For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of representing Gila County in the U.S. House of Representatives. Although the corruption, arrogance, and incompetency of Washington runs deep, we successfully introduced and passed sensible legislation that benefits the amazing people of AZ-02.

As a former Navy SEAL, I recognize many of the challenges our veterans face after they transition back to civilian life. Veterans are hardwired for service, and it can be challenging to identify their next mission. Rather than spending billions on illegal immigrants and overseas conflicts, our federal government needs to prioritize those who put it all on the line for our country.

In support of our nation’s heroes, I introduced a bill that would transfer federal land to Gila County for the operation of a veterans center in Young, Arizona. Not only would this bill provide veterans with family housing, meeting spaces, resource rooms, and a place to enjoy outdoor recreation, but this effort also doesn’t require any funding from the federal government. I would like to thank Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline, who attended this year’s State of the Union address as my guest, for his leadership on this project. I’m pleased to report that this bill passed out of the House.

With the United States approaching $36 trillion in debt, it’s imperative that we tackle the unsustainable spending of the federal government. In Congress, I voted against every continuing resolution, omnibus bill, and persistently pressured leadership to slash funding from weaponized programs and agencies.

Additionally, Washington politicians engage in frequent stock trading and yield astronomical returns. I firmly believe this is immoral, and I’m proud to be a cosponsor on the TRUST in Congress Act which would ban Members of Congress from trading stocks. Even though the Establishment rejects these reforms along with enacting term limits, we will continue to push for transparency and guardrails to prevent corruption.

Regarding the invasion of our southern border, we attempted to use every tool at our disposal to halt the importation of murderous cartels, fentanyl, and terrorists. Unsurprisingly, pure partisanship and the general complacency of DC politicians prevented the implementation of serious reforms. Following the passage of H.R.2 and the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas, the Democrat-controlled Senate rejected these resolutions entirely. Rather than work with House Republicans, Senator Schumer championed the flawed Senate Border Deal which would have provided $60 billion for Ukraine and $20 billion to process illegal immigrants into the United States.

In response to the gridlock, I, alongside Rep. Lou Correa—a Democrat from California, introduced the Subterranean Border Defense Act to combat illicit cross-border tunnels used by transnational criminal organizations. I’m pleased to report that this legislation passed out of the U.S. House.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the VA targeted the constitutional rights of 260,000 veterans through unjust disarmament. Specifically, the VA submitted their data to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and labeled them “mental defectives” after appointing them a fiduciary.

To combat the unacceptable trampling of veterans’ rights, I introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Restoration Act of 2024 and the Safeguarding Veterans 2nd Amendment Rights Act of 2024. The former restores 2nd Amendment rights of more than 260,000 veterans whose rights were unconstitutionally infringed. The latter prohibits the VA from initiating, participating in, or advocating for the removal of a firearm in any proceedings relating to state gun confiscation law. We will continue pressing forward as these bills navigate the lengthy legislative process.

To combat the devastating threat of wildfires, I supported the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act. This bill prioritizes the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfires, adopts innovative technologies to address forest health, reduces litigation that delays critical projects, and maintains effective environmental standards. In a rare bipartisan win for the American people, House Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly passed this proactive bill to modernize the stewardship of our lands.

I partnered with my Democrat colleague from California, Rep. Mike Levin, to co-introduce the Hire Veterans Act, which would bolster forest management and reduce veteran unemployment. We introduced this bill as numerous federal land management agencies face staffing shortages that adversely impact their operational effectiveness.

To mitigate these vulnerabilities, our bill would establish a five-year pilot program to direct these agencies to conditionally appoint a veteran who has demonstrated the necessary skills for specific vacant positions. By strengthening the federal skilled labor pipeline for veterans and increasing our ability to ensure proper forest management, this legislation is a true win-win.

Given the federal bureaucracy’s tendency to create obstacles for employment, I joined a bipartisan coalition to advance the Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act of 2024. Currently, when a trucking school decides to open a facility at a new location, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and state regulators are required by law to deny the new facility’s ability to receive GI benefits from enrolled veterans for two years.

Our bill expands opportunities for veterans in Rural Arizona by exempting these new facilities from this statutory waiting period and allowing veterans greater accessibility to commercial driver’s license (CDL) education programs. Bureaucratic obstacles should never inhibit our nation’s veterans from having flexibility in building prosperous lives for themselves. Recently, this bipartisan legislation was signed into law, which will lead to high-paying careers in the trucking industry.

Aside from legislation, we worked with Gila County leaders to identify federal grants to provide funding for projects that benefit the community. For example, we sent letters of support for Gila County’s application for the PROTECT grant to rebuild Russell Road, the Tri-City Regional Sanitary District’s application for the construction of Phase 1 of their development project, and the Tonto Basin Fire District’s application for Assistance to Firefighters Grant funding. My team and I appreciate our elected officials and local stakeholders for collaborating with my office, and we will continue our efforts to identify additional avenues for assistance.

Lastly, I want to thank the great people of Gila County for trusting me to represent you in Congress. While we still face the harsh realities of inflation, open-borders, global instability, and rampant crime, we have an opportunity to rectify America’s trajectory. Reforming a broken system is never easy, but I will continue to use my voice, vote, and platform to fight for our values and principles. No matter what happens, remember that America is worth fighting for.