Highlights of McCarthy first week as Speaker of the House:
- 146 Democrats joined Republicans in a vote to establish a committee to investigate China
- 113 Democrats joined Republicans in a vote to protect strategic oil reserves
- Following Democrat lead under Pelosi, McCarthy has removed three Democrats from committees based on their actions against the Constitution and their oath of office.
- Debt ceiling hit on Thursday, 1/19. But when will US go into default on our “loans”? McCarthy did not plan to do anything this week, but indicated he is asking each area of government to look for reductions. The real debt limit won’t occur until sometime this summer (June). So he believes he has some time.
- Current debt is $31.4T/inflation at 6.5% (519B interest due on our debt). Ceiling is $31.5T
- McCarthy indicated House and Senate should both produce a budget, and appropriate bills. Look for waste (like in 1.7T Omnibus bill just passed).
Fentanyl Poisoning
- AZ new Rep Juan Ciscomani – House Appropriations Committee – tells us fentanyl is the leading cause of death among teens.
- The number of fentanyl deaths last year, exceeded car accidents, cancer, Covid and suicides combined in US. We must ask our Elected Leaders to stop these drugs from coming across our border!
- Quote from Rep. Juan Ciscomani, “Mayorkas has failed at his job. We will hold him accountable. He needs to go”
Katie Hobbs Budget
- Last week, Hobbs released her first budget plan, and it’s nothing more than a liberal wish list of big spending, extreme proposals, and corporate welfare designed to reward her special interest friends.
- Her first target is education, and she wasted no time going after Arizona’s expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). Yes, the program that is so popular that it overwhelmed the Department of Education’s website immediately after launch—the one that even some Democrats have openly supported. Despite being a private schooler herself, Hobbs wants to dismantle school choice for all with a full repeal of universal ESAs.
- While seeking to prohibit minority children and low-income families from choosing their K-12 school, Hobbs also wants to use your tax dollars to subsidize college tuition for illegal immigrants. On the heels of the narrow passage of Prop 308 in this November’s election, Hobbs proposed a budget of $40 million to establish a new tuition scholarship program for Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) eligible students. This means that, using your taxpayer dollars, illegal immigrants will now be paying less for college than in-state students!
- In addition, Hobbs’ plan contains a massive expansion of government-funded health care. It includes $463.5 million and $115.8 million in federal fund expenditure authority to utilize year three of federal funding given directly to AHCCCS and the Department of Economic Security respectively. It sets aside $257 million for AHCCCS program caseload growth and the unwinding of federal COVID-19 policies.
- And consistent with her view that no laws limiting abortion should exist, Hobbs put $6 million toward “family planning services.”
- Hobbs pledged $15 million to install more electric vehicle charging stations despite evidence that debunks their so-called “green” benefits. And along with a myriad of other “green” transit projects, she proposed using $7.5 million toward an interstate commuter rail in Phoenix.
- Another decision in her budget—eliminate Arizona’s border strike force. Illegal immigration is at an all-time high, and our state has seen a stark increase in the amount of illegal immigrants apprehended with one or more prior criminal convictions. But Hobbs wants to turn a blind eye to the problem while providing illegal immigrants with easier access to Phoenix through a commuter rail.
We are at a crucial moment in our state, and now is not the time to waver or give in. The Decline to Sign movement to defend school choice showed us that when we fight back, we can win. Now, Republicans need to stand united against Katie Hobbs’ radical budget. Otherwise, she’ll get her ultimate wish—that Arizona resembles our neighbors to the west, California. Luckily our Senate stood United against her budget desires when her new Budget Director presented these to them this past week in the legislature.
Arizona Legislative Session Week #2 ending 1/20/23:
- HB2061 – Elimination of food for home consumption tax. This bill went through committee last week to prohibit cities from taxing food (2% in some cities). This passed 6-4 along party lines in committee. Next steps is to go through rules committee, before it will go to caucus for the entire House.
- SB1040 – public schools; restroom; reasonable accommodation. This Bill was HELD as not assigned yet to Committee to review
- A Pronoun bill also had some vigorous discussion, but has not gone to Committee yet.
- HB2378 in committee this coming week, Weds 1/25 at 2pm – Political Action Committee prohibition …elected officials cannot be on records for any PAC (Introduced to combat what Stephen Richards conflict of interest did last couple years creating a PAC to not elect any Republican that supports President Trump)
New Maricopa County GOP Committee Elected
- 2096 Precinct Committeemen (PC) across Maricopa County had an all day meeting on Saturday January 14th and elected a new Executive Committee for the Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC).
- Winners were: Chair – Craig Berland, First Vice Chair – Shelby Busch, Second Vice Chair – Tatiana Peña, Treasurer – Lawrence Hudson, Secretary – Dan Grimm
ACTION for all PLEASE
As always, the GIT team asks for all to include our elected leaders in your prayers. We owe all we have to God and request that we seek God’s presence in our elected leaders to defend our Representative Republic that our fore founders established with the Grace of God.