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The Week in Review
Happy Friday!
I hope you had a wonderful week. I am grateful to serve you all in the 118th Congress. Read below to see what I’ve been working on this week.
House Freedom Caucus Economic Plan to Shrink Washington
This morning, the House Freedom Caucus and I released an economic plan to shrink Washington and save America from economic collapse.
Americans are tired of Washington’s spending spree. Our nation remains more than $31 trillion in debt, and President Biden wants to add to this debt. His budget released yesterday actually soars our debt to around $50 billion by 2033.
He wants future generations to pay for his wild spending spree. He doesn’t want accountability or reforms. He refuses to negotiate with Congress and blames everything but his own policies for our nation’s economic crisis.
Our plan cuts wasteful, weaponized, and woke spending programs. This ranges from Biden’s student debt bailout to unspent COVID funds to Democrats’ climate pet projects in the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”
It also unleashes America’s economic potential by cutting burdensome regulations that curtail domestic energy production and restoring Clinton-era work requirements on welfare programs.
These reforms will enable us to claw back unspent or wasteful federal dollars, make meaningful reductions in our federal budget, and balance our budget for once.
It’s not a panacea to Biden’s economic failures but it’s a start.
Check out some of my remarks from our press conference this morning.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Hearing on Transnational Crime at the Border and Beyond
On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs held a hearing focused on combatting transnational criminal organizations operating along the southern border.
In this hearing, we discussed the critical role force multipliers like canines and enhanced technology play in assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in stopping criminal activity at the U.S. southern border.
CBP seized enough fentanyl in FY 2022 to kill over three billion people. CBP has also encountered record numbers of illegal aliens, many of whom possess criminal backgrounds.
While canines, technology, and personnel are useful force multipliers at the border, the best force multiplier is simply enforcing the laws already on the books.
Click below to watch some of my remarks.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Hearing on U.S. Personnel Management
Yesterday, I participated in the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s hearing titled “Oversight of Our Nation’s Largest Employer: Reviewing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management."
I am particularly concerned with OPM’s delays in processing retirement payments to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. These agents and their families made sacrifices to protect our country, and don’t deserve the uncertainty currently facing them upon retirement.
In many cases, retired agents are waiting more than a year to receive the full payments they are owed and are being forced to survive on partial payments, sometimes as low as 13% of their full annuities, until their paperwork is processed. That’s unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the Director of OPM, Kiran Ahuja, did not provide specifics on how OPM will fix this backlog. We’ll be investigating this matter more.
Click below to watch some of my remarks.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Hearing on COVID Relief Funding Abuse
Yesterday, I participated in a hearing with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce.
In this hearing, I confirmed that COVID relief funds are riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse. The Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor revealed that at least $76 billion of this funding has been lost to fraud.
In the Oversight and Accountability Committee, we are determined to hold bad actors involved with these discrepancies accountable and to ensure that taxpayer-funded programs have sufficient safeguards in place.
Click below to watch some of my remarks.
Fighting to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Syria
I supported Congressman Matt Gaetz’s resolution to bring our American troops home from Syria and debated the resolution on the House Floor.
The American people are tired of endless wars. Congress never authorized an indefinite military presence in Syria.
In 2019, the US government declared that the ISIS Caliphate was defeated and that there are little to no cells of ISIS in Syria today. Yet, the U.S. government is currently placing nearly 1,000 U.S. troops at risk there without a clear mission to perform.
The Founders clearly left the decision to declare war and send troops into hostilities in the hands of Congress—not the Executive Branch.
Click below to watch some of my remarks from the House Floor.
Remembering WWII Veteran Jack Holder
On the House Floor, I had the privilege of honoring Jack Holder who recently passed away at the age of 101.
Jack was a constituent and much more. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, significantly helped Allied efforts in World War II, and was a dear friend to me.
His love for the United States, our Constitution, and our freedoms was an inspiration to so many, and I pray that future generations will appreciate and follow his example.
“Fair winds, and Following Seas,” my friend. You will never be forgotten.
Click below to watch some of my remarks from the House Floor.
Newly Released January 6th Footage
I had the opportunity to review the January 6th footage aired by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson this week. The footage confirms what most Americans already knew: The January 6th Committee was a partisan sham and the perfidious members of the committee misrepresented the events of that day.
Claims of an armed insurrection or likening the Capitol Riot with the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were wild inventions of the fevered minds of Leftists in Congress and the media.
Video footage shows many individuals peacefully walking and taking pictures throughout the U.S. Capitol Building. In some cases, these individuals were directly escorted around the complex by U.S. Capitol Police. If these individuals’ actions were so-called ‘attacks on American democracy,’ they would have been immediately apprehended—not chauffeured.
I condemn the violence at the U.S. Capitol during the Capitol Riot. However, what transpired does not permit violation of due process or disproportionate sentencing, which, in some cases, is longer than those for more grievous crimes.
The video also refutes the narrative of the mainstream media, the illegitimate January 6th Committee, and the DC Cartel.
Virtually all footage aired by these co-conspirators for the past two years has been deceptively edited and cherry-picked to benefit an anti-Trump narrative. Their visceral reactions to Tucker Carlson’s segments this week further evidence that they created a misinformation campaign to smear President Trump and his supporters. They continue to try to silence those who challenge their concocted view of the world.
While the release of this footage is a step in the right direction, there is still more work that needs to be done. I call upon Speaker McCarthy to release the same footage he provided to Tucker Carlson to all Americans as soon as possible. They deserve to reach their own conclusions about what really happened on January 6, 2021, without interference and being deceived.
Community Outreach
Earlier this week, I met Troop with 125—a troop that represents the Chandler and Gilbert areas.
I gave remarks at their Eagle Court of Honor celebrating the new Eagle Scout rankings of scouts in the troop.
Congratulations to all!
Save the Date: Drop Zone 2023
My annual Drop Zone event is coming up! Drop Zone 2023 will occur on Saturday, May 13 from 10am to 2pm at the American Leadership Academy, Applied Technologies, located at 7729 East Pecos Rd, Mesa, AZ 85212.
Drop Zone is the one-stop shop for all veterans. You’ll be able to access health screenings, taxpayer advocates services, community support groups, and much more.
Save the date and we hope to see you there!
Save the Date: Congressional Art Competition
The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students residing in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District.
The first-place winner will have the honor of displaying his/her artwork in the United States Capitol Building, where it will be accompanied by winning entries from other congressional offices around the nation. All winning entries for Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District will be displayed for one year.
Aside from the first, second, and third place winners, a People’s Choice Award will be given. Additionally, one entry from each of the following mediums will also receive recognition for Best of Medium:
1) Paintings
2) Drawings
3) Mixed Media and Collage
4) Prints
5) Computer-Generated Art
6) Photographs
All entries must be delivered by teachers, parents, or other assigned adults to my district office located at 2509 South Power Road, Suite 204 Mesa, Arizona 85209 by Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
Legislation and Letters
Bills cosponsored:
H.J.Res.41 - Disapproving of the rule submitted by the Department of Homeland Security relating to "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility."
H.R.1394 - To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify that expedited removal of inadmissible arriving aliens applies regardless of where the alien is encountered or apprehended, and for other purposes.
H.Res.202 - Deeming certain conduct of members of Antifa as domestic terrorism and designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
H.R. 1466 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit research with human fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an abortion, and for other purposes.
Letters cosponsored:
Letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver regarding recent messages that were broadcasted in arenas, such as Capital One Arena in DC, from the CCP’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Alien Invasion Border Documentary
Check out my border documentary titled Alien Invasion. The 30-minute documentary features footage from private ranches along the border, the Darien Gap in Panama, and interviews with members of Congress, Border Patrol, local and state law enforcement, and much more. It addresses how President Biden’s border crisis began, its consequences, and solutions to address the crisis.
The border documentary may be watched here.
Top Media Appearances of the Week
I joined Fox Business’ Jackie DeAngelis to discuss how the Department of Treasury is withholding 150 suspicious activity reports (SARs) related to Hunter Biden and his associates from Congress. Click below to watch some of the segment.
I joined Real America’s Voice’s John Solomon and Amanda Head to argue why the debt ceiling cannot be raised again. Click below to watch some of the segment.
I joined War Room’s Steve Bannon to present arguments regarding why the United States should withdraw its troops from Syria. Click below to watch some of the segment.
Top Op-Ed of the Week
I authored an opinion editorial on what the federal government should do instead of raising the debt ceiling.
President Joe Biden wants to raise the national debt by more than $3 trillion over the next two years. He wants future generations to pay for his wild spending spree. He doesn’t want to slow down spending, reduce out-of-control spending by the federal government, or find the hundreds of billions of dollars wasted every year by the federal bureaucracy. He doesn’t want accountability or reforms.
What if instead of making a “grand bargain” to massively increase the national debt every couple of years, without much oversight or tightening of our fiscal belts, we imposed accountability and alterations on the drunkards who manage D.C. spending?
The piece was published in the Daily Caller. It may be read here.
What's the Biggs Idea Podcast w/ Edward Ring
This afternoon, Edward Ring joined the What’s the Biggs Idea podcast to discuss his latest op-ed on why renewable energies are not sustainable, cause environmental destruction, and don’t reduce carbon emissions as climate alarmists suggest.
Edward is a Senior fellow of the Center for American Greatness. He is also a contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, which he co-founded in 2013 and served as its first president. He is the author of Fixing California: Abundance, Pragmatism, Optimism (2021) and The Abundance Choice: Our Fight for More Water in California (2022).
We’ll be posting more episodes soon. Check out our social media pages for updates.
Click below to view the podcast. Or visit my website to watch previous episodes.
Tweets of the Week
    
Constituent Services
Flags
Would you like to purchase a flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol? Flags flown over the Capitol include a certificate, which may be personalized for a particular person, event, or organization. Click here to learn more about purchasing a flag.
Internships
If you or someone you know is interested in completing an internship in either my Mesa or Washington, D.C. office, they can apply directly on my website.
Help With a Federal Agency
If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. For example, my office routinely helps constituents with issues involving the Veterans Administration, the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You can learn more by visiting my website.
Click here to find out more information about my office’s services.
Tours and Tickets
Interested in touring the White House or U.S. Capitol? As constituents of the Fifth Congressional District, you may request tickets and tours for various Washington D.C. destinations from my office.
All tickets are provided to constituents on a first-come, first-served basis, so request tickets early.
Click here for more information.
Definition of the Week
This week marked the one-month anniversary of the horrific East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. The derailment has decimated the Ohio Valley region and President Biden has not visited. Yet, he has found time to visit Kyiv, Warsaw, and his hometown of Wilmington all in that same time span.
It’s unclear why President Biden has refused to visit and meet with residents of East Palestine, but what is clear is that he is leaving Americans behind while he places his own personal interests ahead.
Inspired by Joe Biden, here is the definition of the week:
East Palestine, Ohio: A town forgotten by Joe Biden.
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