, Faster, Cheaper: How Innovation is Expanding Optimism for the Future

Many of you know my fascination with innovation and the further implementation of technology into different facets of many industries. The up-and-coming innovation is extensive, and luckily, there are thousands of scholarly studies and research pieces being released daily that expand on progress of these projects. Not enough members of Congress take the time to capitalize on how these innovative advancements actually promote the health and well-being of our society. This segment dives deeper into technological implementations that are actively making life better and cheaper for our brothers and sisters. This week, we've got all eyes on AI:

ASCO and Google Cloud to Deliver AI-Powered Tool that Provides Faster, Interactive Access to ASCO's Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines

ASCO and Google Cloud just launched an AI-driven clinical assistant that gives oncologists instant, trustworthy access to ASCO’s entire library of evidence-based cancer treatment guidelines. Built with Google’s Vertex AI and Gemini models, it answers follow-up questions, cites its sources, and helps clinicians keep up with rising caseloads, exploding treatment options, and a national oncologist shortage. This is exactly the kind of smart disruption we need.

AI listens for health conditions

Researchers are using artificial intelligence to analyze voice recordings for early signs of health conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and depression. The voice reflects subtle physiological and neurological changes, making it a promising, non-invasive tool for early screening and remote monitoring. This innovation could transform how we detect and manage disease, making health care more accessible and proactive.

Schweikert Suggests...

Last year, there was a large argument about the debt ceiling… Could you explain the implications of the debt ceiling a little further? (Judy G. in Carefree)

What is the debt ceiling?
The debt ceiling is the legal limit on the total amount of federal debt the government can accrue. The limit applies to almost all?federal debt, including the roughly $28.8 trillion of debt held by the public and the roughly $7.3 trillion the government owes itself as a result of borrowing from various government accounts, like the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. As a result, the debt continues to rise due to both annual budget deficits financed by borrowing from the public and from trust fund surpluses, which are invested in Treasury bills with the promise to be repaid later with interest.

What happens if the debt ceiling is hit?
Once the government hits the debt ceiling and exhausts all available extraordinary measures, it is no longer allowed to issue debt and soon after will run out of cash-on-hand. At that point, given annual deficits, incoming receipts would be insufficient to pay millions of daily obligations as they come due. Therefore, the federal government would have to at least temporarily default on many of its obligations, from Social Security payments and salaries for federal civilian employees and the military to veterans’ benefits and utility bills, among others.

So-called “prioritization” of payments, or making sure certain obligations among the more than 80 million that get paid per month are paid before others – such as servicing debts to bondholders before making other payments in order to avoid technical default – has been criticized as unrealistic by Treasury officials and economists. A Treasury Inspector General report from 2012 outlined scenarios that were considered during the 2011 debt ceiling run-up and found that delay of payments, which suspended all government payments until they could all be paid on a day-to-day basis, was the least harmful scenario.

How does a shutdown differ from a default?
A shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills that allow agencies to obligate new spending. As a result, the government temporarily stops paying employees and contractors who perform government services. However, many more parties are not paid in a default. A default occurs when the Treasury does not have enough cash available to pay for obligations that have already been made. In the debt ceiling context, a default would be precipitated by the government exceeding the statutory debt limit and being unable to pay all its obligations to its citizens and creditors. Without enough money to pay its bills, any of the payments are at risk, including all government spending, mandatory payments, interest on our debt, and payments to U.S. bondholders. While a government shutdown would be disruptive, a government default could be disastrous.

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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