Academy Day 2026.

Each year, my office holds an Academy Day in April to give local high school students interested in attending a U.S. military service academy the resources they need to begin the application process. We bring together liaison officers from each military service academy as well as the University of Arizona Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC programs to connect with students and parents. Having these experts on hand to answer questions provides such a great opportunity for students to learn and understand the process to become an officer in the United States military.

This year, we also had the pleasure of honoring the students who received nominations from our office last December and have recently received appointments for a military service academy. It was a privilege to present each appointee with a plaque and thank them for their desire to serve our nation.

To each of this year’s outstanding military service academy appointees, congratulations! Thank you for stepping up to the challenge of serving this great country. I am incredibly proud of all of you!

Advocating for Americans with Disabilities.

I am proud to be leading the effort to change federal guidance that has continued to limit the participation of individuals with disabilities in the STEM field. Until recently, those that require the assistance of a service dog have been barred from many research institution’s laboratories.

Longstanding language of agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has had real consequences for many Americans working in the sciences, preventing extremely qualified individuals from fully participating in scientific work and, on occasion, costing them their jobs. This much-needed change was brought to my attention by a constituent from Tombstone, Joey Ramp-Adams, who is assisted by her faithful service dog Sampson and who has championed efforts on a national level on behalf of those with disabilities.

Since 2024, I have advocated for these individuals to make sure they are not categorically excluded from the STEM field or research environments due to outdated or misinterpreted CDC and NIH guidance. Following my congressional inquiry, supported by several of my colleagues in the House, I kept in close communication with these agencies so that there is now clearer recognition that service animals may be permitted in laboratory settings based on individualized risk assessments, rather than categorical exclusion with no scientific backing.

I will continue to champion efforts on behalf of individuals like Joey, to ensure that everyone, regardless of a disability, has access to the resources and support they need.

You can read more about this effort HERE and can read my statement below.

Honoring Arizona Leaders During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

I am proud to co-chair the bipartisan Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus, along with Jim Costa of California. On Thursday of last week, our caucus recognized outstanding leaders from across the nation at our 2026 Awards Ceremony, which was held as part of CommUNITY Day during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

I was honored to recognize Lori’s Place of Sierra Vista and Maria Fuentes, co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Child Safety and Family Empowerment, for their commitment to supporting victims and families across Arizona.

Lori’s Place, based in Sierra Vista, received the Allied Professional Award. This award recognizes an organization or individual outside of direct victim services that has made a significant contribution through fields including mental health, education, civic leadership, or the justice system. Lori’s Place undoubtedly deserves this award for its leadership and innovative approach to connecting resources and systems to better support victims and their families.

Additionally, Maria Fuentes was awarded the Suzanne McDaniel Memorial Award for Public Awareness, recognizing her efforts to advocate for the needs of crime victims through media and public engagement. Her work has helped raise awareness, foster crucial conversations, and advance protections and services available to survivors.

To Lori’s Place and Maria Fuentes, thank you for all that you do.

Celebrated 100 Years of Marana Unified School District.

This year marks a century of the Marana Unified School District. I was pleased to attend and speak at the School District’s celebration on Saturday to honor the decades of work the district has done to provide academic excellence in Marana.

Marana Unified now includes twenty schools, with Tangerine Farms K-8 and Marana Vista Academy having opened just last year. It serves 13,000 students from preschool through 12th grade, andis home to 2,000 dedicated employees.

The district is recognized for its outstanding academics, being ranked in the top 1% of Arizona districts for academic growth. Marana Unified offers a wide array of outstanding academic programs, including an advanced Special Education program, a Gifted and Talented Education program, and 21st Century Community Learning Center opportunities to foster college and career readiness.

But Marana’s excellence isn’t limited to just the classroom. In addition to academics, Marana Unified also excels in its athletic programs. Throughout the decades, the district has built a legacy of athletic success, from championship football and basketball teams to competitive volleyball, soccer, and tennis programs.

100 years is an incredible achievement, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to celebrate this milestone alongside the Marana community last weekend!

Larger Tax Refunds in 2026.

Since the Working Families Tax Cuts Act passed last year, I have been very vocal on how this legislation fights for everyday working Americans, working to put more of their hard-earned money back in their pockets after taxes. I wanted to take a moment this week to share how the Working Families Tax Cuts Act are giving AZ-06 constituents a larger tax refund this year.

According to the IRS, the agency has issued a total of $296 billion in tax refunds through April 17, 2026, with the average tax refund coming in at $3,275. This number is up 11.3% from last year.

Under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Arizonans are receiving an average tax cut of $3,549, impacting AZ-06 residents substantially.

I am proud to have supported this legislation and am pleased with how it is supporting Arizonans!

In the News.

Thatcher clears first hurdle in securing funds for 1st Avenue widening
Gila Valley Central
"During Monday’s Thatcher Town Council meeting, Mayor Jenny Howard asked for a short recess so she could answer a phone call. That call proved valuable to the town, as it was U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., telling the mayor his discretionary funding request for a road project in the town has been included in the House Appropriations bill. Ciscomani is seeking $9 million to help the town widen 1st Avenue, from Quail Ridge to Eagle Drive. Howard said even if the full amount is not funded, any amount will help. 'It’s a huge safety issue,' Howard said. 'I drive it every day, everybody from the southern area of Thatcher — Dailey Estates — drives it. There are kids standing on the road with absolutely no barrier between (them and) the traffic, waiting for the bus.'"

Republicans cosponsor bipartisan bill to streamline permitting for energy projects 
The Ripon Advance 
"Federal permitting reform would be instituted for energy projects under bipartisan legislation cosponsored on April 15 by U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans (R-CO), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA)...'The CERTAIN Act brings clarity, coordination, and common sense to the federal permitting process so we can responsibly build the energy infrastructure our communities need,' Rep. Ciscomani said. 'We can and should increase energy production while protecting our environment, and this bipartisan effort sets clear timelines and accountability to create jobs, strengthen our grid, and power America’s future responsibly.'"

Arizona pilots explain how reckless drones can ground wildfire air crews 
Arizona’s Family 
"Crews in southern Arizona are working to fully contain the Shaw Fire that forced evacuations and destroyed two buildings on Monday. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management sent several crews, including engines, state hand crews, and heavy aircraft. Corky Roberts, a tanker pilot with Western Pilot Service, has fought fires from the cockpit for over a decade. He flies planes equipped with fiberglass tanks that hold 800 gallons. 'When we drop over a fire, we’re at 60 feet over the ground,' Roberts said. Every drop demands precision and every mission demands a plan, with strict methodology allowing numerous aircraft to operate over a fire simultaneously. 'If all the sudden a drone whips by me, that throws everything off,' Roberts said. Unauthorized drones flying over wildfires have become a problem in recent years. Through mid-September last year, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 34 drone incursions at wildfires nationwide, up from 32 the year before and 20 in 2023. Republican Reps. Eli Crane and Juan Ciscomani sponsored legislation in December that would direct the FAA to study the impact of drones on firefighting efforts."

Historic Wins of H.R. 1: Rural Health.

Each week, our office would like to highlight different key wins included in H.R. 1. One of the distinct wins included in the Working Families Tax Cut Act is for rural health. This is an issue that is very much relevant to AZ-06 as we have many communities with unique health care challenges and that are hours away from the nearest health facility.

H.R. 1 established a Rural Health Transformation Program, a historic investment in rural health care, under which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is permitted to provide allotments to states to carry out a rural health transformation plan. CMS is required to provide $10 billion each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 specifically for the Rural Health Transformation Program, totaling $50 billion.

The goal of the program is for states to have funding for the use of improving rural health, including access to care, advancing research and treatment, and especially focusing on issues such as chronic disease. This program is a promising step in improving rural health care and is only one of the ways in which H.R. 1 seeks to support rural health.

You can read more about H.R. 1’s rural health provisions HERE.

AZ-06: Get Involved. 

Our office is proud to provide a list of services to our district’s students as a way to help them get involved. These include an annual Congressional Art Competition and Congressional App Challenge, Valentines for Veterans, Military Service Academy Nominations, and internship opportunities in our Tucson district office.

See below for additional information and deadlines. You can also read more about some of these services on my website HERE.

AZ-06 Highlights: Did You Know?

Following a historic season, including the team’s first ever national championship, Eastern Arizona College head women’s basketball coach Angelica de Paulo has been named the 2026 NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

De Paulo led the Gila Monsters to a 33-2 record in the 2025-2026 season, which ended in them earning the NJCAA Division I national title. This achievement marked an amazing milestone for the program. The Gila Monsters finished the year ranked No. 1 in the nation, the team being recognized for its dominant defense throughout the entire season.

Coach de Paulo and the team were also awarded Presidential Medals by Eastern Arizona President Todd Haynie after their historic season. Since taking over the program in 2022, de Paulo has led the team well. She has compiled a 120-16 overall record, guided the Gila Monsters to three NJCAA national semifinal games, and secured Eastern Arizona’s first national championship in the women’s basketball program.

Congratulations Coach De Paulo on this incredible achievement. It is well deserved!

Profiles of the American Dream.

This week we have seven inspiring examples of the American Dream.

Each one is smart, driven, patriotic and about to begin an exciting new chapter as they begin training for a career in the United States Armed Forces.

Congressional offices, like ours, have the honor every year of appointing the best and brightest high school students to one of our nation’s service academies. The competition is tough. The standards are high. The expectations are even higher.

The education these kids get at a storied institution like West Point or Annapolis is top-notch. It won’t cost them a cent to get it, but once they graduate, they’re required to serve a minimum of five years on active duty as commissioned officers.

Over the past three years, our office has had 53 students from Arizona’s 6th Congressional District receive appointments to the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The seven we appointed this year are:

• Jacob Oullet from Ironwood High School
• Arthur Brock from Cienega High School
• Emma Lindsay from Catalina Foothills High School
• Gavin Yewell from Canyon del Oro High School
• Joanie Tarleton from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy
• Benjamin Walker from Cienega High School
• Nathan Lew from Basis Oro Valley

Congratulations to each of these future military leaders! They’re not only examples of the American Dream. They’ll soon be protecting and defending it.

Share Your Story.

Our district encompasses so many incredible people and stories that I want to share both with my colleagues in Washington and through the platforms I have as your Member of Congress, such as speaking on the House floor. You can visit my website and share your story with me and my team. I look forward to hearing from you!

As always, my office and I are here to assist you. If you would like to share a comment or tell us your story, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look forward to serving you!

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