url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-circulates-legislation-strip-medal-freedom-bill-cosby,Rep. Gosar Circulates Legislation to Strip Medal of Freedom from Bill Cosby,2015-12-31,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"PRESCOTT, A.Z. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after circulating a Dear Colleague letter inviting his fellow members of Congress to cosponsor legislation that he will introduce next week affirming a mechanism for the president to strip Bill Cosby of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and that will impose criminal penalties for anyone who wears or publicly displays a Presidential Medal of Freedom that has been revoked: The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not something to be taken lightly and such an honor must come with responsibility and accountability. No doubt, Bill Cosby has made cultural contributions to public life in the United States as both an entertainer and as an advocate for social causes. However, the shocking admissions of Cosby during a 2005 deposition, the harrowing accounts of more than 50 women of Cosbys sexual assault and drugging as well as Cosbys arrest for three felony counts of sexual assault make him unfit to retain our nations highest civilian honor. When approached, President Obama stated there is no mechanism to revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Cosby, making it is necessary to establish a formal removal process in order to protect the integrity of this award. For this reason, I will introduce legislation that ensures there is a mechanism in place to strip Cosby, or anyone else found dishonorarable, of the Medal of Freedom. Furthermore, it is true that there is a presumption of innocence in the American legal system, and rightly so. While our criminal justice system will ultimately determine whether Cosby serves jail time for the 2004 incident, Montgomery County prosecutors made clear in their Affidavit of Probable Cause yesterday that Bill Cosby has likely been drugging women for years. Cosbys own admissions to drugging women for sex place him outside the bounds of whom we should admire in our society. To continue honoring Bill Cosby with this prestigious accolade would be an affront to women nationwide, particularly those who were victims of his horrific acts. Background: The Gosar dear colleague being circulated for cosponsorship can be found HERE. The full text of the draft Gosar legislation can be found HERE. Congressman Gosar has been working closely with Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment(PAVE), aDC-based nonprofit organization that works to prevent sexual assault and heal survivors, on this effort. PAVEs press release from 12/17/15 can be found HERE. Congressman Gosar has been working on this legislation for months following release of the 2005 deposition in July 2015. Last July, when questioned about revoking Cosbys medal, President Obama stated, There's no precedent for revoking a medalWe don't have that mechanism. Since that time Rep. Gosar has been working closely with PAVE and others to craft legislation that provides a mechanism. Congressman Gosars bill affirms a mechanism for the president to strip Bill Cosby of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and will impose criminal penalties for anyone who wears or publicly displays a Presidential Medal of Freedom that has been revoked. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1963. This prestigious award is bestowed on recipients forespecially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. In recent months, more than 50 women have come forward and conveyed disturbing accounts of drugging and sexual assault by Cosby. The statute of limitations has expired for many of these incidents, and as a result, many of these women will never get their day in court. On December 30, 2015, Montgomery County Prosecutors charged Cosby with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a young woman without her consent in a 2004 incident. The 20 Page Affidavit of Probable Cause and three page Criminal Complaint can be found HERE. In the 20 page Affidavit of Probable Cause, prosecutors found that the evidence here demonstrates that the victims substantially impaired condition prevented her ability to consent, or even defend herself from Cosbys sexual assault. Prosecutors also noted that over the years Cosby obtained seven separate prescriptions for Quaaludes that he did not personally ingest, nor ever intended to personally ingest. According to the New York Daily News, court documents obtained by the Associated Press on Monday, July 7, 2015, revealed that Cosby admitted under oath that he bought Quaaludes to dope the women he wanted to gropeand slipped the sedative to at least one lady and other people. During a deposition on September 29, 2005, a lawyer, Dolores Troiani, asked Cosby, When you got the Quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these Quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with? and Cosby answered Yes. Cosbys own admissions to drugging women in order to satisfy his sexual desires place him outside the bounds of whom we should admire in our society. As one of my constituents stated eloquently on my Facebook page, Civilian honors such as this come with no legal protections or guarantees...Honors are optional, and not anyone's legal right to have and keepThe bar should be extraordinarily high for the Medal of Freedom, and to keep Cosby as a recipient greatly diminishes the very worth of that honor. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2427,Rep. Gosar Circulates Legislation to Strip Medal of Freedom from Bill Cosby,2015-12-31,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"PRESCOTT, A.Z. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after circulating a Dear Colleague letter inviting his fellow members of Congress to cosponsor legislation that he will introduce next week affirming a mechanism for the president to strip Bill Cosby of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and that will impose criminal penalties for anyone who wears or publicly displays a Presidential Medal of Freedom that has been revoked: The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not something to be taken lightly and such an honor must come with responsibility and accountability. No doubt, Bill Cosby has made cultural contributions to public life in the United States as both an entertainer and as an advocate for social causes. However, the shocking admissions of Cosby during a 2005 deposition, the harrowing accounts of more than 50 women of Cosby's sexual assault and drugging as well as Cosby's arrest for three felony counts of sexual assault make him unfit to retain our nation's highest civilian honor. When approached, President Obama stated there is no mechanism to revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Cosby, making it is necessary to establish a formal removal process in order to protect the integrity of this award. For this reason, I will introduce legislation that ensures there is a mechanism in place to strip Cosby, or anyone else found dishonorarable, of the Medal of Freedom. Furthermore, it is true that there is a presumption of innocence in the American legal system, and rightly so. While our criminal justice system will ultimately determine whether Cosby serves jail time for the 2004 incident, Montgomery County prosecutors made clear in their Affidavit of Probable Cause yesterday that Bill Cosby has likely been drugging women for years. Cosby's own admissions to drugging women for sex place him outside the bounds of whom we should admire in our society. To continue honoring Bill Cosby with this prestigious accolade would be an affront to women nationwide, particularly those who were victims of his horrific acts. Background: The Gosar dear colleague being circulated for cosponsorship can be found HERE. The full text of the draft Gosar legislation can be found HERE. Congressman Gosar has been working closely with Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment(PAVE), aDC-based nonprofit organization that works to prevent sexual assault and heal survivors, on this effort. PAVE's press release from 12/17/15 can be found HERE. Congressman Gosar has been working on this legislation for months following release of the 2005 deposition in July 2015. Last July, when questioned about revoking Cosby's medal, President Obama stated, There's no precedent for revoking a medalWe don't have that mechanism. Since that time Rep. Gosar has been working closely with PAVE and others to craft legislation that provides a mechanism. Congressman Gosar's bill affirms a mechanism for the president to strip Bill Cosby of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and will impose criminal penalties for anyone who wears or publicly displays a Presidential Medal of Freedom that has been revoked. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1963. This prestigious award is bestowed on recipients forespecially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. In recent months, more than 50 women have come forward and conveyed disturbing accounts of drugging and sexual assault by Cosby. The statute of limitations has expired for many of these incidents, and as a result, many of these women will never get their day in court. On December 30, 2015, Montgomery County Prosecutors charged Cosby with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a young woman without her consent in a 2004 incident. The 20 Page Affidavit of Probable Cause and three page Criminal Complaint can be found HERE. In the 20 page Affidavit of Probable Cause, prosecutors found that the evidence here demonstrates that the victim's substantially impaired condition prevented her ability to consent, or even defend herself from Cosby's sexual assault. Prosecutors also noted that over the years Cosby obtained seven separate prescriptions for Quaaludes that he did not personally ingest, nor ever intended to personally ingest. According to the New York Daily News, court documents obtained by the Associated Press on Monday, July 7, 2015, revealed that Cosby admitted under oath that he bought Quaaludes to dope the women he wanted to gropeand slipped the sedative to at least one lady and other people'. During a deposition on September 29, 2005, a lawyer, Dolores Troiani, asked Cosby, When you got the Quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these Quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with? and Cosby answered Yes. Cosby's own admissions to drugging women in order to satisfy his sexual desires place him outside the bounds of whom we should admire in our society. As one of my constituents stated eloquently on my Facebook page, Civilian honors such as this come with no legal protections or guarantees...Honors are optional, and not anyone's legal right to have and keepThe bar should be extraordinarily high for the Medal of Freedom, and to keep Cosby as a recipient greatly diminishes the very worth of that honor. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=c78c1e97-d1a5-4b86-9444-f1ebcce730e5,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON IRAN ROCKET LAUNCH NEAR U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER,2015-12-30,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on Irans recent rocket launch near the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz: ""As the Obama Administration celebrates the Iran nuclear deal, Iran conducted a highly provocative launch of several rockets with little warning just 1500 yards from a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz. This alarming launch comes after Iran has conducted two advanced missile tests since October in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Yet the Administration continues to turn a blind eye to Iranian saber rattling, continued state sponsorship of terrorism, and violations of its international commitments for fear Iran will walk away from the nuclear deal. ""The administration's desperate attempts to get sanctions relief before the elections in February based on an unfounded belief that it will promote what they perceive as a 'moderate' political strain in Iran is both nave and dangerous. A rush to sanctions relief threatens to embolden an increasingly aggressive Iranian regime that has no intention of normalizing relations with the West or of retreating from a malign policy intended to destabilize the Middle East. ""We need a to ensure that U.S. forces are postured to respond to Iranian aggression and finally adopt a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's malign influence in the Middle East."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=37b2bec3-08f3-44bc-bfe1-c05a15e0de93,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON JAPAN & REPUBLIC OF KOREAS AGREEMENT REGARDING COMFORT WOMEN,2015-12-28,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the agreement reached by Japan and the Republic of Korea regarding wartime comfort women: Today's landmark agreement between Japan and the Republic of Korea regarding the comfort woman issue is a testament to the leadership and vision of Prime Minister Abe and President Park. I truly hope this agreement will mark a new era between Tokyo and Seoul based not on the burdens of history but on the shared goal of forging a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific region. A Japan and ROK that are more unified bilateral partners and trilateral allies with the United States represents a powerful force for freedom in the world that we should welcome in these perilous and unpredictable times. I congratulate both governments on finalizing this historic deal and look forward to realizing its benefits in the years ahead. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4193375b-dae1-48f9-8ede-cdfbbd5607b7,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON IRAQI FORCES RETAKING RAMADI FROM ISIL,2015-12-28,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on reports that Iraqi forces have retaken the city center of Ramadi from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL): The liberation of the city center of Ramadi is a major milestone in the fight against ISIL, a significant achievement for the Iraqi Security Forces, and a tribute to the tireless efforts of U.S. and coalition forces who have enabled this victory. The recent capture of Tishreen Dam by opposition forces in Syria, similarly supported by U.S. and coalition forces, also represents a meaningful setback for ISIL. However, no one should understate how much work remains and how much more difficult that work will be than liberating Ramadi. The black flags of ISIL still fly over Mosul, Raqqa, and other key parts of Iraq and Syria. This threat is also metastasizing across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. And it now poses a more direct threat than ever to our homeland and that of our allies, as we have seen in recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Paris, Beirut, Ankara, and the downing of a Russian airliner over Sinai. For recent gains to endure, the ground that has been cleared in Iraq and Syria must now be held so ISIL cannot return. At the same time, the liberation of ISIL's strongholds in Iraq and Syria are essential to eliminating its ability to recruit and radicalize, but our commanders estimate that Mosul will not be retaken by the end of next year, and there is currently no local ground force in Syria that is both capable and willing to retake Raqqa, nor is one likely to emerge in the foreseeable future. These efforts must be part of a comprehensive regional strategy to counter ISIL wherever it seeks to expand and make inroads. If our goal truly is to destroy ISIL in the near future, rather than kick the can down the road for others to deal with, the United States must play a far more active role than we are now, especially in supporting local Sunni Arab forces to take the fight to ISIL themselves. More than anything, this requires the President to speak clearly to the American people about the nature of the threat we are facing, what it will take to succeed, and have the resolve to see it through. So long as this President is unwilling or incapable of exercising this leadership, the threat we face will only grow. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=d1592f03-6d8b-46c6-9e27-cac21389c565,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM SUSPENDING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN,2015-12-21,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the announcement that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has suspended his presidential campaign: With Senator Lindsey Grahams announcement, Republicans lost our most qualified, thoughtful, fearless and honest presidential candidate, not to mention the candidate with the best (and it seemed sometimes the only) sense of humor. Despite the disadvantages he faced in resources and debate opportunities, Lindseys message of serious statesmanship and problem-solving in public affairs, his forthright opposition to policies and attitudes that would endanger our country and reflect poorly on our party, and his genuine decency and humility won him many new admirers. As sorry as I am to see Lindseys candidacy end, I understand his reasons, and Im as proud of him as Ive ever been for his exemplary service to our party and our country. Lindseys friends and supporters take consolation in the assurance his voice will continue to be prominent in the U.S. Senate, where his message of inclusiveness, optimism, and forward-looking leadership will serve as a needed rebuttal to those who advocate a narrower and pessimistic vision for our party. It is a pity that a bifurcated debate structure kept his voice and views from the wider public that needed to hear them. Even so, as the candidate with the most national security experience, and, in my opinion, the most practical and honorable views of American world leadership, Lindsey stood up to and helped stem the rise within our party of isolationism and obliviousness in world affairs, and indifference to human suffering. It was my privilege to support Lindsey and campaign with him, a privilege exceeded only by the privilege of his friendship. Thank you, my friend, for all you have done for the country you love and serve so well. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-statement-passage-fy2016-funding-bill,U.S. Rep. McSally Statement on Passage of FY2016 Funding Bill,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today voted in support of the Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY2016, legislation to fund the government through the end of fiscal year 2016. The bill passed the House today with wide bipartisan support 316 to 113. While far from perfect, todays bipartisan legislation benefits Southern Arizona in many ways. Ive been a leading voice to stop the dangerous cuts to our depleted military. This agreement does just that. After I fought hard to protect the A-10 and EC-130H, this bill provides full funding for both aircraft as well as my amendment to prevent the retirement of any EC-130H next year. It includes an additional $241 million for three critical missiles produced at Raytheon in Tucson, keeping their lines running and protecting good-paying Southern Arizona jobs. The bill also contains funding for construction at DM and Fort Huachuca, including $18.2 million for personnel recovery training missions conducted in Southern Arizona and $3.9 million to renovate the Joint Interoperability Test Command buildings. In addition, todays legislation prioritizes protecting our homeland. The bill contains provisions to strengthen the Visa Waiver Program, a recommendation made by my colleagues and me on the bipartisan foreign fighter task force. It increases funding for Customs and Border Protection operations and focuses funds for the FBI to conduct counterterrorism and counterintelligence activities. While these are important steps, we still have work to do to address all our security vulnerabilities, and Ill continue to work to pass more solutions to make Americans safer.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=f481a555-cb49-441c-8f98-2cf54b1f1b92,Flake Votes Against Omnibus Appropriations Bill,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today issued the following statement regarding his vote against the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill: I voted against the omnibus because it adds to our growing debt, fails to address wasteful spending, and is full of the same tired giveaways weve seen over the years, said Flake. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=81a18bda-51ff-455b-8656-bf36909227c2,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON VOTING NO TO OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on voting no to the omnibus spending bill: In the aftermath of the attack on San Bernardino, and with threats to our national security growing around the world, Congress shamefully took billions of taxpayer dollars that should have been focused on our warfighters and loaded up the omnibus spending bill with wasteful, unnecessary, and inappropriate pork-barrel projects. At a time of war and cuts to our national defense, this 2000-page bill negotiated in secret includes over $2 billion in defense funding for duplicative medical research, the vast majority of which has nothing to do with the mission of the U.S. military or Department of Defense. With our Navy working hard to use limited resources to build the fleet we need for the future, the omnibus includes $225 million for a ship that the Navy does not want and does not need. And as Russia occupies Crimea, destabilizes Ukraine, menaces our NATO allies, and bombs U.S.-backed forces in Syria, the omnibus includes a provision allowing a single U.S. company to spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying Russian-made rocket engines from Vladimir Putin and his cronies. This omnibus bill, and the broken process that produced it, represents everything that the American people hate about Washington. The American people deserve better. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=e7c45385-3faa-4816-8a6f-ead2528252e5,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON PRESIDENT OBAMAS FAILURE TO GRANT POSTHUMOUS PARDON FOR JACK JOHNSON,2015-12-18,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement on President Obamas failure to issue a posthumous pardon for boxing legend John Arthur Jack Johnson along with the 95 commutations of sentence and two pardons he granted today: Today, President Obama missed another opportunity to right a historical injustice by issuing a posthumous pardon for boxing legend Jack Johnson, whose good name and reputation were ruined by a racially charged conviction more than a century ago. Despite Congress having just enacted legislation calling on the president to restore this great athletes legacy, he has once again refused to take action. When President Obama grants more presidential pardons in the year to come, I hope he will finally do the right thing and close this shameful chapter in American history. Earlier this month, Congress passed and the president signed into law legislation that included a resolution offered by Senators McCain and Harry Reid (D-NV) that calls on President Obama to posthumously pardon Johnson. Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas on March 31, 1878 and in 1908, he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion after defeating Tommy Burns in Australia a title Johnson held until 1915. Prompted by his success in the boxing ring and his relationship with a Caucasian woman, Jack Johnson was wrongly convicted under the Mann Act when he brought the woman he was dating across state lines. The intent of the Mann Act was to prevent human trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution. However, this racially motivated 1913 conviction imprisoned Jack Johnson for a year. The conviction ruined his career and destroyed his reputation. American Presidents have issued posthumous pardons in the past. In 1999, President Clinton pardoned Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American to graduate from West Point and first African-American officer to lead the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10thCavalry Regiment during the Civil War, who was later dismissed from the Army for racially charged allegations. In 2008, President Bush pardoned Charles Winters, an American volunteer in the Arab-Israeli War who was convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Acts in 1949 after he helped to transfer two B-17 Flying Fortresses in an effort to aid the Jewish peoples effort to establish the state of Israel. Read William Rhodens recent column in The New York Times calling for a posthumous pardon of Jack Johnson here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-vote-no-massive-omnibus-spending-bill,Rep. Gosar to Vote NO on Massive Omnibus Spending Bill,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement announcing he will be voting no on the massive $1.1 trillion spending measure, H.R. 2029 the Consolidated Appropriations Act (omnibus), scheduled for a vote in the House on Friday, December 18: Once again I find myself infuriated about out-of-control, wasteful spending and a lack of leadership in Washington D.C. No member can actually read 2,242 pages of text and over 1,000 pages of explanatory material in 54 hours. I am not Nancy Pelosi and I will not vote to pass a bill just to find out later what it contains. Such actions are irresponsible and silly. I wish that I could put all the blame for this flawed bill on big spending Democrats who are ignorant of the fiscal crisis within which we live, but I cant. Congress is controlled by Republicans. Yet, somehow this is the worst omnibus deal for Republicans since Ive been here. The American people gave Congress a clear mandate to reduce spending and shrink the size of the federal government as well as to rein in a lawless and dangerously incompetent Obama Administration. Except for passage of the sequester in August 2011, no other law has been enacted that has made meaningful cuts to federal spending. This irresponsible bill blows through those budget caps established just a few short years ago. This terrible deal includes no new riders to hold this rogue administration accountable and gives Democrats everything they wanted and more. Westerners and conservatives are rightfully outraged that our negotiators gave away the farm in this bill. It doesnt have to be this way. We must have the courage to fix our broken budget process and return to regular order. I refuse to go along with the status quo of more wasteful federal spending and I refuse to let the Obama Administration continue to force their misguided ideology through regulatory overreach. As long as I represent hard-working Arizonans, I will never stop fighting to end this madness. This is my line in the sand and I refuse to back down. If we have to stay here through Christmas to get the peoples work done, then so be it. But I cant in good conscious support a bill that abandons the priorities of my constituents and that will be extremely harmful to future generations. Background There were numerous previsions in the Omnibus bill that Congressman Gosar supports including eliminating taxpayers bailouts of the Obamacare risk corridor; delaying the Cadillac tax; funding for PILT and SCAAP; lifting the crude oil export ban; the CongressmansWAPA Report language which will bring transparency to this massive bureaucracy; retention of the Gosar rider prohibiting funds for the unconstitutional National Roadside Survey; the Congressmans request for adequate resources for the Lower Santa Cruz Feasibility Study; retention of the Gosar language prohibiting wasteful spending on Scrims; the Gosar amendment prohibiting $500 million for Obama's request for the new, wasteful Rapid Growth Transit Program; and the Gosar amendment prohibiting funds being used on Government Travel Charge Card expenses by military or civilian personnel of DOD for gaming, or entertainment that includes topless or nude entertainers or participants. But the bad far outweighs the good, and overall, this bill misses many opportunities to enact common sense policy reforms. The omnibus increases spending by $50 billion more than is authorized and agreed to under the Budget Control Act of 2011. This alone is reason to reject this bill. Furthermore, the omnibus does not defund the presidents executive amnesty orders and fails to prevent funds for sanctuary cities, both abdications of the power of the purse. The bill failed to include a provision blocking refugees from Syria from being resettled in the United States until we have a system that can properly vet them. Worse yet, the bill allows the president to bring in as many refugees as he wants and allows access for these refugees to welfare and entitlements at taxpayer expense. The bill failed to block the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), Clean Power Plan and Ozone regulations. It also failed to block the administrations new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, to block the new Stream Protection Rule and to block the Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) new fracking rule, do anything to limit massive designations of new national monuments under the Antiquities Act by Obama and to block the new Central American Minors (CAM) program. It increases Internal Revenue Service (IRS) spending by over $200 million and includes a $500 million increase for the wasteful and inefficient Head Start program. The bill increases funding for the EPA $717.73 million above the House passed bill. The bill increases funding by $1.2 billion for the Department of Education.The bill fails to block funding for Planned Parenthood and will allow hundreds of millions to continue to flow to the organization's coffers ($528.4 million in federal funding last year alone).The bill egregiously extends the wind PTC and solar ITC for five years. The bill extends LWCF for three years with no meaningful reforms even though the program is now unauthorized. The bill includes $226.8 million for new land acquisition and to lock-up more land, even though the federal government cant even manage the land it currently owns. The bill bails out the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by increasing the U.S. quota. This IMF will now have access to even more taxpayer dollars in order to fund bailouts of other irresponsible governments like Greece. To make matters worse, there were countless policy riders that passed both the House and Senate that somehow failed to make it into the final omnibus bill. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1500,Rep. Gosar to Vote NO on Massive Omnibus Spending Bill,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement announcing he will be voting no on the massive $1.1 trillion spending measure, H.R. 2029 the Consolidated Appropriations Act (omnibus), scheduled for a vote in the House on Friday, December 18: Once again I find myself infuriated about out-of-control, wasteful spending and a lack of leadership in Washington D.C. No member can actually read 2,242 pages of text and over 1,000 pages of explanatory material in 54 hours. I am not Nancy Pelosi and I will not vote to pass a bill just to find out later what it contains. Such actions are irresponsible and silly. I wish that I could put all the blame for this flawed bill on big spending Democrats who are ignorant of the fiscal crisis within which we live, but I can't. Congress is controlled by Republicans. Yet, somehow this is the worst omnibus deal' for Republicans since I've been here. The American people gave Congress a clear mandate to reduce spending and shrink the size of the federal government as well as to rein in a lawless and dangerously incompetent Obama Administration. Except for passage of the sequester in August 2011, no other law has been enacted that has made meaningful cuts to federal spending. This irresponsible bill blows through those budget caps established just a few short years ago. This terrible deal includes no new riders to hold this rogue administration accountable and gives Democrats everything they wanted and more. Westerners and conservatives are rightfully outraged that our negotiators gave away the farm in this bill. It doesn't have to be this way. We must have the courage to fix our broken budget process and return to regular order. I refuse to go along with the status quo of more wasteful federal spending and I refuse to let the Obama Administration continue to force their misguided ideology through regulatory overreach. As long as I represent hard-working Arizonans, I will never stop fighting to end this madness. This is my line in the sand and I refuse to back down. If we have to stay here through Christmas to get the people's work done, then so be it. But I can't in good conscious support a bill that abandons the priorities of my constituents and that will be extremely harmful to future generations. Background There were numerous previsions in the Omnibus bill that Congressman Gosar supports including eliminating taxpayers bailouts of the Obamacare risk corridor; delaying the Cadillac tax; funding for PILT and SCAAP; lifting the crude oil export ban; the Congressman'sWAPA Report language which will bring transparency to this massive bureaucracy; retention of the Gosar rider prohibiting funds for the unconstitutional National Roadside Survey; the Congressman's request for adequate resources for the Lower Santa Cruz Feasibility Study; retention of the Gosar language prohibiting wasteful spending on Scrims; the Gosar amendment prohibiting $500 million for Obama's request for the new, wasteful Rapid Growth Transit Program; and the Gosar amendment prohibiting funds being used on Government Travel Charge Card expenses by military or civilian personnel of DOD for gaming, or entertainment that includes topless or nude entertainers or participants. But the bad far outweighs the good, and overall, this bill misses many opportunities to enact common sense policy reforms. The omnibus increases spending by $50 billion more than is authorized and agreed to under the Budget Control Act of 2011. This alone is reason to reject this bill. Furthermore, the omnibus does not defund the president's executive amnesty orders and fails to prevent funds for sanctuary cities, both abdications of the power of the purse. The bill failed to include a provision blocking refugees from Syria from being resettled in the United States until we have a system that can properly vet them. Worse yet, the bill allows the president to bring in as many refugees as he wants and allows access for these refugees to welfare and entitlements at taxpayer expense. The bill failed to block the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS), Clean Power Plan and Ozone regulations. It also failed to block the administration's new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, to block the new Stream Protection Rule and to block the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) new fracking rule, do anything to limit massive designations of new national monuments under the Antiquities Act by Obama and to block the new Central American Minors (CAM) program. It increases Internal Revenue Service (IRS) spending by over $200 million and includes a $500 million increase for the wasteful and inefficient Head Start program. The bill increases funding for the EPA $717.73 million above the House passed bill. The bill increases funding by $1.2 billion for the Department of Education.The bill fails to block funding for Planned Parenthood and will allow hundreds of millions to continue to flow to the organization's coffers ($528.4 million in federal funding last year alone).The bill egregiously extends the wind PTC and solar ITC for five years. The bill extends LWCF for three years with no meaningful reforms even though the program is now unauthorized. The bill includes $226.8 million for new land acquisition and to lock-up more land, even though the federal government can't even manage the land it currently owns. The bill bails out the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by increasing the U.S. quota. This IMF will now have access to even more taxpayer dollars in order to fund bailouts of other irresponsible governments like Greece. To make matters worse, there were countless policy riders that passed both the House and Senate that somehow failed to make it into the final omnibus bill. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=68e65477-bd86-4a5b-8380-8c583f1ba8dc,FLOOR STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON FOREIGN POLICY IN 2015,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following statement on the Senate floor today on foreign policy in 2015: Madam President: Seventy years ago, a group of American leaders forged the rules-based international order out of the ashes of World War II. Those that were there recalled that they were present at the creation. We may well look back at 2015 and realize we were present at the unraveling. At the beginning of this year, President Obama was still committed to degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL. He had warned that if left unchecked, [ISIL] could pose a growing threat beyond [the Middle East] - including to the United States. And in 2015 thats exactly happened in Paris and San Bernardino. More than one year into the campaign against ISIL, it is impossible to assert that ISIL is losing and that we are winning, and if you are not winning in this kind of warfare, you are losing. Stalemate is not success. This year the Senate Armed Services Committee held several hearings specifically focused on the threat of ISIL, including three with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. We heard about nine lines of effort. We heard about 3 Rs. But we never heard a single plausible theory of success. ISIL has lost some territory on the margin, but has consolidated control of its core territories and expanded its control in Syria. It continues to dominate Sunni Arab areas in both Iraq and Syria. It maintains control of key Iraqi cities like Mosul, Fallujah, and Ramadi, and efforts to retake those territories appear to have stalled entirely. Meanwhile, ISIL is expanding globally. On Tuesday, General John Campbell, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan told the Associated Press that ISIL is seeking to establish a regional base in eastern Afghanistan as it attracts more followers and foreign fighters. In Libya, the Wall Street Journal reports that ISIL has expanded in Libya and established a new base close to Europe where it can generate oil revenue and plot terror attacks. Since February, ISIL has grown from 200 eager fighters to a roughly 5,000-strong contingent which includes administrators and financiers. ISIL is also operating in Lebanon, Yemen, and Egypt. And other radical Islamist groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Shabaab in Somalia have pledged allegiance to ISIL. This appearance of success only enhances ISILs ability to radicalize, recruit, and grow. To be sure, there has been some progress, as I recently saw on a visit to Iraq. The recent operation to retake Sinjar was important. Iraqi forces are closing in on Ramadi, though they still have not finished the job. And our counterterrorism operations are taking a lot of ISIL fighters off the battlefield in Iraq and Syria. All of this represents tactical progress. And it is a testament to our civilian and military leaders, as well as thousands of U.S. troops helping to take the fight to ISIL every day. However, significant challenges remain. As a direct result of President Obamas decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq and squander hard-won American influence, the Iraqi government is weak and beholden to Iran. There was perhaps no more vivid example of this than when it was reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi turned down Secretary of Defense Ash Carters offer of new military assistance, including the use of Apache helicopters and special operations forces to help recapture Ramadi. I met with Prime Minister Abadi in Iraq. He is a good man, and he knows that he needs this help. But because of the dominating influence of Iran and Shia militias in Iraq, he turned it down anyway. General McFarland, who is leading the fight against ISIL, reacted grimly saying, This is a very complex environment. It is kind of hard to inflict support on somebody. It also comes as no surprise that the training of Iraqi security forces has been slow, and the building of support for the Sunni tribal forces even slower. ISIL captured Mosul in June 2014. At the end of 2015, ISIL still controls Mosul. And at the current pace, U.S. commanders estimate that ISIL will still control Mosul at the end of 2016. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports that ISIL is still making $1.5 million a day in oil sales. Worse, Reuters reports that ISIL has made more than $500 million trading oil with significant volumes sold to...guess whothe government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Even as an Oval Office speech and a Pentagon photo-op fail to reassure the American people, this Administration has doubled down on its indecisive approach to ISIL using limited means and indirect ways to achieve aspirational ends on a nonexistent timeline. The Administration now admits that we are war with ISIL, but proceeds at every turn to minimize any American role in fighting and winning that war. America has never waged anything weve called a war and then so profoundly limited our role in the hope that some other force will emerge to win it for us. The Administration says we cannot Americanize the conflict, as if America can truly be at war in a conflict that is not our own. The war against ISIL was Americanized when ISIL-inspired terrorists murdered 14 Americans on our own soil in San Bernardino. This attack should be a wakeup call that ISILs threat to our homeland is real, direct, and growing. Thats why we need a strategy to destroy ISILnot ultimately, as the president said last year, but as quickly as possible. Yet in Syria, there is no plausible strategy to achieve this goal on anywhere near an acceptable timeline. What the administration calls its strategy looks more like a hope. We will not destroy ISIL until Raqqa, the capital of the caliphate, falls. But there is still no ground force that is both willing and able to retake Raqqa, nor is there a realistic prospect of one emerging soon. The Syrian Kurds could take Raqqa but wont, and the Syrian Sunni Arabs want to but cant, partly due to our failure to support them. Meanwhile, the Administration has continued its policy of inaction and indifference that has allowed Bashar Assad to slaughter a quarter of a million people. And when Assad appeared weak, it allowed Vladimir Putin to intervene militarily and protect his murderous regime. And now the results are clear. This was the headline from the Associated Press yesterday: Russian Airstrikes Restore Syrian Military Balance of Power. The AP reports, Weeks of Russian airstrikes in Syria appear to have restored enough momentum to the government side to convince President Bashar Assad's foes and the world community that even if he doesn't win the war he cannot quickly be removed by force. That realization, combined with the growing sense that the world's No. 1 priority is the destruction of the Islamic State group, has led many to acknowledge that however unpalatable his conduct of the war, Assad will have to be tolerated for at least some time further. However unpalatable his conduct of the war This kind of Orwellian understatement not only obscures the truth, but cripples the conscience. Bashar Assads conduct of the war barrel bombschemical weaponsslaughtering women and children has not only killed a quarter of a million people, it is what gave rise to ISIL in the first place, and it is what fuels them still. Unfortunately, Secretary of State John Kerry seems not to understand that fact. While in Moscow searching for common ground with Russia on Syria and Ukraine, Secretary Kerry said that Russia has been a significant contributor to the progress the world has made on Syria. Was Russia making progress when it bombed U.S.-back Syrian forces fighting the Assad regime? Or was that when it took a brief pause from bombing Syrian moderates to indiscriminately drop dumb bombs in ISIL territory in eastern Syria killing untold numbers of civilians? Secretary Kerry then said, The United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change. The focus now is not on our differences about what can or cannot be done immediately about Assad. At the beginning of this year, this Administration still believed that Assad must go. But now, as one U.S. official said, The meaning of Assad has to go has evolved. This kind of Orwellian doublespeak has become all too common in this Administration, and it is exactly why our allies and partners around the world are losing confidence in American leadership. Is it any wonder then that 34 Muslim nations formed an alliance to fight terrorism and the United States didnt even know about it? So why has the meaning of Assad has to go evolved? Because this Administration was overpowered, outplayed, and outmatched. This Administration consoled themselves with the mantra of there is no military solution, rather than facing the reality that there is a clear military dimension to a political solution in Syria. That is what Russia and Iran have demonstrated. They have changed the military facts on the ground and created the terms for a political settlement more favorable to their interests. And I believe as a result, the conflict will grind on, ISIL will grow stronger, and the refugees will keep coming. Unfortunately, Americas troubles in 2015 were not contained to Iraq and Syria. Despite conditions on the ground, President Obama elected to withdraw roughly half of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the end of next year. Once again, the result is clear. As the Associated Press reported this week, Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise, according to a new Pentagon report to Congress that says the Taliban was emboldened by the reduced U.S. military role and can be expected to build momentum from their 2015 attack strategy. The AP report went on to note that the number of effective insurgent attacks rose this year, causing increased casualties among Afghan security forces and that the Talibans resilience has made security fragile in key areas and at risk of deteriorating in others. At the beginning of this year, the Administration was negotiating with Iran with the goal of forcing Iran to give up its nuclear program. Instead, the deal reached merely delayed Irans nuclear program for a period of years. And it granted concession after concession to Iran tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief, lifting the international arms embargo, allowing development of ballistic missiles and ICBMs, letting Iran inspect itself, and no requirement to resolve longstanding international concerns about the possible military dimensions of Irans nuclear program. For years, the IAEA maintained that effective verification of the nuclear deal depended on resolution of the PMD issue. And the agency consistently raised red flags about Irans refusal to allow United Nations inspectors to interview key scientists and military officers to investigate Irans covert nuclear-weapons program. Earlier this month, an IAEA report concluded that Iran was actively designing a nuclear weapon until 2009, but it could not determine how far Iran had gone toward achieving a bomb because Iran refused to answer several essential questions and appeared to have destroyed potential evidence. But despite this persistent uncertainty, the IAEA voted earlier this week to close its investigation into Irans past nuclear activities, moving Tehran another step closer to large-scale sanctions relief. So as the IAEA complained about the lack of verification and transparency as it related to Irans past covert nuclear program, Secretary Kerry praised the decision to close the investigation so the focus could now be on the nuclear deals enhanced verification and transparency regime. This dangerous naivety is only made worse by the manifest lack of will to punish Iran for violations of its commitments. Iran has now conducted two advanced missile tests since October in violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Yet the Administration, nor the international community has been willing to act in order because they fear Iran will walk away from the nuclear deal. U.S. Ambassador the UN Samantha Power even defended this inaction by saying, Discussions are a form of UN action. Based on Irans behavior, I have a feeling there will be many such discussions to come. At the beginning of this year, President Obama said the United States would stand for the principle that large countries dont bully smaller countries and support Ukraines ability to control its own territory. Yet as 2015 draws to a close, over 8,000 people have died since Russias invasion, including 298 innocent people aboard Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 murdered by Vladimir Putins loyal supporters with weapons sent to Ukraine by Putin. Russia remains in firm control of Crimea and continues to destabilize Ukraine. Our military commanders believe Russia is preparing for a renewed offensive in the near future. Yet more than a year-and-a-half since Russia invaded Ukraine, presenting the gravest threat to European security in decades, President Obama remains steadfast in his refusal to give Ukrainians fighting and dying to save their country the defensive weapons they need and deserve. Ukrainians are not asking that American forces do their fighting, but that our nation open once again the arsenal of democracy that has allowed free peoples to defend themselves. President Obamas failure to do so will be to his everlasting shame. In February of this year, China had reclaimed just 400 acres of land in the South China Sea. As 2015 comes to an end, China has now reclaimed more than 3,000 acres, more than all other claimants combined and at an unprecedented pace. China is rapidly militarizing this reclaimed land, building garrisons, harbors, intelligence and surveillance infrastructure, and at least three airstrips that could support military aircraft. With the addition of surface-to-air missiles and radars, these new land features could enable China to declare and enforce an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea, and to hold that vital region at risk. China is incrementally and unilaterally changing the status quo through coercion, intimidation, even force. And nothing the United States has been doing appears to be changing Chinas calculation. And why would it? Back in May, Secretary Carter declared that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. But it took five embarrassing months of false starts and mixed signals before the U.S. Navy was allowed to conduct a freedom of navigation operation within 12 nautical miles of Chinas manmade land features in the South China Sea. Then as this operation was being reported by every major media outlet in the United States and the Asia-Pacific, Secretary Carter initially refused to confirm the operation had taken place in open testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. This puzzling display led to confusion not only about what had taken place, but Americas strategic intent. This Administration constantly emphasizes the need to avoid miscalculation. But we only encourage miscalculation when there is a gap between our words and our actions. And it is that gap that China has exploited to assert vast territorial claims, bully its neighbors, destabilize the region, and challenge the freedom of the seas. Yes, we saw too many dark days in 2015. But it didnt have to be this way. And it still within our power to choose a better course. We must never be disheartened or resigned to a world where suffering and evil are always on the ascent. On the contrary, its in our character as Americans to face adversity with hope and optimism. We must see plainly and fully the threats to our values in order to defeat them. And if, as Churchill said, we recover our moral health and martial vigor, and rise again to take our stand for freedom, I have no doubt America will succeed. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=25993605-b715-46fa-ac54-27b3a90252b5,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON DEFENSE SECRETARY ASHTON CARTERS IMPROPER USE OF PERSONAL EMAIL,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on Defense Secretary Ashton Carters improper use of personal email to conduct official business: With all the public attention surrounding the improper use of personal email by other Administration officials, it is hard to believe that Secretary Carter would exercise the same error in judgment. The Senate Armed Services Committee has requested copies of the emails and will be conducting a review to ensure that sensitive information was not compromised. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=52ed23e0-cbf2-42cc-a4fc-3964791468c8,SENATORS McCAIN & BLUMENTHAL REINTRODUCE FANS ACT TO SPIKE SPORTS BLACKOUTS,2015-12-17,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) reintroduced the Furthering Access and Networks for Sports Act of 2015 (FANS Act), legislation that would effectively end sports blackouts. Specifically, the bill would require professional leagues to meet basic obligations to fans in order to continue receiving substantial benefits, including exemptions from antitrust law. Because of outdated and overly broad league blackout policies, sports fans across the country are unable to watch their favorite teams when games are blacked-out on broadcast stations, cable networks, and internet-streaming platforms. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) unanimously voted to eliminate its federal sports blackout rule. The National Football League (NFL) also suspended its blackout policies for the 2015 season, enabling sports fans to access local NFL games this year even when stadiums fail to sell out. However, the league has not committed to extending the suspension beyond this season. The FANS Act is about ensuring that loyal sports fans arent the ones who have to pay the price for outdated rules and unfair league policies, said Senator McCain. For years, sports leagues have been blacking out broadcasts of sporting events at the expense of the very taxpayers and fans they rely on to subsidize million-dollar stadiums. Leagues should have to meet basic obligations if they wish to continue receiving public benefits from fans, such as an exemption from federal antitrust law. With the FCCs recent vote to eliminate the federal sports blackout rule and NFL owners decision to suspend the leagues blackout policy for the current season, its clear that momentum is on the side of sports fans. But blackouts can and do still occur. Its time for Congress to pass the FANS Act and spike sports blackouts once and for all. It is unconscionable that we continue to allow special breaks and deals for professional sports leagues that impose anti-consumer blackout policies and leave their fans in the dark, said Senator Blumenthal. This measure would ensure fans have rightful access to the live games of their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. While the NFL has volunteered to lift its blackout policy for this year, they can choose to reverse course at any time, and fans still face blackouts in baseball, hockey and basketball. This bill is a comprehensive approach that addresses blackouts in whatever form they take. Were throwing the flag on these anti-consumer tactics and putting more games in front of the fans that deserve to see their favorite team play. One of the major ways that professional sports leagues generate revenue is through licensing the rights to televise their games to the public. These telecasts may occur on over-the-air broadcast stations or over cable or satellite systems, and increasingly, over the Internet. The licensing rights for the telecast of professional sports programming are treated in a somewhat unique way under federal law. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 (SBA) provides broad exemptions from federal antitrust law to the leagues for the purpose of pooling the rights to telecast games. The FANS Act would effectively end the NFLs blackout policy by removing original language in the SBA that allows leagues like the NFL to require local broadcasters to black-out home games when local stadiums fail to sell out 72 hours in advance of a game. While this policy may have helped increase ticket sales years ago, there is no longer any evidence that it helps to drive fans to stadiums. Current data indicates that ticket sales are much more closely correlated to the size of the stadium, the population of metropolitan area, and the cost of the ticket. The bill would also condition antitrust exemptions on prohibiting sports blackouts during contract disputes between broadcasters and cable/satellite distributors, as well as condition antitrust exemptions on making home games available on the Internet when that game is unavailable on television. These exemptions from federal antitrust law as well as direct and indirect benefits through taxpayer-financed stadiums and public transportation infrastructure by federal and local governments are intended to protect and promote professional sports and the role they play in society. In practice, however, they do not always translate into benefits to the fans. The FANS Act would ensure that fans are able to watch games theyve helped pay for. The text of the legislation is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-votes-track-flow-isis-fighters,U.S. Rep. McSally Votes to Track Flow of ISIS Fighters,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"Efforts on Task Force Result in Multiple House-Passed Bills WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today voted in support of legislation to track the flow of foreign fighters to terrorist sanctuaries. The billis the direct result of a recommendation made by Rep. McSally and her colleagues on the Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Task Force, whoreleased a report in September containing 32 key findings and 50 recommendations. Those findings have already led to multiple house-passed bills to address security vulnerabilities. We know that 30,000 people from 100 different countries have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join Islamist extremist efforts, including 250 Americans. But ISISs reach extends far beyond just these borders, said Rep. McSally. ISIS now has a direct presence, affiliates, or groups pledging support in at least 19 countries. We must regularly track the flow of these fighters to all terrorist sanctuaries as part of our intelligence gathering efforts. Countries with a reported ISIS presence now include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and the Philippines. In addition, militia leaders and Western officials estimate that ISIS has as many as 2,000 fighters in Libya. The Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act follows legislation passed last week, which also was the result of recommendations made by Rep. McSallys task force, to address vulnerabilities in the Visa Waiver Program. Rep. McSally also voted today to pass the Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act, which requires the Administration to develop a strategy to combat ISIS on social media. She spoke about that bill earlier this week on Fox News On the Record.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=195fc67d-511e-4e10-9e0d-3ac7aa3848a7,"Flake, Pompeo Highlight Energy Subsidy Costs to Ratepayers",2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced S. 2384, the Ratepayer Fairness Act, requiring states to evaluate whether utility ratepayers are being asked to pay higher public utility costs to pay for customer technologies that only benefit a select few. U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) introduced companion legislation in the House, H.R. 4232. The Ratepayer Fairness Act would add a new standard to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), requiring public utility commissions to consider whether policies they approve would lead to a cross-subsidization of customer technologies that only benefit a small number of electricity customers. In addition, the standard would require the commissions to look at whether such policies negatively affect resource utilization and grid security, or if an unfair competitive advantage would be given to the customer technology. Consumers should not be burdened with higher utility bills in order to subsidize technologies, especially those that are only enjoyed by a few, said Flake. Everyone deserves access to affordable and reliable energy and this measure would ensure that all states take a hard look at whether consumers are being asked to pay their fair share. In a time of stagnant wages and slow economic growth, we must protect consumers from being forced to pay higher electricity bills in order to subsidize technology that only benefits those who have the means to afford it, said Pompeo. This legislation takes important measures to do just that, promoting transparency between utility regulators and the public and making sure that all states review whether consumers are paying more than they should be. That is the Kansas commonsense way. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4733427a-1f19-4499-ac9c-31cd4f228490,Bipartisan Senate Coalition Seeks to Advance Western Drought Legislation,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) today led a bipartisan coalition of nine western senators in sending a letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR) Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) encouraging the committee to advance west-wide drought legislation, a crucial issue affecting millions of people in the western United States. We are hopeful that the committee can successfully advance, through regular order, drought legislation that will ultimately be signed into law. We are ready to work with you to achieve that goal, wrote the senators. The letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Tom Udall (D-N.M), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). The signed letter can be viewed here. The full text of the letter can be viewed below. *** December 16, 2015 The Honorable Lisa Murkowski Chair Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 304 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-3703 The Honorable Maria Cantwell Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 304 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-0203 Dear Chair Murkowski and Ranking Member Cantwell: We are grateful for your work on drought this year and strongly encourage continued effort on west-wide drought legislation in January. Over the past several months, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee has shown both the desire and capacity to tackle drought head-on, holding three hearings and reporting a number of water and drought-related bills out of committee. We hope that the momentum will continue unabated. Drought is one of the most significant issues facing our states and the nation. Nearly 75 percent of the Western United States faced drought conditions this year, affecting nearly 93 million Americans, according to the Congressional Research Service. Many western communities, especially in rural areas, continue to struggle to meet their water supply needs. As you are aware, reliable access to water is fundamental to western economies. We stand ready to continue to work with you to meet this challenge. We appreciate that under your leadership the committee has been very active in bringing together multiple drought bills and proposals in an effort to address the drought facing our states. We are hopeful that the committee can successfully advance, through regular order, drought legislation that will ultimately be signed into law. We are ready to work with you to achieve that goal. Sincerely, JEFF FLAKE United States Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN United States Senator JOHN MCCAIN United States Senator MARTIN HEINRICH United States Senator DEAN HELLER United States Senator TOM UDALL United States Senator STEVE DAINES United States Senator MICHAEL F. BENNET United States Senator ORRIN HATCH United States Senator Background: At an October ENR hearing on Western drought, Flake took the opportunity to stress Arizonas water priorities, especially the need to protect water that Arizona has voluntarily left in Lake Mead to prevent a shortage on the Colorado River. Flake also highlighted water-intensive invasive species, forest restoration, and a pilot program for more efficient use of current water storage in reservoirs. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=bbb7dbb3-7f14-4305-bc0f-67a29e310516,Flake Statement on Bilateral Flight Services Agreement with Cuba,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today released the following statement regarding the announcement of a bilateral air services agreement allowing for regularly scheduled, direct commercial flights between the United States and Cuba. This announcement was made on the eve of the one year anniversary of the renewed diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Unleashing the power of U.S. travelers and their frequent flier miles brings us a crucial step closer to eliminating restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba, said Flake. Background: In Jan., Flakeled a bipartisan coalitionincluding U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) in introducingS. 299, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act. The bipartisan bill would end restrictions in laws enacted in 1996 and 2000 on travel by American citizens and legal residents to Cuba restrictions that do not exist for travel by Americans to any other country in the world. The bill would also end restrictions on related transactions incident to such travel, such as banking transactions. U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) introduced a companion bill in the House. Today, Flake and Leahy sent a letter to President Barack Obama marking the one year anniversary of the renewed diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and encouraging the administration to advance actions in 2016 to further expand engagement between the two countries. Goals cited by the senators include the completing a bilateral air services agreement, streamlining people-to-people travel, advancing exports of U.S. goods and services, facilitating financial transactions, settling certified claims, and designating senior officials to coordinate regulation reform. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=be348f64-0a31-45ac-a9ad-c81f4d8105f6,"Flake, Leahy Urge President to Expand U.S. Engagement with Cuba on Anniversary of Renewed Relations",2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, DC U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) sent a letter today to President Barack Obama, marking the one year anniversary of the renewed diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and encouraging the administration to advance actions in 2016 to further expand engagement between the two countries. Goals cited by the senators include the completing a bilateral air services agreement, streamlining people-to-people travel, advancing exports of U.S. goods and services, facilitating financial transactions, settling certified claims, and designating senior officials to coordinate regulation reform. The coming year represents a critical opportunity for meaningful advancement of these objectives. Removing statutory limits on travel and trade will require Congressional action. However, within the finite time remaining, continued progress in the regulatory arena represents the best strategy for resilient changes in the U.S. and Cuba as well as increasing the prospects that Congress will act, wrote the senators. The signed letter can be viewed here.The text of the letter can be viewed below. *** December 16, 2015 President Barack Obama The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, A great deal has been accomplished in reforming U.S. policy toward Cuba since December 17, 2014. Embassies have been opened, our diplomats are in touch with a wider range of Cubans all across the island, and a road map has been drawn for talks on issues of importance to both sides. Collectively, these efforts are beginning to bear fruit. Americans are connecting with Cubans as never before. Visits to the island by U.S. citizens are reportedly up 62 percent over last year. Cuban-Americans continue to support their families through remittances and investments in private businesses. U.S. public opinion surveys show consistent and growing approval of the new engagement policies. The coming year represents a critical opportunity for meaningful advancement of these objectives. Removing statutory limits on travel and trade will require Congressional action. However, within the finite time remaining, continued progress in the regulatory arena represents the best strategy for resilient changes in the U.S. and Cuba as well as increasing the prospects that Congress will act. Toward that goal, we highlight the following key areas: Leading the Multi-agency EffortThe intricate nature of reforms to U.S. policy have led to a plethora of federal entities being involved, including the National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, Department of Commerce, and Department of Homeland Security. As with any sprawling regulatory effort, success is facilitated by clearly defined leadership. We encourage you to designate a senior official to coordinate and ensure progress in the various federal agencies. Completing a Bilateral Air Services AgreementWe understand that significant progress continues to be made on a bilateral air services agreement between the U.S. and Cuba. The completion of such an agreement would likely represent a defining moment in the resumption of relations. We encourage you to continue working toward a final agreement and its implementation as expeditiously as possible. Streamlining People-to-People TravelWe support efforts to ease restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba and appreciate the steps that have been taken to do that. However, as we indicated in our letter of October 7, 2015, people-to-people travel and education travel not specifically related to academic study continue to require sponsorship by a travel service provider. We encourage you to permit Americans to engage in people-to-people travel on an individual basis as they can to every other country in the world. Advancing the Exports of U.S. GoodsThe new exports authorized by U.S. regulations tools and equipment for private farm producers, goods for the private sector, and private home construction materials have yet to reach significant levels. Unfortunately, one culprit is U.S. regulations, which require that goods be sold directly to individual Cuban buyers. This direct-to-consumer arrangement is impractical given the Cuban publics low access to the Internet, difficulties in making payments, and potentially onerous and impracticable end-user verification. We encourage you to explore practical alternatives that would allow U.S. exporters to use existing commercial channels that now give Cubans access to goods from other permissible U.S. exports such as agricultural products. In addition, we encourage a continued review of the range of consumer products that are available for permissible export to the island. Expanding Exportation of U.S. ServicesThe Cuban government has been forced by circumstance to open the islands economy to a burgeoning class of Cuban entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will be critical players in establishing and reinforcing a civil society in Cuba that has genuine economic power that can compel freedom from and accountability of their government. We encourage you to allow those in the U.S. to engage in transactions linked to providing critical services that can benefit these fledgling private enterprises, such as legal, financial, management, and planning services. Facilitating Financial TransactionsU.S. financial institutions are reportedly shying away from the small, incipient market in Cuba due to perceived compliance risks. Current U.S. regulations complicate permissible transactions involving Americans and block the movement of Cubas own financial assets in transactions that have no connection to the United States except the clearance of payments through a U.S. bank. Among other impacts, the result is an increase in the cost of doing business by U.S. interests and the narrowing of U.S. financial institutions willing to do business in Cuba. For this reason, in spite of the regulatory changes, there has been almost no progress in banking relations and credit card payments and there is a continued financial environment that stymies progress toward engagement. We encourage you to move swiftly to remove unnecessary and unproductive financial regulations that appear incompatible with expanded travel and the development of commercial relations. Working to Settle ClaimsWe are pleased that negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba have begun on certified claims. It is likely that the resolution to the claims issue will require creative solutions. For example, the administration has the authority to license transactions by Americans in the context of the resolution of their claims and could indicate a favorable disposition to market-based solutions for claimants interested in pursuing them. There is also the potential for making the bilateral negotiation easier by reducing the number of U.S. claimants by revoking the prohibition on the sale of claims to third-parties. We encourage you to explore all options for facilitating a successful resolution to certified claims. The development of expansive travel and trade relations between the U.S. and Cuba has the potential to create circumstances in both countries that will make changes to U.S. policy irreversible, improve the lives of the Cuban people, and provide genuine opportunities to address human rights issues. Under current conditions, doing so will necessarily require overcoming 50 years of regulatory inertia. We look forward to working with you at the earliest opportunity to do just that. Sincerely, JEFF FLAKE United States Senator PATRICK LEAHY United States Senator cc: The Honorable John Kerry, Secretary, Department of State The Honorable Susan Rice, National Security Advisor The Honorable Jack Lew, Secretary, Department of the Treasury The Honorable Penny Pritzker, Secretary, Department of Commerce The Honorable Anthony Foxx, Secretary, Department of Transportation Background: Last Dec., Flake and Leahy were among a group of U.S. officials to travel to Cuba and pick up Alan Gross, a U.S. Agency for International Development contractor, who had been imprisoned in Cuba for more than five years. Shortly after the trip to Cuba, Flake led a coalition of seven Republican senators to send a letter to the president expressing their commitment to work to expand trade and travel between the U.S. and Cuba. In Jan., Flake led a bipartisan coalition including Leahy and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) to introduce S. 299, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act. The bipartisan bill would end restrictions in laws enacted in 1996 and 2000 on travel by American citizens and legal residents to Cuba restrictions that do not exist for travel by Americans to any other country in the world. The bill would also end restrictions on related transactions incident to such travel, such as banking transactions. U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) introduced a companion bill in the House. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=8608b9ad-28dc-46c1-b3cd-d90c13ce998e,FLOOR STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON OMNIBUS MEASURE LIFTING RESTRICTIONS ON RUSSIAN ROCKET ENGINES,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following statement on the Senate floor today on the inclusion of a provision in the omnibus spending bill that would end restrictions advanced by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 on the use of Russian-made rocket engines: Madam President, I ask that all of the documents cited in my remarks be included in the record. I rise to call attention to the triumph of pork barrel parochialism in this years Omnibus Appropriations Billin particular, a policy provision that was airdropped into this bill, in direct contravention to the National Defense Authorization Act, which will have U.S. taxpayers subsidize Russian aggression and comrade capitalism. Nearly two years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin, furious that the Ukrainian people had ousted a pro-Moscow stooge, invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. It was the first time since the days of Hitler and Stalin that brute force had been projected across an internationally-recognized border to dismember a sovereign state on the European continent. More than 8,000 people have died in this conflict, including 298 innocent people aboard Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, who were murdered by Vladimir Putins loyal supporters with weapons he supplied them. Putins imperialist campaign in Eastern Europe forced a recognition, for anyone who was not yet convinced, that we are confronting a challenge that many had assumed was resigned to the history books: a strong, militarily-capable Russian government that is hostile to our interests and our values, and seeks to challenge the international order that American leaders of both parties have sought to maintain since the end of World War II. Thats why the Congress imposed tough sanctions against Russia, especially against Putins cronies and their enormous, and enormously corrupt, business empire. As part of that effort, Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which restricted the Air Force from using Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines for national security space launchesengines that are manufactured by a Russian company controlled by some of Putins top cronies. We did so not only because our nation should not rely on Russia to access space, but because it is simply immoral to help subsidize Russias intervention in Ukraine and line the pockets of Putins gang of thugs who profit from the sale of Russian rocket engines. Last years NDAA exempted the five of engines United Launch Alliance (ULA) purchased before the invasion of Ukraine. This allowed ULA, the space launch company that for years has enjoyed a monopoly on launching military satellites, to use those Russian rocket engines if the Secretary of Defense determined it was necessitated by national security. Since the passage of the FY15 NDAA in the Senate, 89 to 11, Russia has continued to destabilize Ukraine and menace our NATO allies in Europe with aggressive military behavior. Putin has sent advanced weapons to Iran and violated the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Force Treaty. Now, in a profound echo of the Cold War, Russia has intervened militarily in Syria on behalf of the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad. Clearly, Russian behavior has only gotten worse. That is why, just a few weeks ago, Congress acted again, and passed the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA authorized $300 million dollars in security assistance and intelligence support for Ukraine to resist Russian aggression. At the same time, the bill recognized that a small number of Russian engines could be needed to maintain competition in the national security space launch program and facilitate a smooth transition to rockets with U.S. made engines. Therefore the legislation allowed ULA to use a total of nine Russian engines. The FY16 NDAA, including its provision limiting the use of Russian rocket engines, was debated for months. The Committee on Armed Services had a vigorous debate over this important issue. An amendment was offered to maintain the restriction on the Air Forces use of Russian rocket engines, and in a positive vote of the Committee, the amendment was adopted. We then considered hundreds of amendments to this defense authorization bill on the Senate floor over a period of two weeks, and did so transparently and with an open amendment process that was a credit to the Majority Leader. There was not one amendment called up to change the provision of the NDAA concerning RD-180 rocket engines. The legislation passed with 71 votes. Then, because of a misguided presidential veto, this defense legislation was actually considered a second time on the floor of the Senate, and this time it passed 91 to 3. Here is my point: The Senate had this debate. We had ample time and opportunity to have this debate. And through months of this fulsome debate, no Senator came to the Senate floor to make the case that we need to buy more Russian rocket engines. No Senator introduced an amendment on the floor to lift the restriction on buying more Russian rocket engines. To the contrary, the Senate and the full Congress voted, overwhelmingly and repeatedly, to maintain this restriction. This is a policy issue, and it was resolved, as it should be, on the defense policy bill. And yet, here we stand with a 2000-page omnibus appropriations bill, crafted in secret with no debate, which most of us are seeing for the first time this morning. And buried within it is a policy provision that would effectively allow unlimited purchases and use of Russian rocket engines. What is going on here? ULA wants more Russian engines. Plain and simple. Thats why ULA recently asked the Defense Department to waive the NDAAs restriction on the basis of national security and let it use a Russian engine for the first competitive national security space launch. The Defense Department declined. So, what did ULA do when it didnt get its way? It manufactured a crisis. Though the Department of Defense is restricted in using these Russian rocket engines, there is no similar restriction on NASA or commercial space launches. So ULA rushed to assign the RD-180s that it had in its inventory to these non-national security launches, despite the fact that there is no restriction on the use of Russian engines for those launches. This artificial crisis has now been seized on by ULAs Capitol Hill leading sponsors, namely the senior Senator from Alabama, Senator Shelby, and the senior Senator from Illinois, Senator Durbin, to overturn the NDAAs restriction. And that is exactly what theyve doneagain, secretly, non-transparently, as part of this massive Omnibus Appropriations bill. As I said, neither Senator Shelby nor Senator Durbin, nor any other Senator, raised objections to the provisions of the NDAA or offered any alternatives during the authorization process on the Senate floor. In fact, as I have said, when this issue was debated and voted on in the Committee on Armed Services, the authorizing committee of jurisdiction voted in favor of maintaining the restriction. Instead, my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee crafted a provision in secret with no debate to overturn the will of the Senate as expressed in two National Defense Authorization Acts. And the result will enable a monopolistic corporation to send potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to Vladimir Putin and his corrupt cronies and deepen Americas reliance on these thugs for our militarys access to space. This is outrageous. And it is shameful. And it is the height of hypocrisy, especially for my colleagues who claim to care about the plight of Ukraine and the need to punish Russia for its aggression. How can our government tell European governments that they need to hold the line on maintaining sanctions on Russia, which is far harder for them to do than us, when we are gutting our own policy in this way? How can we tell our French allies, in particular, that they should not sell Vladimir Putin amphibious assault ships, as we have, and then turn around and try to buy rocket engines from Putins cronies? Again, this is the height of hypocrisy. Since March 2014, my colleagues and I in the in Senate have tried to do everything we can to give our friends in Ukraine the tools they need to defend themselves and their country from Russian aggression. Rather than furthering that noble cause, Senator Shelby and Senator Durbin have chosen to reward Vladimir Putin and his cronies with a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars. A rocket factory in Alabama may benefit from this provision. Boeing, headquartered in Illinois, may benefit from this decision. But have no doubt, the real winners today are Vladimir Putin and his gang of thugs running the Russian military-industrial complex. I wish that Senators Shelby and Durbin would explain to the American taxpayer exactly who we are doing business with. They wont. But my colleagues need to know. So let me explain. At least one news organization has investigated how much the Air Force pays for these RD-180 rocket engines, how much the Russians receive, and whether members of the elite in Putins Russia have secretly profited by inflating the price. In an investigative series entitled, Comrade Capitalism, Reuters exposed the role that senior Russian politicians and Putins close friends, including persons sanctioned over Ukraine, have played in a company called NPO Energomash, which manufactures the RD-180. According to Reuters, a Russian audit of that company found that it had been operating at a loss because funds were being captured by unnamed offshore intermediary companies. In addition, the Reuters investigation also reported that NPO Energomash sells its rocket engines to ULA through another company called RD Amross, a tiny five-person outfit that stood to collect about $93 million in cost mark-ups under a multiyear deal to supply these engines. The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) found that in one contract alone, RD Amross did no or negligible work but still collected $80 million in unallowable excessive pass-through charges. According to University of Baltimore School of Law Professor Charles Tiefer, who reviewed Reuters documents, The bottom line is that the joint venture between the Russians and Americans is taking us to the cleaners. He said that he had reviewed Pentagon audits critical of Iraq War contracts, but those didnt come anywhere near to how strongly negative the RD Amross audit was. We must do better than this, and we can. Now some may say we need to buy rocket engines from Putins cronies in Russia. In particular, they will cite a letter from the Department of Defense in response to a list of leading questions form the Appropriations Committee just a few days ago, which they will claim as confirmation that the Department believes that the United States will not have a domestically-manufactured replacement engine for defense space launches before 2022. Nonsense. When the Department of Defense starts making predictions beyond its five-year budget plan, what I hear is, this isnt a priority. Or, we dont really know. Either way, this is unacceptable. Both the authorizers and the appropriators have ramped-up funding for the development of a new domestically-manufactured engine. The Pentagon needs to do what it has failed to do for eight years: Make this a priority. Indeed, American companies have already said that they could have a replacement engine ready before 2022. Our money and attention should be focused on meeting this goal, not subsidizing Putins defense industry. Proponents of more Russian rocket engines will also say cite claims by the Air Force that ULA needs a least 18 RD-180 engines to create a bridge between now and 2022 when a domestically-manufactured engine comes available. This, too, is false. Today, we have two space launch providersULA and SpaceXthat, no matter what happens with the Russian RD-180, will be able to provide fully redundant capabilities with ULAs Delta IV and SpaceXs Falcon 9, and eventually, the Falcon Heavy space launch vehicles. There will be no capability gap. The Atlas V is not going anywhere anytime soon. ULA has enough Atlas Vs to get them through at least 2019, if not later. And, as I alluded to a moment ago, the Pentagon agrees that no action is required today to address a risk to assured access to space. In declining ULAs recent request for a waiver from the NDAAs restrictions, the Deputy Secretary of Defense concluded that they do not believe any immediate action is required to address the future risk of having only one source of space launch services. Indeed, in its recent letter, the Department of Defense even confirmed that ULA has enough engines to compete for each of the nine upcoming competitions and that the number they will pursue is dependent upon ULAs business management strategy. So to Senator Shelby and Senator Durbin, I would ask, what are your priorities? As we speak, Ukrainians are resisting Russian aggression and fighting to keep their country whole and free. Yet this omnibus appropriations bill will send hundreds of millions of dollars to Vladimir Putin, his cronies, and Russias military-industrial base as Russia continues to occupy Crimea and destabilize Ukraine. What kind of message does that send to Ukrainians who have been fighting and dying to protect their country? How can we do this when Putin is menacing our NATO allies in Europe? How can we do this when Russia continues to send weapons to Iran? How can we do this when Putin continues to violate the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty? How can we do this when Putin is bombing U.S.-backed forces in Syria fighting the murderous Assad regime? I understand that some constituents of Senator Shelby and Senator Durbin believe they would benefit from this provision. But as the New York Times editorial board stated earlier this year, When sanctions are necessary, the countries that impose them must be willing to pay a cost, too. After leaning on France to cancel the sale of two ships to Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, the United States can hardly insist on continuing to buy national security hardware from one of Mr. Putins cronies. I repeat, that is the opinion of the New York Times. On the record, I make this promise. If this language undermining the National Defense Authorization Act is not removed from the Omnibus, I assure my colleagues that this issue will not go unaddressed in the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. Up to this point, we have sought to manage this issue on an annual basis, and we have always maintained that, if a genuine crisis emerged, we would not compromise our national security interests in space. We have sought to be flexible and open to new information, but if this is how our efforts are repaid, then perhaps we need to look at a complete and indefinite restriction on Putins rocket engines. I take no pleasure in saying that. I believe that avoiding the year-over-year conflict over this matter between our authorizing and appropriations committees is in our nations best interest. Such back-and-forth only delays our shared desire to end our reliance on Russian technology from our space launch supply chain, while injecting instability into our national security space launch program. That instability threatens the reliable launch of our most sensitive national security satellites and the stability of the fragile industrial base that supports them. But, I simply cannot allow Senator Shelby, Senator Durbin, the Appropriations Committee, or any other member of this body to craft a take-it-or-leave-it omnibus spending bill that allows a monopolistic corporation to do business with Russian oligarchs to buy overpriced rocket engines that fund Russias belligerence in Crimea and Ukraine, its support for Assad in Syria, and its neo-imperial ambitions. I will not stand for that, and none of you should either. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=2efcf3de-c0ac-4549-a6f4-a2e3b438d78d,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON NAVY AWARDING PURPLE HEART TO VICTIMS OF CHATTANOOGA TERRORIST ATTACK,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the Navys determination to award the Purple Heart Medal to the four U.S. Marines and one sailor who were killed in the terrorist attack at the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee: I appreciate the Navys decision to award the Purple Heart Medal to the four U.S. Marines and one sailor who were tragically killed in the terrorist attack in Chattanooga. The Director of FBI, the NCIS and the president have all said that this attack was clearly an act of terrorism, and Congress gave the services the authority to present this award to all those killed or wounded under such circumstances. While we can never truly repay the sacrifice of these brave service members, this determination will ensure that our nation provides the five heroes killed in Chattanooga and their family members the recognition they deserve, while ensuring their heroic service is always remembered. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=403e052e-5e63-4d2b-943a-d31a98df97ba,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON U.S. ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN,2015-12-16,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the United States new round of arms sales to Taiwan: I strongly support the Administrations notification of a new round of arms sales to Taiwan. This decision is consistent with both the legal requirements of the Taiwan Relations Act and our national interest in helping the democratic government in Taipei preserve stability across the Taiwan Strait. The United States must continue to support the efforts of Taiwan to integrate innovative and asymmetric measures to increase cross-Strait deterrence, including the future sale of capabilities and high-end training that will help improve Taiwans air- and sea-denial capabilities. Going forward, the United States must establish a more regularized process for considering requests for arms sales to Taiwan in order to avoid extended periods in which a fear of upsetting the U.S.-China relationship may harm Taiwans defense capabilities. For its part, Taiwan will also need to work to meet its commitment to spend at least 3 percent of its annual gross domestic product on defense. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-leads-bipartisan-letter-female-gitmo-service-members,U.S. Rep. McSally Leads Bipartisan Letter On Female GITMO Service Members Policy,2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today led a bipartisan group of 43 lawmakers on a letter to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter outlining concerns that female guards could be prohibited from transporting detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The letter, which was also co-authored by U.S. Representatives Bill Shuster (R-PA), Susan Davis (D-CA), and Rick Larsen (D-WA), follows a petition by five detainees, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who have said contact with female guards violates their religious beliefs. It has come to our attention that five high value detainees at Guantanamo Bay have petitioned to permanently restrict female service members from assignments related to their detention, the lawmakers said in the letter. We believe these positions should remain open to women, regardless of the religious beliefs of the detainees. Prohibiting women from these assignments discriminates against our troops and allows the enemies of the United States to dictate the terms on which American citizens serve their countryWhile the United States should make certain allowances with respect to human rights, we must not compromise our basic principles at the behest of the very individuals who seek to destroy them. In January, a military judge ordered a temporary no touch policy for female guards at Guantanamo Bay following detainee complaints. In the letter sent today, the lawmakers seek clarification on the current policy and any changes that have been made since September 11, 2011. In your response, outline any changes that have been made to this policy since September 11, 2001. If any policy changes were to accommodate religious or cultural interests, please provide a detailed explanation of the rationale behind those changes. Finally, we impel you to ensure that female service members are not barred from continuing to serve in any capacity due to the requests of those detained for participating in terrorist attacks against the United States. The letter is endorsed by Women In International Security and the Service Womens Action Network. A PDF of the letter can be viewed HERE. The full letter text follows. December 14, 2015 The Honorable Ashton Carter Secretary of Defense U.S. Department of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, D.C. 20301 Dear Mr. Secretary, It has come to our attention that five high value detainees at Guantanamo Bay have petitioned to permanently restrict female service members from assignments related to their detention. We believe these positions should remain open to women, regardless of the religious beliefs of the detainees. Prohibiting women from these assignments discriminates against our troops and allows the enemies of the United States to dictate the terms on which American citizens serve their country. Women in uniform should not have to endure prejudice based on the convictions of enemy combatants, and male soldiers should not be forced to fill these deployments at a higher rate than necessary as a result. Women have served at Guantanamo Bay since the arrival of the first detainees from Afghanistan in 2002. They have demonstrated the same commitment to their duties as their male counterparts, and numerous other changes have already been made to accommodate the religious beliefs of those currently held at Guantanamo. While the United States should make certain allowances with respect to human rights, we must not compromise our basic principles at the behest of the very individuals who seek to destroy them. This case exemplifies the continued manipulation of our system to benefit terrorists directly responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent Americans. One of the five detainees, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is the infamous mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. He was Al Qaedas chief propagandist, and continues to support that role through his legal actions at Guantanamo. Attempts to impose Mr. Mohammeds interpretation of religious law on Americas men and women in uniform must be unequivocally denied. We ask that you provide Congress with the current policy regarding assignments surrounding detainees at Guantanamo Bay. In your response, outline any changes that have been made to this policy since September 11, 2001. If any policy changes were to accommodate religious or cultural interests, please provide a detailed explanation of the rationale behind those changes. Finally, we impel you to ensure that female service members are not barred from continuing to serve in any capacity due to the requests of those detained for participating in terrorist attacks against the United States. Our policies reflect our values. We cannot allow our values to be compromised by prohibiting female soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen from certain assignments due to the objections of our enemies. We value all that our women in uniform do and have done to keep our nation safe, and must stand by our principles in this war of ideas.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=4a225573-581d-4f3c-b9e1-e8e6dd132dfb,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING TO CONSIDER CIVILIAN NOMINATIONS,2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing to consider the nominations of Patrick Murphy to be Under Secretary of the Army; Dr. Janine Davidson to be Under Secretary of the Navy, and Lisa Disbrow to be Under Secretary of the Air Force: We welcome all of our nominees here this morning, as well as members of your families. As is our tradition, at the beginning of your testimony, we welcome you to introduce any members of your family joining you today. Mr. Murphy, you served as Congressman for the 8th District of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2011. You served in the United States Army, as a judge advocate. While on active duty you served as a military instructor at West Point. You returned to West Point as a member of the Board of Visitors. If confirmed you would serve as Under Secretary of the Army. Dr. Davidson, you also served in the military as an Air Force officer and pilot. You have previously served in assignments in the Department of Defense as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans, and as Director for Stability Operations Capabilities. If confirmed, you would serve as Under Secretary of the Navy. Mrs. Disbrow, you currently serve as Acting Under Secretary of the Air Force, having served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller since July 2014. Ms. Disbrow, you also served our Nation in uniform as a colonel in the Air Force. If confirmed, you would serve as Under Secretary of the Air Force. This committee honors your military service and your continued willingness to serve our Nation. Each of you, if confirmed, will begin your service as under secretaries of the military departments with less than a year remaining in this administration. Some might ask what positive impact you could possibly have in those positions during such an abbreviated term. If confirmed, I encourage you to defy those who believe they can simply wait you out. I challenge each of you to be impatient, yet prudent as you undertake your important responsibilities. The next year will be a sprint, not a marathon. There is much work to be done and not a minute to be wasted. Among the most critical of your duties, if confirmed, is to serve as the chief management officer of a military department. You will have the leading role within your respective service to develop a comprehensive business enterprise architecture and transition plan to guide the development of its business systems and processes during a time of severe fiscal restraint, in one of the most dangerous national security climates that this nation has ever seen. I look forward to hearing your views on how you would undertake this challenge and how your experience and leadership will enable our military departments to be ready to fight and win for our national security. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=297f2caf-afa6-4259-8d4a-0c37387546a2,SASC CHAIRMAN McCAIN STATEMENT ON DELAYED PENTAGON RESPONSE ON SOUTH CHINA SEA,2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the Pentagons delayed response to a committee request for information about U.S. freedom of navigation operations, including the October 27 operation in the South China Sea: Back in May, Secretary Carter declared that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows. But it took five embarrassing months of false starts and mixed signals before the U.S. Navy was allowed to conduct a freedom of navigation operation within 12 nautical miles of Chinas manmade land features in the South China Sea. As this operation was being reported by every major media outlet in the United States and the Asia-Pacific, Secretary Carter initially refused to confirm the operation had taken place in open testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. It was reported by the New York Times that Secretary Carter had been ordered by the White House to keep silent. The Pentagons puzzling silence about the operation led to confusion not only about what had taken place, but Americas strategic intent. Thats why I sent a short letter to Secretary Carter asking that he clarify some basic information about the operation. Five weeks later, I have yet to receive a response. Five months to conduct what should be a regular and routine operation is too long. Five weeks to respond to a simple letter is too long. Whether these delays are the result of the micromanagement of the National Security Council or the bureaucracy of the Pentagon, they are unacceptable nonetheless. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4f061ce6-5872-4f98-847a-1b616e2b81a5,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON FORMATION OF ISLAMIC COUNTERTERRORISM ALLIANCE,2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the formation of a 34-Muslim nation counterterrorism alliance: The fact that senior Administration officials were totally unaware of plans to form a counterterrorism alliance by 34 Muslim nations reflects the diminishing influence of the United States and the erosion of confidence of our closest Arab partners in Americas leadership under this Administration. This alliance is a potentially consequential development in the global fight against terrorism, and I commend Saudi Arabias leadership in bringing this group together. After years of strategic drift in the Middle East, I urge the Administration to offer its full support to this alliance and renew efforts to integrate Sunni Arab nations into a comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIL and other terrorist groups. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=57667844-aebf-40b5-8d0f-8203a5bee449,SENATOR JOHN McCAIN INTRODUCES BILL REQUIRING DHS TO REVIEW SOCIAL MEDIA & PUBLIC DATABASES IN FOREIGN BACKGROUND CHECKS,2015-12-15,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) introduced legislation today that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to search social media websites and publicly available information of prospective foreign travelers or immigrants seeking to enter the United States. The legislation follows reports that Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino attackers, passed three background checks to obtain a U.S. visa despite having made statements in support of violent Islamic extremism on social media, because DHS does not routinely review social media platforms as part of its background check process. Following the tragedy in San Bernardino, we have learned that the Obama Administration has declined to review information available on social media platforms to screen for threats from foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States, said Senator McCain. This purposeful refusal to examine publicly available information defies belief, especially as we grapple with complex technical questions to address the problem of criminals and terrorists going dark, or utilizing readily available encryption to escape court-ordered government search. It is unacceptable that Congress has to legislate on this, and that it wasnt already the Department of Homeland Securitys practice to take such commonsense steps when screening individuals entering this country. This is just the latest, unfortunate example of this Administrations refusal to proactively address very real threats to our national security. It is critical that we have the strongest policies and procedures in place for background checks that reflect the evolving security threats facing our nation. The text of the legislation is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/non-partisan-audit-confirms-latest-feat-deceit-epa-illegal-wotus-propaganda,Non-Partisan Audit Confirms Latest Feat of Deceit by the EPA: Illegal WOTUS Propaganda,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated a federal law, which prohibits lobbying by federal agencies and engaged in covert propaganda in order to promote its Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation: Todays report by GAO confirms that the EPA, with the help of Administrator Gina McCarthy, has pulled off a hat trick of lawlessness in order to force WOTUS down the throats of the American people. This includes illegally publishing propaganda violating federal law in order to mandate an unconstitutional federal water grabwhich in turn, Administrator McCarthy committed perjury before Congress and lied about WOTUS to the American public. Despite this rare feat of deceit, this behavior has become the status quo for an Obama Administration that has blatantly disregarded the rule of law to enact its partisan agenda. The EPA has solidified itself as a rogue wing of Obamas far-left army of environmental extremists. This dangerous precedent of executive overreach must be stopped by Congress. I call on my colleagues to support my efforts to block all funding for the new WOTUS regulation in the Omnibus spending bill and send a message to the Obama Administration that no one, not even the president, is above the rule of law. Background The full text of todays GAO report can be found HERE. Courtesy of The Hill: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said a pair of social media campaigns by the EPA in support of its waters of the United States rule broke laws that prohibit federal agencies from promoting or lobbying for their own actions. GAO faulted the EPA for using Thunderclap, a social media amplification tool, to recruit hundreds of Twitter users to tweet in support of the rule. It also said the EPA broke the law with a blog post that linked to two environmental groups pages urging readers to contact members of Congress to oppose legislation. From Rep. Gosars office: WOTUS is a job-killing, overreaching new regulation that would be a dream killer for future generations and result in significant job losses as well as considerable harm to our economy. This terribly flawed Washington mandate contradicts prior Supreme Court decisions and seeks to expand agency control over 60% of our countrys streams as well as millions of acres of wetlands that were previously non-jurisdictional. On March 25, 2014, the EPA and the Corps released a proposed rule that would assert Clean Water Act jurisdiction over nearly all areas with even the slightest of connections to water resources, including man-made conveyances. On May 1, 2014, Congressman Gosar and 230 of his colleagues sent a letter to Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the EPA, and John M. McHugh, Secretary of the Army, urging them to withdraw the proposed rule. The full text of that letter can be foundHERE. On January 28, 2015, Congressman Gosar introduced H.R. 594, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act. This legislation has the support of 185 bipartisan cosponsors. ClickHEREto read more about the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act. On May 12, 2015, the House passed H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act, by a vote of 261-155. This critical legislation requires the EPA and Corps of Engineers to formally withdraw the agencies proposed rule that would redefine WOTUS and any subsequent final rule. Congressman Gosar joined theChairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Bill Shusterin introducing this bill. ClickHEREto read more. Congressman Gosar has alsoinserted funding ridersinto appropriations bills,blocked a democrat amendmentthat tried to strip one of his WOTUS riders and voted at least five different timesfor legislation that has passed the House to block WOTUS. In July 2015, heberated EPA Administrator Gina McCarthyand submitted revelatory evidence into the Congressional Record from senior Army Corps of Engineer employees which expressed serious legal and scientific deficiencies with the final draft of the WOTUS rule. More than 200 organizations and local municipalities have publicly declared their opposition to the proposed WOTUS rule. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1474,Non-Partisan Audit Confirms Latest Feat of Deceit by the EPA: Illegal WOTUS Propaganda,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated a federal law, which prohibits lobbying by federal agencies and engaged in covert propaganda in order to promote its Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation: Today's report by GAO confirms that the EPA, with the help of Administrator Gina McCarthy, has pulled off a hat trick of lawlessness in order to force WOTUS down the throats of the American people. This includes illegally publishing propaganda violating federal law in order to mandate an unconstitutional federal water grabwhich in turn, Administrator McCarthy committed perjury before Congress and lied about WOTUS to the American public. Despite this rare feat of deceit, this behavior has become the status quo for an Obama Administration that has blatantly disregarded the rule of law to enact its partisan agenda. The EPA has solidified itself as a rogue wing of Obama's far-left army of environmental extremists. This dangerous precedent of executive overreach must be stopped by Congress. I call on my colleagues to support my efforts to block all funding for the new WOTUS regulation in the Omnibus spending bill and send a message to the Obama Administration that no one, not even the president, is above the rule of law. Background The full text of today's GAO report can be found HERE. Courtesy of The Hill: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said a pair of social media campaigns by the EPA in support of its waters of the United States' rule broke laws that prohibit federal agencies from promoting or lobbying for their own actions. GAO faulted the EPA for using Thunderclap, a social media amplification tool, to recruit hundreds of Twitter users to tweet in support of the rule. It also said the EPA broke the law with a blog post that linked to two environmental groups' pages urging readers to contact members of Congress to oppose legislation. From Rep. Gosar's office: WOTUS is a job-killing, overreaching new regulation that would be a dream killer for future generations and result in significant job losses as well as considerable harm to our economy. This terribly flawed Washington mandate contradicts prior Supreme Court decisions and seeks to expand agency control over 60% of our country's streams as well as millions of acres of wetlands that were previously non-jurisdictional. On March 25, 2014, the EPA and the Corps released a proposed rule that would assert Clean Water Act jurisdiction over nearly all areas with even the slightest of connections to water resources, including man-made conveyances. On May 1, 2014, Congressman Gosar and 230 of his colleagues sent a letter to Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the EPA, and John M. McHugh, Secretary of the Army, urging them to withdraw the proposed rule. The full text of that letter can be foundHERE. On January 28, 2015, Congressman Gosar introduced H.R. 594, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act. This legislation has the support of 185 bipartisan cosponsors. ClickHEREto read more about the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act. On May 12, 2015, the House passed H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act, by a vote of 261-155. This critical legislation requires the EPA and Corps of Engineers to formally withdraw the agencies' proposed rule that would redefine WOTUS and any subsequent final rule. Congressman Gosar joined theChairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Bill Shusterin introducing this bill. ClickHEREto read more. Congressman Gosar has alsoinserted funding ridersinto appropriations bills,blocked a democrat amendmentthat tried to strip one of his WOTUS riders and voted at least five different timesfor legislation that has passed the House to block WOTUS. In July 2015, heberated EPA Administrator Gina McCarthyand submitted revelatory evidence into the Congressional Record from senior Army Corps of Engineer employees which expressed serious legal and scientific deficiencies with the final draft of the WOTUS rule. More than 200 organizations and local municipalities have publicly declared their opposition to the proposed WOTUS rule. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/editorials/us-rep-mcsally-washington-times-how-defeat-isis,U.S. Rep. McSally in Washington Times: How to defeat ISIS,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"By Martha McSally and Will Hurd and John Katko On December 2, 14 people were murdered and 21 injured in San Bernardino, California, in the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001. The investigation is ongoing, but it is clear the perpetrators were inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq andSyria(ISIS). This comes on the heels of a string of major ISIS operations. Indeed, the world witnessed three ISIS terrorist attacks on three continents in just three weeks, including the massacre on the streets of Paris, brutal attacks in Lebanon and the downing of a Russian jet in Egypt the first successful terrorist attack on an airline since 9/11. Each of us has fought violent Islamist extremism or worked to keep our country safe before coming to Congress at the Justice Department, CIA and in the military. We dealt with al Qaeda and became familiar with its hierarchical structure and desire to conduct large-scale attacks. ISIS is different. It has the same ideology and desire to destroy us and our way of life, but has metastasized into a new form, one that is effective, ubiquitous and dangerous. And when it comes to large versus small-scale attacks, ISIS is interested in all of the above. We say this not to invoke fear, but to instill vigilance. We are in a generational fight for our nation, interests, allies and freedoms. ISIS declared its caliphate in Iraq andSyria17 months ago. Since then, the Obama administrations anemic airstrikes have done little to eliminate their leadership, or destroy command and control, logistics, and flow of resources to fund their operations. As a result of our hesitation, ISIS has flourished. They now have a growing presence in 19 different countries. Over 30,000 foreign fighters from 100 different nations have traveled to Iraq andSyriato join the fight or receive training. 5,000 of these foreign fighters come from Western and visa waiver countries and 250 are Americans. This is just what we know. Intelligence officials have admitted that there are probably many more. ISIS takes advantage of social media to recruit, train, direct and inspire terrorists all over the world. There are an estimated 200,000 pro-ISIS tweets a day, pushing out the groups insidious message, searching for new enthusiasts, and celebrating their momentum. This reliance on social media, and other forms of communications, presents new opportunities, but also creates challenges when it comes to tracking and targeting those who seek to do us harm. Their vision is to inspire jihadists worldwide to commit terrorist acts in their own communities. The attacks in Garland, Texas, Chattanooga, Tennessee and now San Bernardino, California, highlight the challenges law enforcement have to keep up with this pervasive threat. It is already difficult to monitor all of the terror suspects on our radar screen, but an even more dangerous threat comes from those who have quietly radicalized before law enforcement can take notice. To read the full op-ed, click HERE.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-we-need-leadership,U.S. Rep. McSally: We need leadership,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"TUCSON U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after the Presidents address on ISIS at the Pentagon. People I speak with in Southern Arizona are rightfully concerned with the Administrations slow and reluctant approach to ISIS. We have been missing leadership with resolve, and still lack a bold, aggressive strategy to take out ISISs critical capabilities, put them on their heels, and keep Americans safe. ISIS declared a Caliphate 18 months ago, and last week before the House Armed Services Committee, the Secretary of Defense admitted that meetings with the State Department and Pentagon to coordinate efforts began only months ago. ISIS has been bringing in at least $1 million a day from black market oil sales to fund their global terrorist operations, yet we have just now started hitting their oil trucks a few weeks ago. Last week, I participated in a two hour classified discussion with Pentagon officials about the Command and Control and Rules of Engagement. Their responses only validated my concerns of a weak and ineffective military approach. I have been calling on the Administration to completely revamp its military strategy and hoped President Obama's visit to the Pentagon today was the start of something new. Unfortunately, we heard about the same failed tactics, just used more frequently, with the same detached tone from the president. Ill continue to work in Congress to call for a stronger approach and put forward solutions that will address our security vulnerabilities, but Congress cannot do it alone. We need presidential leadership, and were just not seeing it.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=f588d42e-d21d-43cb-8d99-b7560e214e06,"Flake, McCain, and Sullivan Host Field Hearing in AZ on VA Choice Card, Management, and Accountability at Phoenix VA",2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Airz.) today joined U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, at a field hearing at the Gilbert Town Hall in Gilbert, Ariz. today titled,Keeping the Promise for Arizona Veterans: The VA Choice Card, Management and Accountability at the Phoenix VA Medical Center.The hearing was the third in a series of committee hearings being hosted in cities around the country on the implementation of the Choice Card program, as well as wait-times and quality of care at the VA. The field hearing featured two panels of testimony. The first panel includedDr. Katherine Mitchell, a former Phoenix VA Medical Center employee and one of the first people to come forward with evidence that VA bureaucrats were manipulating data and wait-times as veterans died waiting for care. During her testimony, Dr. Mitchell detailed serious problems that still exist at the Phoenix VA Emergency Department, where ill patients are not getting the timely health care they need, resulting in potentially life-threatening delays in care. When Senator McCain asked Dr. Mitchell if she would visit the Phoenix VA emergency room to receive emergency care for herself, Dr. Mitchells answer was no. Chuck Byers, a Vietnam veteran who has successfully used the Choice Card to get the care he needs, also testified on the first panel. Byers explained that the Choice Card has enabled him to receive treatment from an outside doctor for a condition that the VA could not treat in a timely manner. Byers also explained, however, that there are still barriers to using the Choice Card. For example, he said, there are many veterans who do not qualify for the Choice Card because they live within 40 miles of a VA health care facility, even though those facilities do not provide the type of care that these veterans need. Finally,Nicole Morris, a Navy veteran and single mother, detailed her experience waiting for two days in the Phoenix VA emergency room to receive ultimately poor care. Because of this experience and other experiences being denied timely care at the VA, Morris pays out-of-pocket to get care from the private sector. The second panel featured VA officials who testified about the current state of management and accountability at the Phoenix VA, includingDr. David J. Shulkin, under secretary for health for the VA; Dr. Thomas Lynch, assistant deputy under secretary for VA Health Clinical Operations; and Ms. Kathleen Fogarty, Interim Director, VISN 18: Southwest Health Care Network.David McIntyre, president and chief executive officer of TriWest Healthcare, also testified about progress being made to connect veterans with private sector doctors through the Choice Card program. Despite some improvement within the VA, I remain concerned that the tools provided by Congress to address the agencys persistent problems especially the Choice Card are not being put to full use,said Flake. Oversight hearings such as this are invaluable in Congress ongoing effort to hold the VA accountable for its past failures while also ensuring that our veterans are finally receiving the quality healthcare they deserve. Todays field hearing underscores that the VA has a long way to go to fully reform and provide our veterans the timely, quality care they deserve,said McCain.More than a year after VA reform legislation was signed into law, we are still seeing unacceptable wait-times at the Phoenix VA and barriers to veterans using the Choice Card to receive care from the doctors of their choice. It should be our nations highest priority to restore veterans trust in the VA health care system and provide them with the flexibility in health care they want and need. We will not rest until the VA finally delivers our veterans the best quality care they have earned. Chairing today's field hearing reinforced two important themes,said Sullivan. First, we need to do more for our veterans. Secondly, we need to pick up the pace. From Alaska to Arizona, from Georgia to D.C., the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee has heard from frustrated veterans who are tired of waiting and tired of receiving poor quality of care. In spite of a sequestered budget environment, Congress has given billions to the VA to fix what's wrong and to fix it immediately. It's time for the VA to finally get things right. Our veterans have waited long enough.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=8b0e3239-622b-46f1-9f08-795a346cec97,"OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN AT FIELD HEARING IN GILBERT, ARIZONA ON VA CHOICE CARD, MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY AT PHOENIX VA",2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the following opening statement at a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs field hearing in Gilbert, Arizona titled, Keeping the Promise for Arizona Veterans: The VA Choice Card, Management and Accountability at the Phoenix VA Medical Center: Thank you. I greatly appreciate Senator Sullivan from the great state of Alaska being here to chair this field hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee today. Senator Sullivan is a proud Marine and, despite his short tenure in the Senate, has worked tirelessly over the past year to improve our nations security and to fight for those who have served in uniform. Veterans of this country are fortunate to have Senator Sullivan advocating on their behalf. I also want to thank the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Johnny Isakson from Georgia, who is unable to be with us today. He and the Veterans Affairs committee have made enormous progress in reforming and overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is actually the third field hearing that the committee has undertaken to examine how veterans are using and, in some cases, how the VA is not helping them use, the VA Choice Card to get the health care they need. I also am very grateful to the City of Gilbert for hosting us in this facility. Being here is very helpful to our having a full discussion the challenges and obstacles to true reform that still remain at the VA. I would like to take this time to recognize and thank them for their support of veterans through their various programs such as Operation Welcome Home and support of homeless veterans through the Homeless Veterans East Valley Partnership. Also, I want to congratulate Gilbert was also recognized this year as being in the Top 5 Best Cities in the United States for Veterans. I will never forget the town hall forum I hosted in Phoenix where I heard directly from the families of four veterans who passed away in recent months. They came and stood before a crowded room to tell their stories. With tears in their eyes, they described how their loved ones suffered because they were not provided the care they needed and deserved. They recalled countless unanswered phone calls and ignored messages, endless wait times and delays, mountains of bureaucratic red tape, while their loved ones, those who selflessly served their country, experienced, painful, debilitating, and ultimately fatal conditions. No one should be treated this way in a country as great as ours. But to ignore the pleas for help and care from those who have sacrificed on behalf of the United States is unconscionable. And we should all be ashamed. The scandal at Phoenix then led to revelations of similar problems at other VA medical centers around the country where bureaucrats were gaming the system to get better bonuses by denying care to our veterans. This tragedy created a crisis of confidence toward the VA, the federal agency that was established to care for them. Congress responded quickly and in a bipartisan manner to this crisis. In a matter of weeks, the House and the Senate passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. This bill provided an unprecedented $15 billion in immediate, emergency appropriations that was added on the Veteran Health Administrations regular annual budget of about $60 billion to hire more doctors and nurses and to issue the VA Choice Card for those veterans who could not get into a VA for their health care. The bill also gave the VA direct hiring authority so that all of the cumbersome rules and regulations for bringing on board new federal employees would be waived to fill the vacancies. We will discuss more about the budget and resources provided to the VA in the next panel. Congress also provided the Secretary of the VA with nearly unprecedented ability to terminate senior executives who fail to care for our veterans. No other Cabinet official has this powerful tool to ensure performance and results from his departments top officials. I continue to be disappointed that Secretary McDonald has not used this authority to its fullest extent. As I have said, it is past time for accountability, and leadership at the VA. With this in mind, I especially want to thank our three witnesses who are here today on our first panel: First is Dr. Katherine Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell is a former employee of the Phoenix VA Medical Center and a whistleblower. When she raised critical issues regarding quality care for veterans and scheduling of appointments, she was rewarded by the VA by being reassigned and threatened with the termination of her job. She was one of the first to come forward regarding the wait-list scandal and the manipulation of data that was being done in order for VA bureaucrats to score higher bonuses, while veterans languished awaiting necessary medical care. Thanks to Dr. Mitchells willingness to step forward and share the details this scandal, I believe many others were motivated to also come forward to tell their stories of retaliation and lack of care of veterans at the VA. We are, unfortunately, discovering more examples of mismanagement of the VA while we work to improve the current situation with health care at the VA. Mr. Charles Chuck Byers is a Vietnam veteran himself and an advocate for veterans here in Phoenix. His ability to receive care through the Choice program is a success; he is able to see the doctors he needs to get the care he needs when he needs it. Recognizing that theres always room for improvement, we want to hear what is working for veterans with the VA Choice Card as we seek to reform it. Finally, today we have Ms. Nicole Morris who is a Navy veteran and single mother. While Ms. Morris is entitled to health care through the VA, she pays out-of-pocket to get the care she needs from the private sector just because the VA simply cannot meet her health needs in a timely manner. Her experience is far too common. Were here to help her and other veterans like her finally get the benefits we envisioned when Congress passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act last year. As I am sure everyone in this room agrees, we owe a solemn debt to those in uniform who fought on our behalf in faraway places. They have sacrificed and suffered for their service and bear wounds they will never completely recover from and we can never fully compensate them for. But we can and must care for the injuries they suffered on our behalf. I do want to make a brief comment on the make-up of our second panel today, which will consist of VA witnesses, as there has been a last-minute change. Late Friday afternoon, my staff was informed that the VA determined that a senior manager at the Phoenix VA, who was originally due to testify today, retaliated against a VA whistleblower. In light of this recent information, he will not be testifying this morning while we determine what has occurred with this case. Needless to say, I take the issue of whistleblower retaliation at the VA very seriously and have been discussing the matter with Secretary McDonald, especially in light of concerns about systemic problems that the Office of Special Counsel raised directly with the president a few months ago. After todays hearing, I am sending a letter to Secretary McDonald to find out exactly what occurred in the retaliation case we were just made aware of and how it was handled. With that in mind, we have a number of issues to cover that more broadly impact Arizona veterans and many of the veterans who are here today to tell us about their experiences. Today, I'll be focusing on the Choice Card's implementation and continuing problems with excessive wait times that our veterans are encountering. For the 9 million American veterans enrolled in the VA today, and for the families who lost loved ones awaiting care that never came and still grieving their losses, it's time we live up to the VAs mission, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan. Thank you again to our witnesses and to others here today who care about the well-being of our nations heroes. Senator McCain also submitted the following statement for the record on the hearings second panel: As we all know the Phoenix VA Health Care System was ground zero for the wait-list scandal that erupted at the VA last year. Through disclosures by whistleblowers and investigations by Congress, we learned that Phoenix maintained two separate and conflicting lists of patients waiting for care. The waitlists for VA and senior leaders showed things being fine while in reality veterans waited for years for primary care and specialty care appointments. Further, the emergency room at the Phoenix VA was continually overrun with veterans who logically attempted to receive care by emergency providers when they could not see their doctors through the normal appointment process. Of course, this put certain other veterans with life-threatening conditions at risk as the staff in the emergency room was not trained or resourced properly. The scandal last year also revealed hostile working conditions for medical providers at Phoenix and retaliation for whistleblowers. Sadly, many good doctors and nurses have already left the Phoenix VA, probably never to return. I am thankful for those quality health care providers that have stayed and for others being hired today who are accepting the challenge of working in a massive bureaucracy filled with red tape and lacking in reform and leadership from the top. These health care professionals, who clearly have opportunities elsewhere, do so out of concern for our veterans and we should recognize that. Despite the scandal and all the attention paid to Phoenix by the VA leadership, a year and a half later, we are still not seeing the improvement and reductions in wait-times we should in the wait-lists for care at the Phoenix VA. The Phoenix VA Health Care System still lags well behind the VAs national average in delayed care for primary and specialty care appointments. As you can see here, according to the VAs own numbers, the wait times have not been improving at all over the last few months. As we are currently in the busier winter season for VA facilities here in Arizona, this is likely to get worse through next year. Nationally, the statistics for wait times for veterans also appear to be flat and no longer improving. This is why we are here today because our work to repair what has been revealed about the true operations of the VA is in no way complete and we must not rest until it is. It is astounding that the wait-list scandal occurred given the massive budget that the VA has and the repeated significant increases in funding they have received since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over a decade ago. No federal agency, including the Pentagon, has seen such large and regular budget increases since 9/11. As you can see here, the Veteran Health Administration, the part of the VA responsible for health care, has tripled. The budget has tripled but the number of veterans seen at the VA has not tripled. Its only up 50% over the last 15 years. So were spending twice as much money on each veteran we still arent getting the health outcomes our veterans deserve. For years, we have been told the VA needs a bigger budget. So we gave them a bigger budget. Then in 2009 we were told that the VA needed advance appropriations for medical services so they could plan and provide seamless transition over fiscal years to veterans. So Congress gave them advance appropriations. Most federal agencies have no idea what they are going to get until after the fiscal year starts. The VA has said it needs expedited hiring authority to bring on medical providers quickly because the hiring process in the federal government is so slow and they had shortages of doctors and nurses. So we granted that authority to the VA in last years Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. Also, the VA received $15 billion in immediate and emergency appropriations given to the VA last year for medical services above and beyond their already generous budget. Included in that funding was billions for the hiring of medical providers at the VA as well as funding for the VA Choice Card which allows veterans to get care from the private sector similar to military retirees. The VA Choice Card has been a qualified success so far. David McIntyre is here representing TriWest, which is one of the two companies that is helping connect veterans with private sector doctors. Over the last year, the VA Choice Card has been used for over 600,000 private sector appointments for veterans. Here in Phoenix, over 2,000 veteran appointments were made each month through the VA Choice Card in the last three months of the fiscal year. I believe all of this points to the simplest solution: we will give disabled veterans the same health care choices and access that other Americans have. This is not a radical idea. For decades military retirees have used TRICARE to receive care from the private sector while still utilizing Military Treatment Facilities. Of course, millions of seniors are on Medicare. It is astounding to me that we have set up a system whereby people who do not serve and sacrifice for their country have better health care choices than people who do. Id be interested in hearing from the witnesses whether we as a nation should continue to go to the one group of Americans who raised their hand to take an oath to defend this country, who went and were injured from their military service, and say to them: No, you do not get to choose your own doctor or make your own medical decisions. You will accept what we give you when we decide to give it. The American people do not feel that way. So, Congress last year piloted the VA Choice Card program. Unfortunately, the pilot program was all we could get through at the time given the circumstances. The VA Choice Card program has a number of unnecessary barriers on it such as a minimum number of days that an appointment has to be delayed to a minimum number of miles you have to live from a VA facility. These restrictions only empower the bureaucrats at the cost of the veteran. It is not right but it was the best we could do under the circumstances. With that in mind, I recently introduced legislation to get rid of both of those absurd requirements. Under my bill, the VA Choice Card will be permanent and universal. Any disabled veteran enrolled at the VA and otherwise eligible for care will have the same rights and benefits as a military retiree or a senior on Medicare. The VA needs to get on board and behind this effort. As I stated earlier, the wait-list scandal caused a crisis of confidence. With a universal VA Choice Card and with further improvements in leadership and accountability, the agency created to care for veterans can start to build back the confidence and trust it has lost. I thank the witnesses for their willingness to testify and again I thank the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee for holding this important oversight hearing here in Phoenix where this scandal began. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4f500b26-bc4e-4554-a55d-f16e05536a06,"McCAIN, FLAKE & SULLIVAN HOST FIELD HEARING IN GILBERT, ARIZONA ON VA CHOICE CARD, MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY AT PHOENIX VA",2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, held a field hearing at the Gilbert Town Hall in Gilbert, Arizona today titled, Keeping the Promise for Arizona Veterans: The VA Choice Card, Management and Accountability at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. The hearing was the third in a series of committee hearings being hosted in cities around the country on the implementation of the Choice Card program, as well as wait-times and quality of care at the VA. The field hearing featured two panels of testimony. The first panel included Dr. Katherine Mitchell, a former Phoenix VA Medical Center employee and one of the first people to come forward with evidence that VA bureaucrats were manipulating data and wait-times as veterans died waiting for care. During her testimony, Dr. Mitchell detailed serious problems that still exist at the Phoenix VA Emergency Department, where ill patients are not getting the timely health care they need, resulting in potentially life-threatening delays in care. When Senator McCain asked Dr. Mitchell if she would visit the Phoenix VA emergency room to receive emergency care for herself, Dr. Mitchells answer was no. Chuck Byers, a Vietnam veteran who has successfully used the Choice Card to get the care he needs, also testified on the first panel. Byers explained that the Choice Card has enabled him to receive treatment from an outside doctor for a condition that the VA could not treat in a timely manner. Byers also explained, however, that there are still barriers to using the Choice Card. For example, he said, there are many veterans who do not qualify for the Choice Card because they live within 40 miles of a VA health care facility, even though those facilities do not provide the type of care that these veterans need. Finally, Nicole Morris, a Navy veteran and single mother, detailed her experience waiting for two days in the Phoenix VA emergency room to receive ultimately poor care. Because of this experience and other experiences being denied timely care at the VA, Morris pays out-of-pocket to get care from the private sector. The second panel featured VA officials who testified about the current state of management and accountability at the Phoenix VA, including Dr. David J. Shulkin, under secretary for health for the VA; Dr. Thomas Lynch, assistant deputy under secretary for VA Health Clinical Operations; and Ms. Kathleen Fogarty, Interim Director, VISN 18: Southwest Health Care Network. David McIntyre, president and chief executive officer of TriWest Healthcare, also testified about progress being made to connect veterans with private sector doctors through the Choice Card program. Todays field hearing underscores that the VA has a long way to go to fully reform and provide our veterans the timely, quality care they deserve, said Senator McCain. More than a year after VA reform legislation was signed into law, we are still seeing unacceptable wait-times at the Phoenix VA and barriers to veterans using the Choice Card to receive care from the doctors of their choice. It should be our nations highest priority to restore veterans trust in the VA health care system and provide them with the flexibility in health care they want and need. We will not rest until the VA finally delivers our veterans the best quality care they have earned. Despite some improvement within the VA, I remain concerned that the tools provided by Congress to address the agencys persistent problems especially the Choice Card are not being put to full use, said Senator Flake. Oversight hearings such as this are invaluable in Congress ongoing effort to hold the VA accountable for its past failures while also ensuring that our veterans are finally receiving the quality healthcare they deserve. Chairing today's field hearing reinforced two important themes, said Senator Sullivan. First, we need to do more for our veterans. Secondly, we need to pick up the pace. From Alaska to Arizona, from Georgia to D.C., the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee has heard from frustrated veterans who are tired of waiting and tired of receiving poor quality of care. In spite of a sequestered budget environment, Congress has given billions to the VA to fix what's wrong and to fix it immediately. It's time for the VA to finally get things right. Our veterans have waited long enough. Read the prepared witness testimony here. Read Senator McCains opening statement here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=796df95e-635f-46d0-85c1-56ab097bb8a5,SENATORS McCAIN & FLAKE URGE VA SECRETARY McDONALD TO ADDRESS WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION AT PHOENIX VA,2015-12-14,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald regarding a report by the VAs Office of Accountability Review (OAR) determining that a senior manager at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, who was originally due to testify at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee field hearing in Gilbert, Arizona today, retaliated against a Phoenix VA employee and whistleblower. Despite the reports findings, the senior VA manager remains in a leadership position and there is no evidence that any disciplinary action has been taken against the individual. In light of this information, the senior VA manager was asked not to testify at todays field hearing. In the letter, Senators McCain and Flake urge Secretary McDonald to remove the VA manager from his leadership position and examine other OAR reports to ensure additional executives found responsible for wrongdoing are held accountable. While preparing for today's Senate Veterans Affairs Committee's field hearing in Arizona, we were very troubled to learn that your Office of Accountability Review (OAR) conclusively found that whistleblower retaliation occurred at the Phoenix VA Health Care System and that the OAR recommended that personnel actions be taken against the manager who retaliated, write Senators McCain and Flake. However, this manager remains in a senior leadership position and does not appear to have had any disciplinary action taken in response to the OAR report. To continue restoring the trust that was broken at the Phoenix VA Health Care System and to demonstrate that retaliation against whistleblowers at the VA will not be tolerated, we believe that you must expeditiously consider removal this official from his current senior leadership position. The letter is below and here. Dear Secretary McDonald, Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created the Office of Accountability Review (OAR) to independently review allegations of misconduct relating to veteran-patient carethatcould damage the trust and confidence veterans have in the VA,including but not limited to whistleblower retaliation. The creation of this office appeared to indicate a recognition that retaliation of any kind by managers at the VA against whistleblowers alleging waste, fraud or abuse was intolerable.Retaliation against whistleblowers undermines confidence of VA employees, veterans, and their families that change has occurred at the VA. Such actions run counter to the VAs mission to care for our veterans.We were troubled to learn that this appears not to be the case according to documents from the OAR. While preparing for today's Senate Veterans Affairs Committee's field hearing in Arizona, we were very troubled to learn that your Office of Accountability Review (OAR) conclusively found that whistleblower retaliation occurred at the Phoenix VA Health Care System and that the OAR recommended that personnel actions be taken against the manager who retaliated. However, this manager remains in a senior leadership position and does not appear to have had any disciplinary action taken in response to the OAR report. To continue restoring the trust that was broken at the Phoenix VA Health Care System and to demonstrate that retaliation against whistleblowers at the VA will not be tolerated, we believe that you must expeditiously consider removal of this official from his current senior leadership position. Further, the VA will provide the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and our offices with the names of all VA officials who reviewed the OAR report on this matter and either took no action or recommended that no action be taken.Separately, by January 20, 2016, please provide our offices with a list of all similar cases where OAR affirmatively found whistleblower retaliation but no adverse action was taken against the manager who was found to have retaliated against those complainants. For each of those cases, please succinctly summarize what decisions were made regarding those complainant-whistleblowers regarding continued employment within the VA and where within the VA these managers currently work within the agency. Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter. Sincerely, John McCain Jeff Flake ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=d6a570d7-3190-471e-b62f-e5029355f0db,VIDEO: Flake Attends Service at Islamic Center of the North East Valley,2015-12-11,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and his family today attended an afternoon prayer service at the mosque of the Islamic Center of the North East Valley in Scottsdale, Ariz. A transcript of Flakes remarks is below: I want to thank the Imam and for the entire community here at the Islamic Center of the North East Valley. Thank you for this kind invitation to be here at this prayer service. This is a first for me. And thank you for allowing me bring my family as well - my two youngest sons, Tanner and Dallin, and my wife Cheryl. I was speaking to my sons, whose responsibility it is - in our church - to setup and take down chairs before and after meetings, and they say, ""this wouldn't be too bad."" Senators, as you know, are known for being able to speak as long as they want, even if they have nothing to say. I will try not to test that proposition today. As you know, this was a difficult week in Washington. It wasnt so much the legislative calendar as it was the rhetoric that came forth, mostly from the presidential campaign. That is not in keeping with the values and ideals that have made this country the shining city on the hill that it is. We are a better country than has been on display this week. Ill bet you never thought you would see a Mormon speaking in a mosque. I think this is a surprise to me too. We all know how we are different, but let me tell you a few ways that we are similar. I grew up in a very small town in Northern Arizona called Snowflake. The town of Snowflake was named for my great-great-grandfather, William Jordan Flake and a man named Erastus Snow. They were sent to Arizona by Brigham Young, the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church at that time. They were sent here to colonize. They founded the town of Snowflake where I grew up, and to say that I had a sheltered environment growing up is an understatement. Just to tell you how sheltered it was, it wasnt until I went away to college that I even found out that flake was a funny term. Nobody made fun of flakes in Snowflake. In a similar vein, most of those living in Snowflake, if they didnt share my name at least they shared my faith, my Mormon faith. It wasnt until I left home after 18, that I realized that my religion seemed strange to some of the people I encountered. Now, gratefully, while there are pockets of misunderstanding that still exist, the most overt examples of persecution for early Mormons faded into history by this time. There is, as I mentioned, much that separates Mormons and Muslims, but we do collaborate on a number of things - in helping to bring relief after natural disasters. We cooperate, our two faiths, on the translation of ancient texts, and there is much in the history and the tradition, and even some doctrine that is common between us. As Mormons and Muslims, we trace our lineage to father Abraham. While we may not agree on the divinity or the prophetic calling of Jesus and Mohamed, we all revere them as inspired teachers and leaders. Early persecution drove Mohamed from Mecca to Medina. Early Mormon persecution, drove the Mormons from Illinois to Utah. I have ancestors buried along that trail. The principle of the fast is embraced and practiced by both of our religions. My two boys there - a couple of years ago, I took them to an island in the middle of the Pacific to test our survival skills. They got more of a fast than they wanted to. But we both practice the fast in different ways, as well as the responsibility and the obligation to care for the sick and the needy. That is something that is central to both of our faiths. Muslims make the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. The Mormon hajj is to our holy temple. Because like Muslims, Mormons do not drink alcohol, our trip to the temple is usually followed by a stop at Dairy Queen. Ice cream is about all we Mormons have - I'm not sure if there's a corollary for Muslims. As it pertains to this wonderful country in which we live, I am convinced that an overwhelming majority of Muslims in America, as well as those of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and other faiths and other traditions, hold to the American ideal and the constitutional tenant of the freedom of religion. There can be no religious test for those who serve in public office. We do not tolerate religious discrimination in the workplace, or in the neighborhood. The slogan on the Statue of Liberty - give us your poor, your tired, and your huddled masses yearning to breathe free - contemplates no religious test for those who reach our shores. It is well known by those in this room, but certainly underappreciated around the country, that Muslim Americans have fought and died alongsideChristians, Jews and others in every war our nation has fought since the Revolution, including most recently, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of Muslim Americans have served proudly in our military. Making the same sacrifices as their fellow soldiers to secure our freedoms. Muslim American law enforcement officers responded to the scene in San Bernardino to ensure the perpetrators were stopped. Likewise, Muslim American emergency personal bound the wounds and provided comfort to the injured.As it was reported by the Imam - this week, Muslim Americans came together and raised, so far, more than $200,000 for the victims of that tragedy there. It was said that they wanted to replace evil with good. Everywhere around this wonderful country those of all faiths work together, fight together, rejoice together, mourn together and worship together. My mother, when I was growing up, always had on our refrigerator or elsewhere around the house the phrase, assume the good, look for the best. I think that ought be the motto for all of us. It would serve this country well for our politicians and others, to assume the best and look for the good because there is much good there. My hope and prayer today is that the isolated voices calling for division are overwhelmed by the chorus of voices like those in this room today calling for acceptance, for tolerance and inclusion. Thank you for all you do for this community. Thank you for all you do to make Arizona the most wonderful state in the union to live. Thank you for all you do to make this country the beacon of freedom that it is, that shining city on the hill that it will always be. Thank you for having me and my family here today. Video of the remarks can be viewed here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-statement-possible-expansion-rpa-missions-davis-monthan,U.S. Rep. McSally Statement on Possible Expansion of RPA Missions to Davis-Monthan,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after the Air Force announced it was considering Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as a location to house expanded remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations. Remotely piloted aircraft have drastically changed the way we fight, and theres no better base to conduct the Air Forces future RPA missions than Davis-Monthan, said Rep. McSally. DM features a robust command and control and communications infrastructure, was just named Installation of the Year for Air Combat Command, and is based in a community that supports a high quality of life for Airmen and their families. In fact, this mission already occurs here as part of the Air National Guards 214th Reconnaissance Groups RPA operations. In addition, should launch and recovery elements be a part of these new units, Southern Arizonas 300 days a year of sunshine, abundant air space, and proximity to Fort Huachuca and the Barry F. Goldwater range, along with the ability to train with other assets like A-10s and F-16s, make DM ideal for these missions. These new units could be a major boost for Southern Arizona, and we need to quickly unite as a community to show strong support to bring them here. The Air Force announced today it is developing plans to double the number of RPA flying squadrons and increase RPA manning and associated resources by 2,500-3,000 Airmen. The announcement can be read HERE.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-votes-strengthen-visa-waiver-program-protections,U.S. Rep. McSally Votes to Strengthen Visa Waiver Program Protections,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"Efforts Help Promote UA Developed Technology WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally this week voted to enhance protections for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, which addresses numerous vulnerabilities identified by Rep. McSally and her colleagues on the bipartisan Foreign Fighter Task Force, passed by bipartisan vote 407-19. The bipartisan task force I served on found many troubling findings related to gaps in the Visa Waiver Program that pose serious threats to our country, said Rep. McSally. This bill takes important steps to address these vulnerabilities including increasing checks on individuals whove recently traveled to Iraq and Syria, requiring the use of more secure e-passports, and holding countries accountable for failing to screen against terrorism databases. Todays bill also includes a provision promoting the use of technologies like those developed at the University of Arizona (UA) to aid officials in detecting deceptive behaviors of applicants. Rep. McSally has highlighted the importance of UAs deception detection technologies, AVATAR and Neuro-ScreenTM, at a Homeland Security Committee hearing and more recently by hosting a demonstration. Deception can be difficult to detect when youre interviewing an individual face to face. It is even more difficult to detect that deception in online forms, Rep. McSally said on the House floor. We must leverage technology, such as Neuro-Screen, to enhance screening programs. To watch Rep. McSally speaking on the House floor, click HERE. I appreciate Congresswoman McSallys leadership on the House Homeland Security Committee and the provision in the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, which directs the Department of Homeland Security to study opportunities for incorporating fraud detection technology in the screening process for travel authorization, said University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart. The UA also appreciates her leadership in hosting a demonstration by a UA affiliated Arizona company whose technology directly supports the goals of the provision. The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens from participating countries to travel to America for 90 days after filling out an online questionnaire, instead of having to go to a U.S. consulate to obtain a visa. Currently 38 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program. Around 5,000 Europeans are estimated to have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight with terrorist groups like ISISand many are from VWP countries.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=5c569a84-9085-4bda-80c4-6279decbd217,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MILITARY OPERATIONS,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on increasing the effectiveness of military operations: The Committee meets today to continue our series of hearings on defense reform. We have reviewed the effects of the Goldwater-Nichols reforms on our defense acquisition, management, and personnel systems. And our past few hearings have considered what most view as the essence of Goldwater-Nichols: the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the service secretaries and service chiefs, and the combatant commanders. This morning we seek to understand how Goldwater-Nichols has impacted the effectiveness of U.S. military operations and what reforms may be necessary. We are pleased to welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses who will offer insights from their many years of experience and distinguished service: General Norton Schwartz, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force and President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security; Admiral James Stavridis, former commander of U.S. European Command and U.S. Southern Command, and currently the Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; and Dr. Christopher Lamb, Deputy Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University. More than anything else, the Goldwater-Nichols Act was the result of escalating concern in the Congress and in the country about the effectiveness of U.S. military operations. The Vietnam War, the failure of the hostage rescue mission in Iran, and the flawed invasion of Grenada all pointed to deep systemic problems in our defense enterprise that needed to be addressed for the sake of both our warfighters and our national security. In particular, Goldwater-Nichols focused on ensuring the unity of command and improving the ability of our forces to operate jointly. As we have explored in previous hearings, many questions remain about the balance our military is striking between core military competencies and joint experience. But as it relates to combat effectiveness, there is no doubt, as one former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs put it, No other nation can match our ability to combine forces on the battlefield and fight jointly. The subject of todays hearing relates directly to the many steps Goldwater-Nichols took to improve the unity of command. The law made unified commanders explicitly responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense for the performance of missions and preparedness of their commands. It also removed the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the operational chain of command and prevented the services from moving forces in and out of regional commands without approval. Geographic combatant commanders were given the ability to issue authoritative direction on all aspects of operations, joint training, and logistics; internal chains of command; and personnel within their assigned areas of responsibility. These steps were effective in establishing clear lines of command authority and responsibilities that translated to a more effective fighting force than we had in the 1980s. However, thirty years later we have to take a hard look at this command structure, in light of current threats and how our model of warfighting has evolved. The United States confronts the most diverse and complex array of crises since the end of World War IIfrom rising competitors like China, revanchist powers like Russia, the growing asymmetric capabilities of nations ranging from Iran to North Korea, the persistence of radical Islamist extremism, and the emergence of new domains of warfare such as space and cyberspace. These threats cut across our regional operational structure, as embodied by geographic combatant commands. So we must ask whether the current combatant command structure best enables us to succeed in the strategic environment of the 21st century. Should we consider an alternative structures that are organized less around geography than trans-regional and functional missions? At the same time, as numerous witnesses have observed, while combatant commands were originally envisioned as the warfighting arm of the military and Department of Defense, that function has largely migrated to joint task forces, established on an ad hoc basis in response to emerging contingencies. This suggests that people have identified a shortcoming in the current design and have adopted measures to work around the system, as we see quite often. This should inform our efforts to re-evaluate and reimagine the combatant commands. At the same time, combatant commands have come to play very important peacetime diplomatic functions. Do these developments argue for changes in the structure of combatant commands? At a minimum, it would call into question the top-heavy and bloated staff structures that we see in the combatant commands. Time and time again during these hearings, we have heard how dramatic increases in civilian and military staffs have persisted even as resources available for warfighting functions are increasingly strained. As former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy pointed out earlier this week, combatant command staffs have grown to 38,000 people. That is nearly three divisions worth of staff in just the combatant commands alone. We have to ask if this is truly necessary, and whether it is improving our warfighting capabilities. At the same time, we have to examine whether there are duplicative functions in the Joint Staff, combatant commands, and subordinate commanders that can be streamlined. That includes the question of whether we really need all of the current combatant commands. For example, do we really need a NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM? Do we really need a separate AFRICOM headquartered in Germany when the vast majority of its forces reside within EUCOM? We also have to revisit the role of the Chairman and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Goldwater-Nichols strengthened the Joint Staff and operational commanders at the expense of the services. Has that gone too far, or not far enough? Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates raised this issue when he testified before this Committee because of his frustration with the military services lack of responsiveness to current operational requirements. Many of our witnesses have discussed whether the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has sufficient statutory authority to perform the strategic integration that the Department of Defense all too often seems to do poorlyintegrating priorities, efforts, and resources across regions, across domains of military activity, and across time, balancing short-term and long-term requirements. The question has been raised whether the Chairman should be placed in the chain of command, with the service chiefs and combatant commanders reporting to him. We have heard testimony in favor and against, and I look forward to exploring this further today. These are critical questions about our defense organization that have direct bearing on the effectiveness of U.S. military operations, and as a consequence, on the wellbeing of our warfighters. We owe it to them to look at this seriously, ask the tough questions, challenge old assumptions, and embrace new solutions if and when as needed. I thank our witnesses again and look forward to their testimony. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=b4d9b7b6-46bc-4f7f-8b99-06048ee745f2,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON GILBERT MAYOR JOHN LEWIS BEING NAMED NEW HEAD OF EAST VALLEY PARTNERSHIP,2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the announcement that Gilbert, Arizona Mayor John Lewis will leave his post to serve as the new president and CEO of the East Valley Partnership: John Lewis has been a dedicated and effective mayor for the city of Gilbert over the last several years, working to advance economic growth and improved quality of life for residents of the East Valley. Im confident that John will continue to have an enormous impact as the new head of the East Valley Partnership and look forward to working with him to drive even more business development and success across the region. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=b9592241-78f0-413c-8543-4c4c327dd971,"McCAIN, FLAKE, FEINSTEIN & SCHUMER INTRODUCE BILL TO REIMBURSE STATES FOR HOUSING CRIMINAL ALIENS",2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation today that would fully reimburse states for the cost of housing criminal aliens in state, county, and city jails and prisons. Today, Arizona, California, New York, Texas and Florida incarcerate nearly 60 percent of the criminal alien population nationwide and are reimbursed for less than 15 percent of the cost to house the inmates. For the state of Arizona, that means a shortfall of almost $70 million that must be assumed by the state and local governments. The legislation introduced today would reauthorize the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), which allows for the full $950 million-a-year reimbursement to state and local governments over the next five years. This proposal was approved by the Senate last Congress as part of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. As a major entry point for illegal human trafficking and drug smuggling on the U.S.-Mexico border, Arizona has been disproportionately affected by the influx in criminal aliens being detained and housed in our jails and prisons, said Senator McCain. Arizona and other border states shouldnt be penalized for securing the border and keeping their communities safe. This legislation would ensure that states and local governments are reimbursed for housing criminal aliens, ensuring Arizona taxpayers do not bear the full brunt of our national priority to secure the border. I have long been a supporter of the SCAAP program, said Senator Flake. State and local governments shouldnt be held fiscally responsible for the federal governments failure to secure the border. The failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform means that border states like California will continue to cover the costs of incarcerating immigrants who are undocumented, said Senator Feinstein. The federal government has a responsibility to help foot the bill for these costs, which can place a tremendous burden on local, county, and state governments. Without this funding, county sheriffs and police departments could be forced to lay off many of the officers who keep our communities safe. Since 1994, the SCAAP has reimbursed states for costs incurred while holding criminal aliens in non-federal prisons. Over the past five years, SCAAP funding has fallen while the burden to house criminal aliens has been shifted to local taxpayers. This year, President Obama requested no funding for SCAAP in his budget request while the Senate appropriations bill reduced SCAAP funding to $75 million. The House funded SCAAP at $185 million. These funding levels are severely inadequate and punish state and local law enforcement for doing the job of the federal government. Leon N. Wilmot and Chis Nanos, president and vice president of the Arizona Sheriffs Association, and Matt Chase, executive director of the National Association of Counties, also wrote letters praising the senators legislation: In light of the continued cuts to the programs funding level, increasing incarceration costs, and a growing pool of applicants, it is imperative that Congress increase resources for SCAAP, write Wilmot and Nanos. Without sufficient SCAAP funding, state and local governments must shoulder the burden, which in turn will force many of our local law enforcement agencies to cut other essential public safety functions, including deputy sheriffs, police officers, anti-gang violence units, and county attorneys. Although it is the federal governments responsibility to protect and secure our nations borders, counties incur millions of dollars in un-reimbursed expenses each year in housing undocumented individuals who violate state or local law, writes Chase. In many cases, counties must also provide medical care and other services to these individuals. As a result, counties bear a disproportionate share of the criminal justice-related costs associated with illegal immigration and are often forced to divert funds from other important local programs in areas such as healthcare, social services and public safety. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=bc4b6aaf-1997-4b6c-84b9-d58c483cccd0,"McCAIN, REID, KING & MEEKS CALL ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ISSUE POSTHUMOUS PARDON FOR JACK JOHNSON",2015-12-10,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representatives Peter King (R-NY) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) sent a letter to President Obama today calling on him to finally issue a posthumous pardon of boxing legend John Arthur Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, who was unjustly convicted in 1913. Johnsons career and reputation were ruined after he was charged with transporting a white woman across state lines in violation of theMann Act. Today, President Obama signed legislation into law that includes a resolution offered by the Members calling for the President to finally right this historical wrong by delivering a posthumous pardon of Johnson. As this law makes clear, a pardon would expunge this racially-motivated abuse of authority from our nations criminal justice history and affirm Jack Johnsons athletic and cultural contributions to our society, write Senators McCain and Reid, and Representatives King and Meeks. And, as acknowledged in a recent New York Times column, in a nation that promotes itself as the land of the free, there are few things more important thancorrecting injustices like the imprisonment of Johnson. Since you were sworn in as President, you have granted a total of 64 presidential pardons. We urge you to include Jack Johnson among pardon petitions to be granted. Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas on March 31, 1878 and in 1908, he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion after defeating Tommy Burns in Australia a title Johnson held until 1915. Prompted by his success in the boxing ring and his relationship with a Caucasian woman, Jack Johnson was wrongly convicted under the Mann Act when he brought the woman he was dating across state lines. The intent of the Mann Act was to prevent human trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution. However, this racially-motivated 1913 conviction imprisoned Jack Johnson for a year. The conviction ruined his career and destroyed his reputation. American Presidents have issued posthumous pardons in the past. In 1999, President Clinton pardoned Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American to graduate from West Point and first African-American officer to lead the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10thCavalry Regiment during the Civil War, who was later dismissed from the Army for racially charged allegations. In 2008, President Bush pardoned Charles Winters, an American volunteer in the Arab-Israeli War who was convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Acts in 1949 after he helped to transfer two B-17 Flying Fortresses in an effort to aid the Jewish peoples effort to establish the state of Israel. The letter is below and here. December 10, 2015 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama, We write to bring to your attention a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law today, which includes calling for the posthumous pardon of John Arthur ""Jack"" Johnson, a boxing great and the first African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion. As you know, Mr. Johnsons reputation was unfairly marred for over a hundred years by an unjust and racially-motivated conviction under the Mann Act, for transporting his white girlfriend across state lines. An identical resolution was unanimously approved by both the House and the Senate in the 111th Congress, the first time since 1974 that both chambers passed a concurrent resolution calling for a posthumous pardon of an individual. Additionally, this resolution passed the House in the 110th Congress and passed the Senate in the 108th and 113th Congresses. As this law makes clear, a pardon would expunge this racially-motivated abuse of authority from our nations criminal justice history and affirm Jack Johnsons athletic and cultural contributions to our society. And, as acknowledged in a recent New York Times column, in a nation that promotes itself as the land of the free, there are few things more important thancorrecting injustices like the imprisonment of Johnson. While we understand that posthumous presidential pardons are rare, we know they are neither unique nor lacking precedent; both Presidents Bush and Clinton issued posthumous pardons when they believed it was appropriate. Since you were sworn in as President, you have granted a total of 64 presidential pardons. We urge you to include Jack Johnson among pardon petitions to be granted. Sincerely, John McCain Harry Reid Peter King Gregory Meeks ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1906,Rep. Gosar Continues Fight For Commonsense All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy and Against Obamas Flurry of Job Killing Regulations,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after participating in multiple committee hearings including one in the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals Subcommittee and one in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Interior focusing on restrictive new regulations proposed by the Obama Administration that will harm domestic coal production: The endless assault by the Obama Administration on domestic coal is unprecedented and puts the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans at risk. The president's reckless obsession to enact his partisan environmental agenda clashes with scientific facts as well as the reality of the economic consequences his disastrous proposals are having on the country. The Office of Natural Resources Revenue's (ONRR) proposed rule is a bureaucratic nightmare that will make it impossible to produce coal on federal lands, including tribal land. If implemented, this fundamentally flawed new regulation will kill jobs, result in an unconstitutional tax on coal exports and bankrupt even more American energy companies. The Department of the Interior's new stream buffer zone rule is even more troubling and will negatively affect both surface and underground coal mines. This terrible new regulation is projected to sterilize between 27% and 64% of recoverable reserves. The associated decline in annual coal production will have a direct impact on employment and risks killing between 112,757 and 280,809 mining-related jobs. Congress must block the Obama Administration's overreaching new regulations utilizing the power of the purse in the end of the year funding bill. Arizonans simply can't afford the president's far-left agenda and we must put an end to this nonsensical war on coal. Click HERE or the picture above to watch Congressman Gosar's questions during the oversight hearing held today bythe Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral ResourcestitledEnsuring Certainty for Royalty Payments on Federal Resource Production. Background On Tuesday, December 8, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled Ensuring Certainty for Royalty Payments on Federal Resource Production. More info on this hearing courtesy of the House Committee on Natural Resources: This hearing [focused] on the Office of Natural Resources Revenue's (ONRR) proposed rule concerning the valuation of produced federal onshore oil, natural gas, and coal for royalty purposes, as well as ONRR's reinterpretation of existing regulations as to when produced natural gas is in marketable condition. ONRR's reinterpretation of the treatment of bundled contracts has confused and complicated the determination of a natural gas producer's rightful deductions, and promoted uneconomic conditions, which have led to layoffs and potential bankruptcies. On January 6, 2015, ONRR proposed a rule that would make sweeping revisions to the methodologies behind royalty valuation. ONRR projects the rule will cost industry $80 million, whereas industry places the cost in the hundreds of millions. ONRR's proposed valuation reform rule ignores the realities and economics of natural resource production and would grant absolute discretion to ONRR auditors. ONRR's net-back provision within the valuation rule for non-arm's-length coal transactions is an unwarranted expansion of ONRR's jurisdiction and presents companies with an unworkable means of calculating the value of their products. On Tuesday, December 8, the Subcommittee on the Interior and Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules also held a joint hearing entitled, Examining the Stream Protection Rule. More info on this hearing courtesy of the National Mining Association: The Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) recently proposed the largest rewrite of its regulatory program under the Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Act (SMCRA) since it was enacted in 1977. OSM's revisions to its existing rules under the SMCRA have led to the misnamed Stream Protection Rule' (SPR) that was proposed on July 27, 2015. This proposal is a rule in search of a problem. The proposed SPR is another example of a punitive, unnecessary and counterproductive regulation designed to drive up energy costs for families and businesses. What OSM originally described as a minor regulation has metastasized into what it now calls a comprehensive, nationally applicable rule' that will add to already 40,000 coal miners who have lost jobs since 2011. OSM's proposed SPR is not confined to the stream buffer zone rule as it was in an earlier draft version; this proposed rule amends or modifies 475 existing rules while adding even more. Further, after examining OSM's information on the proposed SPR, [the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office] CBO expects that if the proposed rule is implemented it will increase operating costs for the coal industry and reduce coal production. OSM has stated publicly that the proposed SPR will be a wash' for job losses since they are attempting to replace high-wage coal jobs with temporary compliance jobs. However, a recent study done by ENVIRON International Corporation on behalf of the National Mining Association show that the impacts of the proposed rule, should it go into effect, will be much greater than OSM has predicted. Their analysis contains the following findings: Direct mining jobs at risk of loss are predicted to be between 40,038 and 77,520, with both surface and underground mining adversely affected. Western region could lose between 4,993-10,317 jobs. Interior region could lose between 4,931-14,638 jobs. Appalachian region could lose between 30,115-52,566 jobs. Total number of jobs at risk of loss, including mining and linked sector employment, is between 112,757 and 280,809. The overall decrease in recovery of demonstrated coal reserves is between 27% and 64%; both surface and underground mines will be significantly impacted. The annual value of coal lost to production restriction is between $14 billion to $29 billion. Total annual federal and state tax revenue potentially foregone because of lost production is estimated at $3.1 billion to $6.4 billion. In the 114th Congress, oversight and legislative hearings have been held in order to call attention to the potentially ruinous impacts the proposed SPR rule will have on the nation's coal industry. Legislation aimed at stopping this rule is also in play. H.R. 1644, the Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining' Act, or the STREAM Act, introduced by Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on September 10 by a bipartisan vote of 23-12.' Congressman Gosar is a cosponsor of H.R.1644 and supported passage of the bill at that time. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=7ad7d573-2e1c-4b0d-bd37-b751471d5c1c,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON U.S. STRATEGY TO COUNTER ISIL & MIDDLE EAST POLICY,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on U.S. strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and U.S. policy toward Iraq and Syria with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva: The Committee meets today to receive testimony on the ongoing efforts of the United States to combat ISIL, as well as U.S. policy toward Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East. We welcome our distinguished witnesses and thank them for their appearance today, as well as for their continued service to our nation. This morning our hearts are with the loved ones of the 224 people killed aboard a Russian airliner over Egypt, of the 43 people killed in bombings in Beirut, of the 130 people killed in Paris, and of the 14 people killed in San Bernardino. Each one of these atrocities committed or inspired by ISIL has occurred in just the one month and a half since the Secretary last appeared before this Committee. Whatever illusions anyone may have had that our national security was not at stake in the conflict in Iraq and Syria, or that ISIL was somehow contained, these attacks make it clear that ISILs threat against our homeland is real, direct, and growing that we are not winning this war and that time is not on our side. Americans have never been more worried about being attacked than at any time since the months that followed September 11, 2001. Todays hearing is essential to help the American people, and their elected representatives, understand what the Department of Defense is doing to protect our nation from this new terrorist threat. The Administration says it has a strategy to destroy ISIL, which it has called an indirect approach. This means that instead of taking the fight to ISIL more directly, the Administration seeks to build up local ground forces in Iraq and Syria, to support them with U.S. and coalition airpower, to enable our local partners to liberate their own lands, and to create conditions for lasting political settlements. Much of this is what many of us have been advocating for years, and to be sure, we are making some progress, as I recently saw on a visit to Iraq. The recent operation to retake Sinjar was important. Iraqi forces are closing in on Ramadi, though they still have not finished the job. And our counterterrorism operations are taking a lot of ISIL fighters off the battlefield in Iraq and Syria. All of this represents tactical progress. And it is a testament to our civilian and military leaders, as well as thousands of U.S. troops helping to take the fight to ISIL every day. However, significant challenges remain. The Iraqi government is weak and beholden to Iran. The training of Iraqi security forces has been slow, and the building of support for the Sunni tribal forces even slower. At the current pace, U.S. commanders estimate that ISIL will still control Mosul at the end of next year. In Syria, what the administration calls its strategy looks more like a hope. We will not destroy ISIL until Raqqa, the capital of the caliphate, falls. But there is still no ground force that is both willing and able to retake Raqqa, nor is there a realistic prospect of one emerging soon. The Syrian Kurds could take Raqqa but wont, and the Syrian Sunni Arabs want to but cant, partly due to our failure to support them. Whats worse, our military and diplomatic efforts are misaligned. Russia and Iran are doubling down on Bashar Assad. Russias air strikes are still overwhelmingly directed at coalition-supported groups, and more talks in Vienna will not convince Vladimir Putin to abandon his idea of Russias national interests in Syria. We need leverage to do that, but nothing we are doing, militarily or otherwise, is creating the necessary conditionsboth in Putins mind, as well as on the ground in Syriato achieve a favorable political settlement. As a result, the conflict will likely grind on, ISIL will grow stronger, and the refugees will keep coming. Meanwhile, ISIS is metastasizing across the regionin Afghanistan, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, and perhaps most worryingly in Libya. In short, the threat is growing and evolving faster than the administrations efforts to counter it. The broader shortcoming of the Administrations approach has to do with two assumptions it appears to be making. The first is that time is on our sidethat we can afford to play out their indirect approach for years, while ISIL continues to hold key terrain such as Raqqa and Mosul. Time has never been on our side in this conflict, and it certainly is not now after Sinai, Paris, and San Bernardino. The second assumption is that we should not put U.S. forces on the ground because that is what ISIL wants. It is true that ISIL seeks an apocalyptic conflict with the West, but another key pillar of ISILs ideology is the creation of the caliphate. So long as ISIL can claim to possess its caliphate, it projects an aura of success that is its most powerful tool of radicalization and recruitment. There are no local forces that are able and willing to destroy ISILs caliphate on the ground, and if we will not commit our own forces, then we are accepting the existence of the caliphate. On Sunday, President Obama once again resorted to the straw-man argument that his critics want to invade Iraq and Syria with 180,000 U.S. troops. No one is calling for that. What we do need in Iraq is several thousand additional U.S. troops to improve and accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, especially Sunni tribal fighters; embed with and advise Iraqi units closer to the fight; call in airstrikes from forward positions; and conduct counterterrorism operations. Once ISIL is destroyed in Iraq, we must keep a residual force there, as we should have done before. If we leave again, the threat will return, and we will have to intervene again. Iraqis must win the peace, but America has a major stake in their success, and a unique role to play in helping them. To do so we must be present. In Syria, the U.S. needs a coherent strategy to destroy ISIL and end the civil war as soon as possible. Our military efforts must create the conditions for this outcome. America must work with its coalition partners to establish and protect zones inside Syria where refugees can be safe; to deny the Assad regime the use of air power and barrel bombs; and to impose costs on Russia for targeting moderate opposition groups. Ultimately, to destroy ISIL in Syria, we will need a multinational ground forceprimarily made up of Sunni Arab and European forces but with a strong U.S. componentto do what no local force now can or will: retake Raqqa, destroy ISILs caliphate in Syria, and prepare for a long-term stabilization effort. Beyond Iraq and Syria, we need to seize the initiative and roll back ISILs regional expansion. This will require a greater forward presence of U.S. military and intelligence teams that can map its networks and destroy them, as part of a broader strategy to support countries in building just and inclusive governments. Finally, Mr. Secretary, we have known each other for many years. I know you to be a skilled and dedicated public servant. I think you are performing to the best of your abilities as Secretary of Defense, and I value our partnership on many issues. It is true that you have made four appearances before this Committee as Secretary. But when you were nominated for your position, you agreed to appear and testify upon request before this Committee. Since your last testimony, as I mentioned, we have seen ISIL launch or inspire attacks in the skies over Egypt, in Beirut, in Paris, and here at home in San Bernardino. We have also heard the Administration roll out additional actions that it claims are needed to address this threat. If we are truly at war against ISIL, as the President says, then we will continue to expect the Secretary of Defense to provide regular updates to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the progress of that war. This is your responsibility to us, so we can perform our responsibilities on behalf of those who elected us. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=cae7db07-2394-4da3-b4a7-3ffab0036337,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING TO CONSIDER PENDING NOMINATIONS,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at hearing to consider the nominations of Marcel J. Lettre II to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; Gabriel O. Camarillo to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs; John E. Sparks to be a Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and Vice Admiral Kurt W. Tidd (USN), to be Admiral and Commander of U.S. Southern Command: We welcome all of our nominees here this afternoon, as well as members of your families. As is our tradition, at the beginning of your testimony, we welcome you to introduce any members of your family joining you today. Admiral Tidd, you have been nominated to serve as the next Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). If confirmed, you will be responsible for overseeing a region facing a daunting array of security and governance challenges. At the same time, however, you will be forced to confront these challenges without the support you require due to persistent resource shortfalls that plague our efforts in the region. In testimony before this committee in March, General John Kelly, the outgoing SOUTHCOM Commander, framed the impact of these longstanding resource shortfalls in stark terms by stating: This presents more than just risks to our national interests; U.S. Southern Command has accepted risk for so long in this region that we now face a near-total lack of awareness of threats and the readiness to respond, should those threats reach crisis levels. Of particular concern is the deteriorating situation in Central America, where feeble governance, endemic corruption, and weak security institutions are allowing transnational criminal organizations to operate with impunity. Despite our efforts to counter these ruthless groups and the drugs they traffic into our country, it is clear that we are not winning the war. The demand for the drugs heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine is too high and the profits too great to dissuade these criminals from their illicit actions. We of course must improve and adequately resource our drug interdiction strategy, but we must also reduce demand here at home. To be clear, the threat posed by these groups extends beyond the drugs they smuggle into our communities. The smuggling routes they control are also used to traffic weapons, bulk cash, and even humans, and pose a direct threat to our national security. While the challenges within the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility are significant, there are also opportunities. Colombia, once on the cusp of becoming a failed state has emerged from decades of conflict as a remarkable example of what sustained U.S. support and engagement can achieve. Admiral, I look forward to your thoughts today on how you intend to approach both the enormous challenges and opportunities within the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Mr. Lettre, if confirmed to be the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence you would serve as the principal intelligence advisor to the Secretary of Defense. The position of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence was created in 2002, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, to better integrate, oversee, and prioritize intelligence resources and capabilities throughout the Department. This mission has never been more important. Currently, the United States faces an increasingly complex global threat environment, where terrorist organizations are metastasizing and now exercise state-like capabilities, and nation-state adversaries are increasingly asserting power, often through irregular and asymmetric means. Every component of our Defense Department must have timely intelligence to understand the varied threats we face, to prepare for potential conflict, and to respond swiftly, accurately, and decisively when necessary. In an age of decreasing budgets, accurate and timely intelligence becomes all the more vital. We look forward to discussing how Mr. Lettre plans to address his important mission. Mr. Camarillo, you are nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. You currently serve as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisitions, Logistics & Technology (AL&T). If confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force you would be responsible for the overall supervision of manpower and reserve component affairs of the Department of the Air Force. The Air Force is challenged with implementation of congressionally mandated reductions in headquarters personnel, to transform what is currently a bloated infrastructure into a lean and responsive organization. I hope your recent experience in the Army headquarters will also bring a new, fresh perspective to the Air Forces remotely piloted aircraft (or RPA) personnel community. The Air Force must move away from legacy organizational structure in this vital area. The Air Force must also embrace the use of enlisted and warrant officer RPA pilots as it builds a viable career force. I look forward to hearing your views on this subject. Mr. Sparks, you have faithfully served as commissioner to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces for fourteen years. You are a graduate of one of the finest educational institutions in the world, the United States Naval Academy, and you served with distinction as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. I cannot imagine a more able and qualified individual than you to serve as Judge on the highest court in our military justice system. Our committee has been at the vanguard of recent significant changes to the military justice system, establishing new protections for victims of sexual assault while preserving the rights of those military members accused of criminal activity, and while empowering the vital and necessary ownership of good order and discipline by military commanders. As an individual nominated to serve as a judge, neither I nor any of my colleagues would expect you to comment on a matter that might cause you to be disqualified on any future case that may come before the court. However, I look forward to hearing your views on the state of military justice as they are informed by your wealth of experience. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=417adfae-7803-4a04-b02c-e007bf0239f5,SASC CHAIRMAN McCAIN SENDS LETTER ON RUSSIAN ROCKET ENGINES AND U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE LAUNCH PROGRAM,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter yesterday to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on the Department of Defenses national security space launch program and its continued reliance on Russian-made rocket engines. Chairman McCain expressed his concern about dubious claims made by United Launch Alliance (ULA) as to why it will not compete for the first competitive launch opportunity for the launch of a GPS III satellite. In particular, Chairman McCain called for a freeze on launch subsidy payments until an audit takes place to assess ULAs claim that it cannot differentiate launch costs. Additionally, Chairman McCain criticized ULAs apparent attempts to create an artificial need for relief from legislative restrictions on the use of Russian rocket engines enacted in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. Chairman McCain sent a previous letter to U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, opposing any legislative language that would undermine sanctions on Russian rocket engines. The signed letter is here and the text of the letter is below. Dear Secretary Carter: I write to express concern about the direction of the Department of Defenses (DoD) national security space launch program, the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. I am troubled, in particular, by the explanations that the incumbent contractor, United Launch Alliance (ULA), has offered for why it will not compete for the first competitive launch opportunity under Phase 1A of EELV, which provides for the launch of a GPS III satellite. These assertions have major implications for both the DOD and the Congress, especially the clearly-established legislative priority to eliminate the DoDs reliance on Russian-made rocket engines and whether the DoD should continue paying ULA a nearly $1 billion annual subsidy whether it actually launches satellites under the program or even chooses to compete for those launches. Among the troubling and specious claims that ULA has made in connection with its announcement not to compete for the Phase 1A launch is its assertion that it (1) cannot submit a proposal that complies with the request for proposals (RfP) because it does not have the cost accounting systems needed to certify that funds from other government contracts, such as federal government subsidy payments, will not benefit the GPS III launch mission; and (2) does not have any Atlas engines available to bid in order to submit a timely proposal. ULAs assertion that the Phase 1A launch is basically a lowest price, technically acceptable competition, unsuitable for launch contracts, is erroneous. In form and substance, this competition clearly contemplates a best value source selection, supported by a request for proposals that calls for a careful evaluation of performance, launch operations, schedule and price. ULAs claim that it lacks the accounting systems needed to certify that funds from other government contracts, such as the EELV Launch Capability (ELC) subsidy, will not benefit the Phase 1A launch is particularly troublesome. As you know, the RfPs requirement in this regard is important because it ensures that the Air Force is able to conduct an apples-to-apples comparison with new entrants that have not similarly benefited from government subsidies and ensure that such subsidies will not unfairly benefit ULAs proposal to launch GPS III. As you are aware, on September 29, 2015, the Air Force awarded an ELC contract to ULA valued at $882 millionthe latest such contract the Air Force has awarded to ULA since ULA became the only source for launches under the EELV program. The ELC contract, unlike other payments that the Air Force makes to ULA for launch services, subsidizes costs not directly related to the launch-vehicle hardware, including the depreciation of ULAs launch vehicles and infrastructure. In paying ULA for such fixed launch costs and executing the EELV program under a cost-plus contract, the DoD has reimbursed ULA for allowable, reasonable, and allocable costs for its launches, while requiring ULA to reimburse it on a per-launch basis for launches that ULA sells to its non-DoD customers. To do so, ULA has had to maintain sufficient cost accounting systems within the company. Yet now, in connection with the proposed Phase IA launch, ULA asserts it is unable to differentiate such costs sufficiently in order to submit a compliant proposal. If true, this would call into question the cost-reasonableness determinations that the Air Force has conducted to date in connection with its reimbursements to ULA. It would also suggest that ULA will not be able to compete for any future launch that would require an apples-to-apples comparison between the highly-subsidized incumbent and unsubsidized new entrants. Given ULAs assertion, I ask that you provide me with an assessment of ULAs assertion that it does not have the requisite business systems needed to provide a compliant proposal, as well as an opinion of whether the DoD can conduct the needed apples-to-apples comparison in connection with the GPS III launch without the cost accounting system that ULA says it needs to provide a compliant proposal. In addition, given the implications of ULAs assertion for the Air Forces ability to ensure that it has been paying, and will continue to pay, only fair and reasonable costs for ULA launches under the EELV program, I ask that the DoD also audit ULAs business systemssufficient to ensure that it will be able to meet its contractual accounting requirementsand provide the results of that audit to the Senate Armed Services Committee prior to the obligation or expenditure of any additional ELC funds. I also find ULAs claim regarding the unavailability of Atlas engines, which it insists is necessitated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 and its restrictions on the use of Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines for the EELV program, especially dubious. While that law restricted the use of the RD-180 for EELV launches, the Air Force recently concluded, in declining ULAs request for a waiver from those restrictions under that laws national security exception, that no immediate action is required to address the future risk of having only one source of space launch services. This suggests that the basis for ULAs decision not to compete for the Phase IA launch wasmanufactured since its waiver request just recently. Indeed, notwithstanding those restrictions, the FY 2016 NDAA recognized that a small number of Russian engines could be needed to ensure a near-term competitive environment. That includes five engines that ULA currently has in its possession, which are not limited by the sanctions, since they were fully paid for prior to the Russian invasion of Crimea. Instead of setting those engines aside for national security launches, ULA rushed to assign them to non-national security launches that are unrestricted in their use of Russian engines. ULAs use of these tactics is unacceptable. It artificially created a need for relief from legislative restrictions on its ability to continue using RD-180relief that, with the DoDs active assistance, ULAs is actively seeking in the fiscal year 2016 omnibus appropriations bill that is being developed now in the Congress. Put simply, there was no compelling reason to re-purpose DoD engines other than to attempt to compel Congress to award the Russian military-industrial base by easing sanctions targeted at Vladimir Putin and his cronies. I feel strongly that these tactics are inappropriate and intended to support an effort in the Congress to subvert the authorization process, which has fully considered and addressed this matter in an open and transparent manner and pursuant to Regular Order. With this in mind, I ask you to explain, with reference to source contractual documents, when ULA first began assigning rockets to specific launches and when it first started to reassign launches to prevent the use of RD-180s that were originally available for competitive launches. Furthermore, I ask you to determine jointly with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and notify the committee of that determination, whether ULAs reassigning those engines was early-to-need and if ULA could have procured other engines in time to meet actual launch dates. Given these actions and ULAs decision not to compete for a Phase 1A launch, the Armed Services Committee will need to assess the establishment of an unrestricted prohibition of the use of Russian rocket engines. Sincerely, John McCain Chairman Senate Armed Services Committee ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4a9d31d1-4f61-4982-94f1-0aeba6736c88,"SENATOR JOHN McCAIN APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT, MEASURES ENHANCING SCHOOL CHOICE IN ARIZONA",2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, bipartisan elementary education reform legislation supported by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that puts state governors, legislatures, schools, parents and teachers back in charge of educating young American students. The bill ends the federal test-based accountability system that was established by the No Child Left Behind Act, which made federal tests the sole measure of academic success and forced public school teachers to teach to the test rather than to what students really needed to learn. In addition, the bill effectively ends Common Core by untying states and parents hands to one-size-fits-all education policies and allowing states to develop their own elementary education standards. The bill also includes a provision offered by Senator McCain that enables Arizona and other states to propose how they could use limited education funds to expand access to high-performing charter, magnet and traditional public schools for low-income students education options that are proven to provide the best-quality learning environments for Arizona children. The bill is now headed to President Obamas desk for signature. This legislation is a major step forward in getting Washington out of Arizonas classrooms and putting states, teachers and parents back in charge of educating our students, said Senator McCain. I commend Senator Alexander and the Republican majorities in Congress for working with parents, teachers and school districts in assembling a bipartisan elementary education reform bill that restores the role of states in creating accountability standards, testing requirements, and other education policies that best fit students needs. Im also proud that this legislation includes a measure that I offered that provides Arizona and other states the ability to direct limited federal funds meant to help low-income students towards expanding and replicating high-performing charter, magnet and traditional public schools, which are proven to be successful. We have an obligation to help prepare the next generation for the future and this reform bill is a step in the right direction. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=8b27e52d-28e5-403e-8940-a3cdd29b67ef,CONGRESS PASSES McCAIN-REID RESOLUTION URGING POSTHUMOUS PARDON FOR JACK JOHNSON,2015-12-09,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate delivered final passage of a resolution offered by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Harry Reid (D-NV) that calls on President Obama to posthumously pardon John Arthur Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, for his unjust conviction in 1913. Johnsons career and reputation were ruined after he was charged with transporting a white woman across state lines in violation of theMann Act. Representatives Peter King (R-NY) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) cosponsored a companion resolution that passed the House of Representatives. Jack Johnson is a boxing legend and pioneer whose reputation was wrongly tarnished by a racially motivated conviction more than a century ago, said Senator McCain. Today, the United States Congress has once again spoken, calling on the President to finally take action and issue a posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson. Its past time for President Obama to right this injustice, restore the legacy of a great American athlete, and close a shameful chapter in our nations history. After more than one-hundred years of injustice, the record of history must finally be corrected to restore Jack Johnsons good name, said Senator Reid. Jack Johnson was one of the greatest athletes of all time, a barrier-breaking pioneer and true champion whose reputation was tarnished by a racially motivated affront to justice. Today, Congress not only voted to restore this mans legacy, but also demonstrated the enduring power Americas national character. Today we showed we will never stop working toward righting our nations past wrongs. It is time to put this injustice behind us. As a life-long boxing fan, Senator McCain has been introducing this resolution in the Senate urging the President to pardon Jack Johnson since 2004. The resolution was unanimously approved by both the House and Senate in the 111th Congress, the first time since 1974 that both chambers passed a concurrent resolution calling for a posthumous pardon of an individual.Additionally, the resolution passed the House in the 110th Congress and passed the Senate in the 108th and 113th Congresses. Jack Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas on March 31, 1878 and in 1908, he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion after defeating Tommy Burns in Australia a title Johnson held until 1915. Prompted by his success in the boxing ring and his relationship with a Caucasian woman, Jack Johnson was wrongly convicted under the Mann Act when he brought the woman he was dating across state lines. The intent of the Mann Act was to prevent human trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution. However, this racially-motivated 1913 conviction imprisoned Jack Johnson for a year. The conviction ruined his career and destroyed his reputation. American Presidents have issued posthumous pardons in the past. In 1999, President Clinton pardoned Henry O. Flipper, the first African-American to graduate from West Point and first African-American officer to lead the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10thCavalry Regiment during the Civil War, who was later dismissed from the Army for racially charged allegations. In 2008, President Bush pardoned Charles Winters, an American volunteer in the Arab-Israeli War who was convicted of violating the U.S. Neutrality Acts in 1949 after he helped to transfer two B-17 Flying Fortresses in an effort to aid the Jewish peoples effort to establish the state of Israel. The text of the resolution ishere. Read William Rhodens recent column in The New York Times calling for a posthumous pardon of Jack Johnson here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=f43be9dc-0d84-4386-b935-7613aaf12e52,Wastebook: The Farce Awakens,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today released Wastebook: The Farce Awakens, highlighting 100 examples of wasteful federal spending amounting to more than $100 billion. The findings in retired U.S. Sen. Tom Coburns (R-Okla.) series of waste reports included shrimp on a treadmill and mountain lions on a treadmill now Flake is carrying on the tradition, including his discovery of a study with monkeys on a treadmill for the latest instalment of the Wastebook franchise. To see so much money so outlandishly wasted, its clear that Washingtons ballyhooing over budget austerity is a farce, said Flake. Hopefully, this report gives Congress which only ever seems to agree when it comes to spending money something to Chewie on before the taxpayers strike back. Highlights from Flakes 2015 edition of Wastebook include (click links to view related footage): $1 million for monkeys running in hamster balls on a treadmill $5 million to Help A Hipster quit smoking by throwing parties at bars and nightclubs $1.2 million to put sheep in microgravity $2.1 million to promote tourism in Lebanon, a nation the State Department advises travels to avoid due to ongoing safety and security concerns $17,500 to have people wear a fat suit for weight sensitivity training $853,000 to teach minors the art of making wine $707,000 for researchers to create a fight club for shrimp $780,000 to study college students and pizza addiction $276,000 to discover how unattractive people snag a more attractive date $1.3 million to study how a koozie keeps your beer cold $3 million for bus security grants that were paid, in part, to companies operating luxury charter buses and limousines, including a self-proclaimed nightclub on wheels $104.4 million to subsidize low-income public housing for over-income families $175,000 to develop a smartphone app that lets you know who caught the fish you are eating $1.2 million grant partially used to fund a life-size Pac-Man game The full report can be downloaded here. Background: Wastebook marks Flakes fourth oversight report in under a year. In November 2015, he joined U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to release Tackling Paid Patriotism, a report on their joint investigation taxpayer-funded payments by the Department of Defense to professional sports teams for patriotic displays honoring the U.S. military. In June 2015, Flake responded to calls for a return to the practice of congressional earmarking by releasing Jurassic Pork, a report highlighting the continued cost of pork projects in the post-earmark-ban era. In December 2014, Flake published the Science of Splurging, a report highlighting more than a dozen examples of wasteful and egregious spending by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since June 2014, Flake has regularly released PorkChops, a series highlighting wasteful and egregious federal spending. While serving in the House, Flake established the Egregious Earmark of the Week series, which ran from 2003 until 2010, after Congress enacted a self-imposed moratorium on congressional earmarks. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=773f4f38-6876-4e1b-a790-29e6c6279b98,"OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON IMPROVING PENTAGON POLICY, STRATEGY & PLANS",2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on improving the Pentagons development of policy, strategy and plans: The Committee meets today to continue our series of hearings on defense reform. We have reviewed the effects of the Goldwater-Nichols reforms on our defense acquisition, management, and personnel systems. In our most recent hearings we have considered what most view as the essence of Goldwater-Nichols: the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the service secretaries and service chiefs, and the combatant commanders. This morning we seek to understand how these civilian and military leaders formulate policy, strategy, and plans, as well as how to improve the quality civilian control of the military and military advice to civilian leaders. We are fortunate to have with us a distinguished panel of witnesses who will offer their views based on many years of service to our nation: The Honorable Michle Flournoy, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, who is currently CEO of the Center for a New American Security; The Honorable Michael Vickers, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, who also previously served as a Special Forces officer and a CIA operations officer; and Commander Jeffrey W. Eggers, Former Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, who served both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and was previously a U.S. Navy SEAL Officer. As we have heard in previous hearings, Goldwater-Nichols emerged from concerns about the unity of command and the ability of our military to operate jointly. However, another primary concern was poor military advice, which former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, said at the time had grown so bad that it was generally irrelevant, normally unread, and almost always disregarded. Thats why the Goldwater-Nichols Act elevated the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the principal military adviser to the President and Secretary of Defense and created the position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The intent of these reforms is that the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would be better able to promote a department-wide perspective that could integrate activities and resources comprehensively across the military services. Goldwater-Nichols also sought to improve the process of developing policy, strategy, and plans by requiring the President to submit a national security strategy and provide guidance to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the combatant commanders for the preparation and review of contingency plans. These were all important reforms. But thirty years later, how do we evaluate their effectiveness? If we base that on the quality of so-called strategy documents, such as the National Security Strategy or Quadrennial Defense Review, I fear we may have a serious problem. The QDR process has grown so bad that Congress created an independent panel to review the Pentagons work. In 2010, that panel concluded, Instead of unconstrained, long term analysis by planners who were encouraged to challenge preexisting thinking, the QDRs became explanations and justifications, often with marginal changes, of established decisions and plans. The poor quality of the DODs strategic planning documents may suggest a deeper, more troubling problem: that despite the Goldwater-Nichols reformsor in some cases, perhaps unintentionally because of themthe development of policy, strategy, and plans in the DOD has become paralyzed by an excessive pursuit of concurrence or consensus. Innovative ideas that challenge the status quo rarely seem to survive the staffing process as they make their long journey to senior civilian and military leaders. Instead, what results too often seems to be watered-down, lowest common denominator thinking that is acceptable to all relevant stakeholders precisely because it is threatening to none of them. I would cite again our recent experience in Iraq. Regardless of what we think about the circumstances by which we went to war in Iraq, the fact is that our nation was losing that war for three and a half years, with disastrous consequences for our national security if we did fail. And yet, the development of a new strategy that finally stabilized the situation was not produced by the system, but rather by a group of outside experts and insurgents within the system going around the system. In many ways, this question of strategy is the crux of our current review. The main problem that Goldwater-Nichols sought to address thirty years ago was primarily an operational onethe inability of the military services to operate as one joint force. It is impossible to dispute that, at a tactical and operational level, the U.S. military today is unrivaled in the world and far more capable than it was three decade ago, thanks in no small part to 14 consecutive years of sustained combat. The problem today, however, seems to rest far more at the level of strategy. Our adversariesfrom ISIL, to Iran and North Korea, to China and Russiaare inside our decision cycle. They are capable of responding to events, deciding, and acting faster than we are. Instead, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. government more broadly, appears increasingly incapable of adapting and innovating at speeds sufficient to maintain the initiative and keep us a step ahead of our adversaries. The DOD also appears increasingly challenged by strategic integrationintegrating thought and action across regions, across domains of military activity, and across short-term and long-term requirements. Perhaps this should not be surprising when, as previous witnesses have testified, the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Defense are the only two leaders in the Department with directive authority to mandate this kind of strategic integration. All of these problems are compounded by the fact that civilian control and oversight of the military has increasingly become confused with civilian micromanagement of the military. This is not an attempt to condemn an organization just because some disagree at times with its conclusions. This is a broader problem. Our defense organization has consistently been too slow in adapting to the threats and challenges we face today, and will face tomorrow. And there are real questions as to whether our current defense organization, which has long assumed that the wars it would fight would be short and largely one-sided, is optimally set up to succeed in long-term strategic and military competitions with great power rivals and non-state actors like ISIL. Part of this problem may lie, as previous witnesses have testified, in how the Department educates and develops its civilian and military leaders when it comes to strategy. I will be eager to hear our witnesses thoughts on how to improve the Departments development and management of its people in this regard. And yet, we must always remember that bad organizations all too often trump good people. Ultimately, we must get this right because we have never confronted a more complex, uncertain, and numerous array of worldwide threats, and our margin for error as a nation is not what it once was, and indeed, is dramatically diminishing relative to our competitors. We have largely weathered the consequences of our previous failures, but without changes, we may not remain so fortunate for long. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=277e8a0f-5732-4b8f-a44c-6d1c4a1526da,SENATOR JOHN McCAIN INTRODUCES BILL TO ADDRESS BORDER PATROL STAFFING CRISIS AT RURAL BORDER PATROL STATIONS & PORTS OF ENTRY,2015-12-08,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) introduced a bill today that would allow the men and women serving as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and officers to earn hardship duty pay when assigned to highly trafficked rural areas along the U.S. border. This pay would incentivize well-trained agents and officers to work at some of the most demanding stations and ports along our border to keep our communities safe and facilitate cross-border trade. Currently, Border Patrol is almost 1,000 agents under the 21,370-agent minimum set by Congress. At our ports of entry, CBP has hired less than 1,000 of the 2,000 additional officers that were funded by Congress in 2014 and remains short of the congressionally mandated staffing level of 23,775.Increased attrition, particularly in rural areas along the border, has compounded this staffing shortfall. At the Tucson Field Operations Office, there has been a net loss of 27 CBP officers over the last fiscal year, even with new funding to hire additional officers. Ive seen first-hand the staffing crisis we are facing at border stations and ports of entry in some of the most rural and highly trafficked areas along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, said Senator McCain. This shortage not only leaves us with a gaping hole in national security, but it also harms our ability to facilitate much-needed trade across the border. We need to do more to attract and retain well-trained and effective Border Patrol agents at demanding stations and ports, and this bill offers an important way to do that so we can keep our communities safe and grow our local economies. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council; Guillermo Valencia, chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority; and Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas also praised the legislation: We thank Senator McCain for his leadership and hard work over the past 20 years to help secure our border and protect our communities, said Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council. This legislation will assist CBP in recruiting and retaining high-caliber agents in some of the most remote regions of the border. Senator McCains approach makes sense and is critical to our long-term border security strategy. Our ports of entry continue to be severely understaffed, said Guillermo Valencia, Chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority. We are excited to see this initiative as it provides an additional incentive for prospective recruits to look at our border as an area of growth and opportunity. We remain committed to working with Senator McCain and our federal partners to fully staff our ports of entry. We have seen the difficulties in attracting and retaining good Customs officers in rural areas of the Southwest Border, said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. This is a much-needed boost to put boots on the ground at the ports of entry where they are needed most. The text of the legislation is attached. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=de741b40-4ca8-4ed2-812b-d70db1a7e1f0,SENATORS McCAIN & AYOTTE INTRODUCE SENATE RESOLUTION DISAPPROVING OF FEDERAL RULES ESTABLISHING USDA CATFISH INSPECTION OFFICE,2015-12-07,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) introduced a Resolution of Disapproval under the Congressional Review Act today that would nullify the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) final rules establishing the catfish inspection program. Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can overturn actions by a federal agency, like USDA, after a rule is formally published and submitted to Congress. If the resolution is enacted into law, it would nullify the new catfish inspection rules, which were officially published on December 2, including any portions of the regulations that have already gone into effect. We are proud to continue the fight to repeal the USDA catfish inspection office, which is an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars and a classic example of anti-free market protectionism, said Senators McCain and Ayotte. The Obama Administrations establishment of this program comes despite the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already performs seafood inspections and the Governmental Accountability Office has repeatedly warned that the USDA catfish office would be wasteful and duplicative and would invite retaliation from Asian-Pacific trading partners against American agriculture exports. As a result of this program, the American taxpayer is estimated to be on the hook for $15 million a year to pay for USDA catfish inspectors who will be working alongside FDA inspectors doing the exact same job. The true purpose of the catfish program is to erect a trade barrier against foreign catfish suppliers to the economic benefit of a handful of domestic catfish growers in southern states. Over the past several years, weve sponsored legislation to eliminate this program and we urge our colleagues to join us in sending a message that we wont stand for this wasteful catfish inspection office. The text of the resolution is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-representative-martha-mcsally-responds-president-s-speech-isis,U.S. Representative Martha McSally Responds to the Presidents Speech on ISIS,2015-12-06,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"TUCSON U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after the Presidents speech about combating ISIS: What we saw tonight was a wasted opportunity to show real leadership on this issue and present a stronger strategy to defeat ISIS. We have not contained ISIS. Theyve grown and metastasized, fueled by our weak efforts to destroy them. Instead of more of the same, as the President called for tonight, we need a new, comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIS and keep Americans safe. The first thing we need to do is implement the recommendations put out by my colleagues and I on the Foreign Fighter Task Force to increase protections against the threat of foreign fighter travel and combat homegrown extremism. I will be working with my colleagues in the coming weeks to do just that. Second, we need to abandon our current half-hearted and failed military approach and start unleashing our full air power to destroy ISIS command and control, means of finance, and critical capabilities. Radical Islamic terrorism is a real and dangerous threat to Americans and our way of life and its time our Administration started acting like it. Instead of more of the status quo, we need a comprehensive strategy to actually defeat ISIS and the evil they represent. Ill continue to work to see that happen.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6a770c90-794e-48fa-8020-d9e723ca014f,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON PRESIDENT OBAMAS SPEECH ON TERRORISM,2015-12-06,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement tonight on President Obamas address on the threat of terrorism: President Obamas address tonight failed to obscure what has become increasingly clear to the American people: that we are not winning the war against ISIL, and that the threat of terrorism against our homeland is real and growing. As the President said, America should never give in to fear. But neither should we fear to acknowledge the nature and severity of the threats we face and do everything within our power to confront them. President Obama is fond of invoking lessons of our nations recent wars. Yet the simplest and most important lesson is the one he failed to mention tonight: apocalyptic terrorists cannot be allowed to have sanctuary in ungoverned spaces from which to plan attacks against us. Yet after more than a year of an indecisive military campaign, ISIL maintains its sanctuaries in Iraq and Syria from which to conduct and inspire attacks like Paris and San Bernardino. President Obama offered no changes to his reactive, indirect, and incremental strategy. He continues to assume that time is on our side. It is not. If we do not destroy this threat now, and fast, no one should be surprised if America gets attacked again. Whatever we would do in response to such an attack is what we should do now to prevent it. America needs a strategy to destroy ISIL as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that is not what President Obama described tonight. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-gosar-bill-expand-i-11,House Passes Gosar Bill to Expand I-11,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Passes Gosar Bill to Expand I-11 f t # e Washington, DC, December 4, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report for H.R. 22: Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 which included the Congressmans Intermountain West Corridor Development Act, H.R. 1612: share: f t For Immediate Release Date: December 4, 2015 Contact: Steven D. Smith Steven.Smith@mail.house.gov Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report for H.R. 22: Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 which included the Congressmans Intermountain West Corridor Development Act, H.R. 1612: Arizonans throughout the state should be proud that the U.S. southwestern region continues to be one of the fastest growing areas for economic development in the entire country. However, this rapid growth of industry requires an updated infrastructure system to accommodate the increasing volume of transportation. For this reason, I have continued to lead the charge on I-11. Extending I-11 and allowing it to become the main transportation corridor in the West will be an economic boon for our communities, creating jobs, allowing for an easier flow of goods and services and authorizing the construction of much needed infrastructure. America has some significant transportation challenges. Getting I-11 built is just commonsense and the associated economic benefits will help future Arizona generations indefinitely. Background The Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015 extends the future I-11 beyond the Phoenix Las Vegas region to connect shipping ports in Southern Arizona through Northern Nevada to existing major interstate networks in the Northwest. . The full text of the bill can be foundHERE. The MAP-21 Surface Transportation Authorization Act officially designated an Interstate route connecting Phoenix and Las Vegas the largest metropolitan areas in the nation that are not connected via interstate. ClickHEREto read more about this effort. As Co-Chair of the I-11 Caucus, Congressman Gosar was instrumental in passing the initial I-11 authorization and the extension included in the FAST Act. Congressman Gosars legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Mark Amodei, Trent Franks, Ruben Gallego, Raul Grijalva, Cresent Hardy, Joe Heck, Ann Kirkpatrick, Martha McSally, Kyrsten Sinema and Dina Titus. The Senate companion, S 842, of this legislation is sponsored by Senators Flake, Heller, McCain and Reid. H.R. 1612 is endorsed by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Nevada Department of Transportation. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-introduces-bipartisan-bill-end-foreign-donations-influencing-us-elections,Rep. Gosar Introduces Bipartisan Bill to End Foreign Donations Influencing U.S. Elections,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4177, the Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act,a bill that closes certain loopholes in order to prevent the campaign donations of foreign nationals from influencing American elections, a practice which has been banned since 1966: Current disclosure requirements for online donations make it relatively easy for foreign money to influence U.S. elections, despite being banned since 1966. Shockingly, the Government Accountability Institute has reported that the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns received questionable contributions of more than $500 million as a result of poor disclosure requirements. This abuse is not limited to Obamas two presidential campaigns as candidates onboth sides of the aisle have benefitted and possibly been swayed as a result of current loopholes. Itwould be a bipartisan abdication of our American sovereignty to continue to allow our election system to be impacted by foreigners circumventing U.S. law. By increasing disclosure requirements for online donations, we can greatly hinder the ability for people that arent U.S. citizens to unlawfully funnel money to politicians through campaign contributions, and in turn make the process more open to the American people. Fair and transparent elections are at the core of our Republic and Congressional oversight is required to ensure transparency and integrity. This bipartisan bill is a positive step in the right direction and will greatly assist with reining in this abuse.Background The full text of H.R. 4177 can be found HERE. The bipartisan Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act would prohibit foreign nationals from cheating the system and would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the disclosure of the credit verification value (CVV) and billing address for all online contributions. Foreign campaign donations to U.S. elections have been banned under federal law since 1966. A six-month investigation conducted by the Government Accountability Institute found the current online donation system to be extremely vulnerable to bad actors attempting to violate federal contribution limits. During the 2012 campaign cycle, hundreds of millions of dollars flowed to presidential candidates from undisclosed donations. The report also found that of the 446 House and Senate members who have an online donation page, 47.3% do not require the three or four digit credit card security number (officially called the Card Verification Value, or the CVV) for internet contributions.Among other things, the report recommended Congress adopt the three main provisions found in Congressman Gosars bill stating: To correct this, several low-cost, easy-to-implement reforms should be put in place: -Immediately require campaigns to use industry-standard anti-fraud security technologies including, but not limited to, the Card Verification Value (CVV) and a rigorous Address Verification System (AVS). -Immediately require all campaigns to retain and disclose identifying information on all online campaign contributions, including those falling under the $200 nondisclosure threshold currently allowed under federal law. -The Federal Election Commission (FEC) should enforce existing law concerning the solicitation and acceptance of foreign contributions to U.S. federal campaigns. 23 bipartisan cosponsors joined Congressman Gosar in introducing H.R. 4177 including: RepresentativesMark Amodei, Brian Babin,Dave Brat, Ken Buck, Scott DesJarlais, Jeff Duncan, John Duncan, Mike Fitzpatrick, Trent Franks, Tulsi Gabbard, Louie Gohmert, Walter B. Jones, Ann Kirkpatrick, Doug LaMalfa, Luke Messer, Steve Pearce, Bill Posey, Scott Rigell, David Rouzer, Matt Salmon, Pete Sessions,Marlin Stutzman and Joe Wilson. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-leads-bipartisan-effort-give-rural-law-enforcement-resources-jail-illegal,Rep. Gosar Leads Bipartisan Effort to Give Rural Law Enforcement Resources to Jail Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Crimes,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after spearheading a bipartisan letter signed by 43 members of Congress seeking to ensure adequate resources for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) in the fiscal year 2016 funding bill (Omnibus): Law enforcement in America continues to struggle with the tidal wave of illegal immigrants that continue to flood our nation. Yet, the Obama Administration has ignored the federal governments responsibility to enforce our immigration laws, further burdening local communities and sheriffs while forcing them to shell out exorbitant amounts of money to do the federal governments job. It is shameful that the federal government would compound these challenges by failing to compensate states and local governments for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. The Obama Administration needs to either start enforcing the rule of law, including our immigration laws, or reimburse local law enforcement picking up the slack.Background: The full text of the Bipartisan Omnibus letter can be found HERE. SCAAP is a grant program that reimburses states and local governments for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. By law, the federal government is ultimately responsible for immigration enforcement, including the incarceration of undocumented criminal offenders. When deportation or incarceration by the feds is not possible, the law requires the federal government to compensate state and local governments for these incarceration costs.Compensation to local law enforcement agencies under SCAAP currently covers less than 18% of the actual cost of incarcerating undocumented criminal offenders.This effort is supported by the National Association of Counties (NACo). The 43 bipartisan cosigners of the Omnibus letter include Representatives Paul Gosar*, Linda Snchez*, Brian Babin, Lou Barletta, Mo Brooks, Julia Brownley, Bradley Byrne, Lois Capps, Tony Crdenas, Judy Chu, Gerald Connolly, Paul Cook, Henry Cuellar, Susan Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Anna Eshoo, Trent Franks, Raul Grijalva, Cresent Hardy, Alcee Hastings, Joe Heck, Jared Huffman, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ann Kirkpatrick, Doug Lamborn, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Jerry McNerney, Martha McSally, Grace F. Napolitano, Charles B. Rangel, Linda Snchez, Matt Salmon, Adam Schiff, David Schweikert, Kyrsten Sinema, Albio Sires, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Mike Thompson, Dina Titus, Juan Vargas, and Roger Williams. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1752,House Passes Gosar Bill to Expand I-11,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Passes Gosar Bill to Expand I-11 f t # e Washington, DC, December 4, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report for H.R. 22: Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 which included the Congressman's Intermountain West Corridor Development Act, H.R. 1612: share: f t For Immediate Release Date: December 4, 2015 Contact: Steven D. Smith Steven.Smith@mail.house.gov Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House passed the Conference Report for H.R. 22: Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 which included the Congressman's Intermountain West Corridor Development Act, H.R. 1612: Arizonans throughout the state should be proud that the U.S. southwestern region continues to be one of the fastest growing areas for economic development in the entire country. However, this rapid growth of industry requires an updated infrastructure system to accommodate the increasing volume of transportation. For this reason, I have continued to lead the charge on I-11. Extending I-11 and allowing it to become the main transportation corridor in the West will be an economic boon for our communities, creating jobs, allowing for an easier flow of goods and services and authorizing the construction of much needed infrastructure. America has some significant transportation challenges. Getting I-11 built is just commonsense and the associated economic benefits will help future Arizona generations indefinitely. Background The Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015 extends the future I-11 beyond the Phoenix Las Vegas region to connect shipping ports in Southern Arizona through Northern Nevada to existing major interstate networks in the Northwest. . The full text of the bill can be foundHERE. The MAP-21 Surface Transportation Authorization Act officially designated an Interstate route connecting Phoenix and Las Vegas the largest metropolitan areas in the nation that are not connected via interstate. ClickHEREto read more about this effort. As Co-Chair of the I-11 Caucus, Congressman Gosar was instrumental in passing the initial I-11 authorization and the extension included in the FAST Act. Congressman Gosar's legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Mark Amodei, Trent Franks, Ruben Gallego, Raul Grijalva, Cresent Hardy, Joe Heck, Ann Kirkpatrick, Martha McSally, Kyrsten Sinema and Dina Titus. The Senate companion, S 842, of this legislation is sponsored by Senators Flake, Heller, McCain and Reid. H.R. 1612 is endorsed by the Arizona Department of Transportation and Nevada Department of Transportation. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1950,Rep. Gosar Introduces Bipartisan Bill to End Foreign Donations Influencing U.S. Elections,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4177, the Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act,a bill that closes certain loopholes in order to prevent the campaign donations of foreign nationals from influencing American elections, a practice which has been banned since 1966: Current disclosure requirements for online donations make it relatively easy for foreign money to influence U.S. elections, despite being banned since 1966. Shockingly, the Government Accountability Institute has reported that the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns received questionable contributions of more than $500 million as a result of poor disclosure requirements. This abuse is not limited to Obama's two presidential campaigns as candidates onboth sides of the aisle have benefitted and possibly been swayed as a result of current loopholes. Itwould be a bipartisan abdication of our American sovereignty to continue to allow our election system to be impacted by foreigners circumventing U.S. law. By increasing disclosure requirements for online donations, we can greatly hinder the ability for people that aren't U.S. citizens to unlawfully funnel money to politicians through campaign contributions, and in turn make the process more open to the American people. Fair and transparent elections are at the core of our Republic and Congressional oversight is required to ensure transparency and integrity. This bipartisan bill is a positive step in the right direction and will greatly assist with reining in this abuse.Background The full text of H.R. 4177 can be found HERE. The bipartisan Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act would prohibit foreign nationals from cheating the system and would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require the disclosure of the credit verification value (CVV) and billing address for all online contributions. Foreign campaign donations to U.S. elections have been banned under federal law since 1966. A six-month investigation conducted by the Government Accountability Institute found the current online donation system to be extremely vulnerable to bad actors attempting to violate federal contribution limits. During the 2012 campaign cycle, hundreds of millions of dollars flowed to presidential candidates from undisclosed donations. The report also found that of the 446 House and Senate members who have an online donation page, 47.3% do not require the three or four digit credit card security number (officially called the Card Verification Value, or the CVV) for internet contributions.Among other things, the report recommended Congress adopt the three main provisions found in Congressman Gosar's bill stating: To correct this, several low-cost, easy-to-implement reforms should be put in place: -Immediately require campaigns to use industry-standard anti-fraud security technologies including, but not limited to, the Card Verification Value (CVV) and a rigorous Address Verification System (AVS). -Immediately require all campaigns to retain and disclose identifying information on all online campaign contributions, including those falling under the $200 nondisclosure threshold currently allowed under federal law. -The Federal Election Commission (FEC) should enforce existing law concerning the solicitation and acceptance of foreign contributions to U.S. federal campaigns. 23 bipartisan cosponsors joined Congressman Gosar in introducing H.R. 4177 including: RepresentativesMark Amodei, Brian Babin,Dave Brat, Ken Buck, Scott DesJarlais, Jeff Duncan, John Duncan, Mike Fitzpatrick, Trent Franks, Tulsi Gabbard, Louie Gohmert, Walter B. Jones, Ann Kirkpatrick, Doug LaMalfa, Luke Messer, Steve Pearce, Bill Posey, Scott Rigell, David Rouzer, Matt Salmon, Pete Sessions,Marlin Stutzman and Joe Wilson. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1982,Rep. Gosar Leads Bipartisan Effort to Give Rural Law Enforcement Resources to Jail Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Crimes,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after spearheading a bipartisan letter signed by 43 members of Congress seeking to ensure adequate resources for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) in the fiscal year 2016 funding bill (Omnibus): Law enforcement in America continues to struggle with the tidal wave of illegal immigrants that continue to flood our nation. Yet, the Obama Administration has ignored the federal government's responsibility to enforce our immigration laws, further burdening local communities and sheriffs while forcing them to shell out exorbitant amounts of money to do the federal government's job. It is shameful that the federal government would compound these challenges by failing to compensate states and local governments for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. The Obama Administration needs to either start enforcing the rule of law, including our immigration laws, or reimburse local law enforcement picking up the slack.Background: The full text of the Bipartisan Omnibus letter can be found HERE. SCAAP is a grant program that reimburses states and local governments for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants convicted of crimes. By law, the federal government is ultimately responsible for immigration enforcement, including the incarceration of undocumented criminal offenders. When deportation or incarceration by the feds is not possible, the law requires the federal government to compensate state and local governments for these incarceration costs.Compensation to local law enforcement agencies under SCAAP currently covers less than 18% of the actual cost of incarcerating undocumented criminal offenders.This effort is supported by the National Association of Counties (NACo). The 43 bipartisan cosigners of the Omnibus letter include Representatives Paul Gosar*, Linda Snchez*, Brian Babin, Lou Barletta, Mo Brooks, Julia Brownley, Bradley Byrne, Lois Capps, Tony Crdenas, Judy Chu, Gerald Connolly, Paul Cook, Henry Cuellar, Susan Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Anna Eshoo, Trent Franks, Raul Grijalva, Cresent Hardy, Alcee Hastings, Joe Heck, Jared Huffman, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ann Kirkpatrick, Doug Lamborn, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Jerry McNerney, Martha McSally, Grace F. Napolitano, Charles B. Rangel, Linda Snchez, Matt Salmon, Adam Schiff, David Schweikert, Kyrsten Sinema, Albio Sires, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Mike Thompson, Dina Titus, Juan Vargas, and Roger Williams. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=ca2f9165-ab2d-4d95-a6ae-3f9f0a08c5a3,VIDEO: Flake Motions to Strip $3 Billion Crop Insurance Subsidy Hike in Highway Bill,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) yesterday evening raised a point of order to strip a provision from a highway funding bill to increase subsidies to private insurance companies participating in the federal crop insurance program by $3 billion dollars. Congress had approved $3 billion in cuts to those subsidies to offset and justify spending increases in the October 29 budget deal. Flakes attempt to preserve those savings was defeated in Senate by a vote of 22-75. If we're ever going to get serious about controlling our deficit and addressing our debt, then we've actual got to stick to some of the cuts that we've made. That's what this point of order is all about, said Flake. Video of Flakes remarks can viewed here. A transcript can be viewed here. Background: During debate on the budget bill which included the $3 billion in savings from crop insurance subsidies to offset spending increases crop insurance advocates secured an agreement to reverse those savings in upcoming legislation. In response, Flake took to the Senate floor to criticize the move, noting that Congress had not even waited to pass the bill before agreeing to go back on the spending cuts it included. Video of Flakes speech can be viewed here. In November, Flake and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced S. 2244, the Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures (AFFIRM) Act, a bipartisan bill that would reform the crop insurance system to save taxpayers about $24.4 billion over the next 10 years. The reforms included lowering the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) rate of return from 14.5 percent to 8.9 percent, eliminating an unprecedented restriction in the 2014 farm bill that currently prohibits USDA from achieving any savings when it renegotiates the SRA, and eliminating subsidies for a costly but little-publicized profit guarantee known as Harvest Price Option. The bill would also limit the total value of crop insurance subsidies to $40,000 per person each year and eliminate subsidies for those with a gross income of more than $250,000. In May, Flake and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced S. 1442, the Exclusion for deficit Reduction in Agriculture Subsidies Elimination (ERASE) Act. The bill would eliminate an unprecedented restriction buried in the 2014 farm bill that prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from achieving any savings when it renegotiates its five-year subsidy deal, known as SRA, with the private companies that administer federal crop insurance. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=251f74e8-6eaa-4b86-970e-795b386dbf65,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION & POSITIVE IMPACT FOR ARIZONA SMALL BUSINESSES,2015-12-04,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement on his vote yesterday to reauthorize the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank, which since 2007 has provided financing for nearly 150 Arizona businesses, helping them to create jobs and reach new markets: Yesterday, I was proud to support Arizona small businesses and jobs by voting to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. Since 2007, the Ex-Im Bank has helped 148 mostly small- and medium-sized companies across Arizona tap into financing opportunities to grow their businesses, create jobs, and export $1 billion in products to countries like Mexico and Australia. While the reauthorization that passed last night is an important step forward for Arizona businesses, I continue to believe that there is much more that needs to be done to enhance oversight and reform this program so that we can better protect the American taxpayer. Ultimately, this reauthorization will enable businesses in Arizona and across the country reach new international markets and grow jobs for hardworking citizens. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-gosar-bridenstine-yoho-amendment-limiting-frivolous-and-costly,"House Passes Gosar, Bridenstine, Yoho Amendment Limiting Frivolous and Costly Environmental Lawsuits",2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Passes Gosar, Bridenstine, Yoho Amendment Limiting Frivolous and Costly Environmental Lawsuits f t # e Washington, DC, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after joining House colleagues Representatives Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) in passing an amendment that will limit frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant payouts to lawyers that challenge energy projects which have already gone through the environmental process and been issued permits and subsequently attached the amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act: share: f t For Immediate Release Date: December 2, 2015 Contact: Steven D. Smith Steven.Smith@mail.house.gov Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after joining House colleagues Representatives Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) in passing an amendment that will limit frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant payouts to lawyers that challenge energy projects which have already gone through the environmental process and been issued permits and subsequently attached the amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act: Extremist environmental groups have been abusing our legal system and intentionally pushing frivolous lawsuits to shut down important energy production on federal land. Furthermore, these lawsuits engineered by special-interest Washington D.C. lawyers are billing the federal government at exorbitant rates which cost American taxpayers as much as $750 an hour. These bogus environmental organizations are directly threatening the livelihoods of countless American communities that heavily rely on energy production to sustain their livelihoods. Im pleased to see my House colleagues support this commonsense amendment that supports a true all-of-the-above energy strategy and encourages American energy development. A government, accountable to the people, should always seek to ensure proper stewardship of the publics dollar, time and resources. This is a responsible solution that increases transparency and cracks down on overpaid Washington D.C. attorneys and extremist special-interest groups holding-up American energy production. Background:The text of the Gosar/Bridenstine/Yoho amendment can be found HERE. Specifically, the amendment requires that U.S. district courts hear and determine covered civil action challenges as expeditiously as practicable and that all covered civil actions be filed within 90 days of the final federal agency action. The amendment prevents payouts under the Equal Access to Justice Act to cover attorneys fees, expenses, or other court costs incurred by parties that challenge covered energy projects on federal lands. Covered energy projects under the amendment include oil, natural gas, coal, geothermal, hydropower, any other source of energy produced on federal lands. A new report issued just over a month ago by the National Association of Environmental Professionals found that it took federal agencies an average of 1,709 days to complete the permitting review process. Once energy producers get through this lengthy regulatory process which allows significant comment from all perspectives, quite often these projects are then challenged by special-interest groups in court where they can linger for several more years. Just this week, the House unanimously passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Congressman Gosar; H.R. 3279, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act. This bipartisan bill tracks how much money is paid out under the Equal Access to Justice Act, EAJA, and from which agencies. This legislation was necessary because while Congress used to track such information, these practices were stopped in 1995. Click HERE to learn more. The Gosar/Bridenstine/Yoho amendment is endorsed by: Americans for Limited Government; American Petroleum Institute; Anglers United, Inc.; Arizona Builders Alliance; Arizona Liberty; Arizona Mining Association; Arizona Pork Council; Arizona Rock Products Association; Arizona Small Business Association; AZ BASS Nation; The Bass Federation; Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce; Concerned Citizens for America; Gavel Resources; Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association; Navopache Electric Cooperative; Shake, Rattle & Troll Radio; Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative; the Rural Public Lands County Council; Tucson Electric Power; Yuma County Chamber of Commerce; State Senator Sylvia Allen; Gila County Supervisor John Marcanti; Moffat County Supervisor John Kincaid; Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller; Former Chairman of the House Resources Committee Richard Pombo; Taxpayers Wayne Cameron and Rory Van Poucke. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1757,"House Passes Gosar, Bridenstine, Yoho Amendment Limiting Frivolous and Costly Environmental Lawsuits",2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"House Passes Gosar, Bridenstine, Yoho Amendment Limiting Frivolous and Costly Environmental Lawsuits f t # e Washington, DC, December 3, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after joining House colleagues Representatives Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) in passing an amendment that will limit frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant payouts to lawyers that challenge energy projects which have already gone through the environmental process and been issued permits and subsequently attached the amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act: share: f t For Immediate Release Date: December 2, 2015 Contact: Steven D. Smith Steven.Smith@mail.house.gov Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after joining House colleagues Representatives Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Ted Yoho (R-FL) in passing an amendment that will limit frivolous lawsuits and exorbitant payouts to lawyers that challenge energy projects which have already gone through the environmental process and been issued permits and subsequently attached the amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act: Extremist environmental groups have been abusing our legal system and intentionally pushing frivolous lawsuits to shut down important energy production on federal land. Furthermore, these lawsuits engineered by special-interest Washington D.C. lawyers are billing the federal government at exorbitant rates which cost American taxpayers as much as $750 an hour. These bogus environmental organizations are directly threatening the livelihoods of countless American communities that heavily rely on energy production to sustain their livelihoods. I'm pleased to see my House colleagues support this commonsense amendment that supports a true all-of-the-above energy strategy and encourages American energy development. A government, accountable to the people, should always seek to ensure proper stewardship of the public's dollar, time and resources. This is a responsible solution that increases transparency and cracks down on overpaid Washington D.C. attorneys and extremist special-interest groups holding-up American energy production. Background:The text of the Gosar/Bridenstine/Yoho amendment can be found HERE. Specifically, the amendment requires that U.S. district courts hear and determine covered civil action challenges as expeditiously as practicable and that all covered civil actions be filed within 90 days of the final federal agency action. The amendment prevents payouts under the Equal Access to Justice Act to cover attorneys' fees, expenses, or other court costs incurred by parties that challenge covered energy projects on federal lands. Covered energy projects under the amendment include oil, natural gas, coal, geothermal, hydropower, any other source of energy produced on federal lands. A new report issued just over a month ago by the National Association of Environmental Professionals found that it took federal agencies an average of 1,709 days to complete the permitting review process. Once energy producers get through this lengthy regulatory process which allows significant comment from all perspectives, quite often these projects are then challenged by special-interest groups in court where they can linger for several more years. Just this week, the House unanimously passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Congressman Gosar; H.R. 3279, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act. This bipartisan bill tracks how much money is paid out under the Equal Access to Justice Act, EAJA, and from which agencies. This legislation was necessary because while Congress used to track such information, these practices were stopped in 1995. Click HERE to learn more. The Gosar/Bridenstine/Yoho amendment is endorsed by: Americans for Limited Government; American Petroleum Institute; Anglers United, Inc.; Arizona Builders Alliance; Arizona Liberty; Arizona Mining Association; Arizona Pork Council; Arizona Rock Products Association; Arizona Small Business Association; AZ BASS Nation; The Bass Federation; Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce; Concerned Citizens for America; Gavel Resources; Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association; Navopache Electric Cooperative; Shake, Rattle & Troll Radio; Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative; the Rural Public Lands County Council; Tucson Electric Power; Yuma County Chamber of Commerce; State Senator Sylvia Allen; Gila County Supervisor John Marcanti; Moffat County Supervisor John Kincaid; Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller; Former Chairman of the House Resources Committee Richard Pombo; Taxpayers Wayne Cameron and Rory Van Poucke. ### f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-responds-military-s-announcement-opening-all-positions,U.S. Rep. McSally Responds to Militarys Announcement Opening All Positions to Women,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced the military would open all positions to women. A retired Air Force Colonel who served 26 years in the military, Rep. McSally was the first woman to fly in combat and first woman to command a fighter squadron in U.S. history. Todays historic announcement finally recognizes that our military is strongest when it prioritizes merit and capability, not gender and its about damn time, said Rep. McSally. Women have been fighting and dying for our country since its earliest wars. They have shown they can compete with the best of the best, and succeed. We are a country that looks at people as individuals, not groups. We select the best man for the job, even if its a woman. I couldnt be prouder today of all the women warriors out there who have shown they have what it takes to be the best and serve with the best. Ill continue to work with my colleagues to oversee the integration process and ensure our forces readiness with our most capable men and women.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-statement-passage-transportation-bill-conference-report,U.S. Rep. McSally Statement on Passage of Transportation Bill Conference Report,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after the House passed the conference report for H.R. 22, the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a long-term reauthorization of surface transportation infrastructure projects. Rep. McSally led advocacy on four Southern Arizona priorities, including the Sonoran Corridor, that were included in the bill. After months of persistent efforts to advocate for our priorities, we have secured major victories for Southern Arizona families in this bill, said Rep. McSally. The legislation advances projects such as the widening of SR-189 near Nogales and the construction of the Sonoran Corridor, a project that could bring about billions of dollars in economic growth and hundreds of thousands of new jobs here. It also enables federal funding for important trade routes like the I-19 network and I-11 system. This is what getting things done looks like, and Im proud of the bipartisan work in the House and Senate to move this bill forward. I am so thankful for Sen. McCain's and Rep. McSallys leadership in getting this designation added to the Transportation bill and through the Congress,"" said Sharon Bronson, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. ""Their leadership, combined with the strong bi-partisan support this project received from the entire Arizona Congressional delegation, resulted in a major victory for the people of southern Arizona and the entire state. The Sonoran Corridor has the potential to be the most significant economic development effort in the countys history. The very foundation, the very backbone of the entire effort is the auxiliary highway connecting the two interstates. This designation is the first, vital step on the long road we still have to travel for funding and construction. The future prosperity of our region just got a little brighter today. Southern Arizonas business leaders applaud the passage of this bill as a vital step to enhance our nations critical transportation infrastructure, said Ronald Shoopman, President and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Todays passage is very positive news for our region, and we commend Rep. McSallys leadership and persistent advocacy efforts for all of Southern Arizonas priorities included in this legislation. The Conference Report to H.R. 22 passed the House today in a strongly bipartisan vote 369-65. The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation this week. In June, Rep. McSally introduced bipartisan legislation, the Sonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act, to designate the Sonoran Corridor a High Priority Corridor on the National Highway System. On August 18, she led a letter signed by the full Arizona delegation to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation calling for the inclusion of the designation in long-term transportation reauthorization legislation. A recently released report estimates the corridor project would eventually create a $32.2 billion annual impact to the regional economy and would directly and indirectly support as many 189,000 jobs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://schweikert.house.gov/2015/12/03/flight-path-disruption-survey-announced/,Flight Path Disruption Survey Announced,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,David Schweikert,S001183,schweikert.house.gov,schweikert,https://schweikert.house.gov/category/congress_press_release/,scraper,"Scottsdale, AZ, December 3 – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) has created a portal on his website for constituents to submit their complaints to the FAA regarding recent flight path changes. For over a year, Arizona communities have been harmed by acute noise from planes following new flight paths that the FAA implemented without consultation from the neighborhoods impacted. Our quality of life has declined drastically, making it unbearable to enjoy our desert landscapes without the buzzing of passenger jets. The FAA has repeatedly failed to act as a willing partner in resolving this crisis. As such, I am asking you to tell your story on how these flight paths have impacted your life. I will be submitting each story directly to FAA headquarters directly on your behalf. The FAA must engage our communities and must resolve the crisis they have created. Please take a moment to fill out our survey, click the link below and it will direct you to the portal. LINK IS CLOSED Back to News",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T20:33:33Z https://schweikert.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/flight-path-disruption-survey-announced,Flight Path Disruption Survey Announced,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,David Schweikert,S001183,schweikert.house.gov,,,legacy,"Scottsdale, AZ, December 3 - Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) has created a portal on his website for constituents to submit their complaints to the FAA regarding recent flight path changes.   For over a year, Arizona communities have been harmed by acute noise from planes following new flight paths that the FAA implemented without consultation from the neighborhoods impacted. Our quality of life has declined drastically, making it unbearable to enjoy our desert landscapes without the buzzing of passenger jets.   The FAA has repeatedly failed to act as a willing partner in resolving this crisis. As such, I am asking you to tell your story on how these flight paths have impacted your life. I will be submitting each story directly to FAA headquarters directly on your behalf.   The FAA must engage our communities and must resolve the crisis they have created. Please take a moment to fill out our survey, click the link below and it will direct you to the portal.   LINK IS CLOSED",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=90014978-3f84-46cc-8b70-7863938798d2,Flake Statement on Advancement of Major Trade Route Designations for Arizona,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Flake (R-Ariz.) today made the following statement on the approval of two provisions that he authored with U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to extend the designation of I-11 and to designate the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate. I am pleased Congress approved the extension of the Interstate 11 designation and designated the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate. These roads have the potential to serve as a boon to trade and economic growth both in Arizona and nationwide, said Flake. Background: The approved provision mirrors two pieces of legislation previously introduced by Flake and McCain. S. 1649, the Sonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act, would designate the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate and connect I-19 to I-10. S. 842, the Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, would expand the designation of the future I-11 interstate south from Phoenix to Arizonas southern border and north to Las Vegas, Nev. and I-80. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=e3a63c56-b621-40c6-852d-adf99cb37abc,FLOOR STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN SUPPORTING OBAMACARE REPEAL,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the following statement on the floor of the U.S. Senate in strong support of the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act that would repeal Obamacare, which the Senate will vote on later today: It has now been over five years since President Obama signed into law the so-called Affordable Care Act, a sweeping health care overhaul that passed this chamber without a single Republican vote. While legislation as important as this should have been held to the highest standard and included broad bipartisan support, President Obama and Congressional Democrats relied on fuzzy math and false promises to jam through this enormous, unwieldy health care measure that the American people overwhelmingly oppose. Such unilateral action has become President Obamas signature domestic policy legacy. But today, all that bullying and brinksmanship comes to a screeching halt. The legislation we will vote on today takes a critical step forward in lifting the burden that Obamacare has placed on hardworking citizens across the country who have been saddled by rising premiums, increased health care costs, and reduced access to doctors and hospitals. It continues our long fight to repeal this harmful law and build a bridge to health care solutions that work. Since Obamacares enactment, Americans have been left wondering: What happened to all of the presidents promises? His promise to remove obstacles to obtaining coverage? His promise to reduce yearly premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family? His promise to maintain existing provider networks for those who liked their doctors? His promise to prevent any form of new tax increases? His promise to increase competition and provide greater choice? Despite all of the presidents assurances, Obamacare has been full of empty promises that have only made our nations health care problems worse. One of the many reasons I voted against Obamacare was because despite being portrayed as affordable, there were numerous predictions that Americans across the country would be faced with increased health care costs. Unfortunately, such predictions have become a reality. Just as recently as this past summer, the president promised that under Obamacare, health insurance premium increases would be modest. This is despite the fact that state insurance regulators and actuaries were predicting the exact opposite outcome. Lets take a look at just how modest these cost increases will be for my home state of Arizona. Data released last month by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that Americans enrolled in the federal marketplace will see an average premium increase of at least 7.5 percent for the second-lowest cost silver plans, known as bench mark plans. In Arizona, 24 exchange plans will see double-digit rate hikes in 2016. In Phoenix, premium increases are projected to top 19 percent. The highest average premium increase in my home state is projected to reach a whopping 78 percent. My constituents in Arizona call and write me daily, daily, begging and pleading that something be done to alleviate the financial hardship of Obamacare. For example: Thomas from Flagstaff wrote to me that his monthly premiums jumped from $200 a month to $600 a month; Jim, a resident of Arizona for over 25 years, will soon pay an additional $160 per week; Glen from Lake Havasu City has seen his premiums increase 50 percent per year since signing up for Obamacare and as a result, has quote: had to change to a lower plan AND settle for much less coverage. But it is letters like the one I received from Len from Litchfield Park, Arizona that epitomize just how dire the situation actually is. In his letter, Len wrote, quote: Dear Senator McCain I'm writing because my wife and [my] health care costs have gotten out of control. Our monthly premiums have increased 110% while our deductible has sky rocketed. Last year I had a small medical procedure that we had to pay out of our pocket because the deductible wasn't met. We can't afford this. Our choice now is, buy health care and not go to the doctor because we can't afford it, or just be ill and pay health premiumsIn short, health care is going to drive us to be broke. Stories like Lens and so many others are unacceptable. While my the president and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to describe Obamacare as a success, families, patients, doctors and small businesses across America continue to suffer from the disastrous effects of the presidents failed health care law. Today, I am proud to once again stand with my Republican colleagues as we continue the fight to repeal and replace Obamacare. From the start I opposed the sweeping scope of this healthcare law and proudly proposed the first Republican amendment to Obamacare in 2009, which would have prevented the president from slashing Medicare by half-a-trillion dollars. Since then, I have continued my efforts by sponsoring numerous other pieces of legislation that would lift the burden that has been placed on individuals and small businesses alike. Most recently, I reintroduced the Obamacare Opt-Out Act with Senator Barrasso this Congress, which would give Americans the freedom to opt-out of the individual mandate for health insurance coverage required by Obamacare. It is critical that we eliminate this costly mandate, which is estimated to cost Americans who decide not to enroll in Obamacare at least $695 per adult and $347 per child in 2016, and even more in the years ahead. The legislation we will vote on today takes an even bigger step forward in freeing Americans from the harmful effects of this law: It provides relief to individuals and employers alike by eliminating costly penalties for those who fail to comply with Obamacares mandate; It repeals draconian tax increases, like the medical device tax and the Cadillac tax, that have made health care more expensive and driven innovative companies to move critical operations and research and development overseas; It ensures Americans will not experience any disruption in their health care coverage by delaying the implementation date by two years; and most importantly, It gets the government out of the way and puts patients in charge of their health care decisions and needs. The fact is, we can repeal and replace Obamacare with health care policies that work. For years, I have underscored common-sense policy alternatives such as providing Americans with a direct, refundable tax credit to help them pay for private health care; expanding the benefits of Health Savings Accounts; passing medical liability reform or tort reform; and extending the freedom to purchase health care across state lines. These are proposals that would provide immediate relief to Americans like Len from Arizona who have been left to choose between buying groceries or paying for health insurance under Obamacare. Perhaps the greatest flaw in President Obamas health care law is that it has severely limited consumers access to quality care. Today, limited access is now commonplace, costs are increasing, and government bureaucrats remain at the center of an individuals health care decisions. Its clear that any serious attempt to improve our health care system must begin with a full repeal and replacement of Obamacare a mission I remain fully committed to fighting on behalf of the people of Arizona. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this critically important bill today that will build a bridge from the presidents broken promises to a better health care system for hardworking families in Arizona and across the country. Thank you. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=fb3e2669-187a-4bee-a244-127e7f32e158,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON SUPPORTING THE WARFIGHTER OF TODAY & TOMORROW,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on supporting the warfighter of today and tomorrow: The Senate Armed Services Committee meets to continue our series of hearing on defense reform. In our three previous hearings, we have reviewed the effects of the Goldwater-Nichols reforms on our defense acquisition, management, and personnel systems. In todays hearing, and the two that will follow it, we will consider what most view as the essence of Goldwater-Nichols: the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the service secretaries and service chiefs, and the combatant commanders. This morning we seek to understand whether these civilian and military leadership organizations can function better to support the warfighters of today and tomorrow. We are fortunate to welcome a distinguished panel of witnesses who have grappled with these challenging issues over their many years of service to our nation: The Honorable Michael B. Donley, former Secretary of the Air Force; Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn, former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; and General James Jones, former National Security Advisor; Supreme Allied Commander and Commander of U.S. European Command; and Commandant of the Marine Corps. We welcome all of you here this morning. Thirty years ago, Congress passed Goldwater-Nichols in response to serious concerns about the effectiveness of our military. The failure of the Iranian hostage rescue mission in 1980 and poor coordination between the services during the invasion of Grenada in 1983 were clear signs that something was wrong. Congress and others concluded that these failures were driven by a number of factors, including the absence of unity of command and an inability to operate jointly. Goldwater-Nichols sought to address these problems by making the unified commanders explicitly responsible to the President and the Secretary of Defense for the performance of missions and preparedness of their commands. Combatant commanders were given the ability to issue authoritative direction on all aspects of operations, joint training, logistics, internal chains of command, and personnel within their assigned areas of responsibility. Goldwater-Nichols also removed the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the operational chain of command and prevented the services from moving forces in and out of regional commands without approval. Just five years after the passage of Goldwater-Nichols, Americas rapid and stunning victory in the 1991 Gulf War seemed to suggest that these reforms had worked. However, more recent experience on the battlefield has led to renewed concern about the respective roles and responsibilities of the service chiefs and the combatant commanders as conceived in Goldwater-Nichols. A decade and a half of war in Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that the Department of Defense is not optimally organized for protracted conflicts. As Secretary Gates recently testified to this committee, his experience as a wartime secretary led him to conclude that the Department of Defense is designed to plan for war but not to wage war at least for the long term. Indeed, whatever one thinks about the circumstances by which we went to war in Iraq 12 years ago, it should be deeply concerning to all of us that our nation was losing that war for three years, and the strategy that ultimately turned things around did not emerge from the system, but rather from a small group of internal insurgents and outside experts working around the system. That is a compelling indictment of our defense organization. For some, including Secretary Gates, Goldwater-Nichols succeeded all too well by turning the services into force providers that are perhaps too walled off from operational responsibilities. With a confined focus on the train and equip mission, the services have overwhelmingly concentrated more on delivering long-term programs of record than urgently-needed capabilities in current conflicts. While this problem raises serious questions, we must be cautious of the other extreme. If combatant commanders were fully resourced with everything they believe is necessary for their theater, the Department of Defense would be totally sapped of resources to invest in critical technologies needed to counter future adversaries. I look forward to our witnesses views on whether the Department could strike a better balance between supporting both the warfighters of today and tomorrowand if so, how. At the same time, we must also ensure that the operational organization of our military accurately reflects and responds to our present and future national security challenges. Our nation confronts the most diverse and complex array of crises since the end of World War II from ISIL and al-Qaeda, to North Korea and Iran, to Russia and China. What all of these threats have in common is that they are not confined to single regions of the world. They span multiple regions and domains of military activity. And yet, our combatant commands are still predominantly geographically. We must ensure that our defense organization has the regional and functional flexibility and agility to address cross-cutting national security missions. Many of our prior witnesses have observed that combatant commands no longer directly fight wars, as Goldwater-Nichols originally envisioned. Instead, that is done by joint task forces, established on an ad hoc basis and tailored to a given contingency operation. This makes the dramatic growth of the headquarters staffs at the combatant commands all the more difficult to justify. I would be eager to hear from our witnesses whether, 30 years after Goldwater-Nichols, we should consider re-imagining, re-organizing, or consolidating our combatant commands I thank our witnesses and look forward to their testimony. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=090412f2-adce-4e40-998e-8b2a6da0665a,CONGRESS PASSES McCAINS MEASURES ADVANCING MAJOR TRADE ROUTE DESIGNATIONS FOR ARIZONA,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate delivered final passage of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), a five-year, bipartisan, bicameral bill that provides authorization and funding to enhance roads, bridges, and transit programs in Arizona and across the country. This bill is vital to providing state and local officials in Arizona certainty to set transportation priorities, invest in critical infrastructure and plan wisely. It also includes measures supported by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that would pave the way for establishing the Sonoran Corridor and the future Interstate 11 (I-11). These roads will ensure that Arizona has the infrastructure it needs to develop significant international trade routes for the Western United States. The FAST Act will now be sent to President Obamas desk for signature. Senator McCain originally introduced these measures in the Senate with theSonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act of 2015and theIntermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, which were ultimately included as part of the FAST Act. These provisions will designate the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate to connect I-19 to I-10 south of the Tucson International Airport, and the future I-11 from Phoenix north to Las Vegas and I-80, and south to Arizonas southern border. Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) also sponsored these measures in the House of Representatives. This long-term authorization bill provides the funding certainty that state and local officials in Arizona need to repair our aging roads and improve critical infrastructure, while improving safety for all Americans in transit, said Senator McCain. Im particularly proud that this bill includes measures that I cosponsored that will enable Arizona to become a key part of an international trade route that reaches all the way to the southern border, driving economic growth statewide. While this legislation is not perfect, it advances important provisions to help improve our nations infrastructure and connect Arizonas businesses and communities to major domestic and international trade partners. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and leaders from across Arizona also praised the legislation: I commend Congress for passing a long-term transportation bill to support critical transportation projects serving our state, said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. This action today will further our mission of creating a transportation system that drives Arizonas economic development, and attracts business and commerce throughout the state. Transportation is a key element in growing our economy and providing opportunity for all. I am so thankful for Senator McCain and Representative McSallys leadership in getting this designation added to the transportation bill and through the Congress, said Sharon Bronson, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Their leadership, combined with the strong bipartisan support this project received from the entire Arizona Congressional delegation, resulted in a major victory for the people of southern Arizona and the entire state. The Sonoran Corridor has the potential to be the most significant economic development effort in the countys history. The very foundation, the very backbone of the entire effort is the auxiliary highway connecting the two interstates. This designation is the first, vital step on the long road we still have to travel for funding and construction. The future prosperity of our region just got a little brighter today. I'm very pleased this project has made it past this hurdle, said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. The Sonoran Corridor is important to our airport, our major employers, and our regional economy. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber and our affiliated chambers in Nogales, Douglas and Sierra Vista applaud Senator McCain and Congresswoman McSally for their leadership in advancing these major trade route designations for the state of Arizona, said Lea Mrquez Peterson, president of Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The passage of these measures will enhance the importance of a key trading route from Mexico to the United States. The Sonoran Corridor will create an alternative route that will enable the hundreds of thousands of freight vehicles traveling through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales each year to avoid having to pass through the congested city of Tucson to reach major trade routes using I-10. This development is estimated to reduce total travel by 12 miles and 20 minutes per truck, connecting southern Arizona to agricultural regions, infrastructure and manufacturing centers, and existing high priority corridors of the National Highway System. The Sonoran Corridor will also be home to the new Aerospace Parkway next to Tucson International Airport, which has the potential to become one of the largest manufacturing and logistics hubs in the Southwest. The future I-11 will extend from Arizonas southern border through Phoenix to Las Vegas and north through the State of Nevada, ensuring the future interstate is connected to the Northwestern United States and plays a key role as an international trade route. Specifically, its designation would provide both states Departments of Transportation the flexibility to develop a Northern Nevada and Southern Arizona connectivity corridors as part of the I-11 effort. This full north-to-south, Canada-to-Mexico interstate system is critical for our nations mobility, economy, and national defense. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=442d7be0-3551-49d9-aa53-553c08552dd9,SENATOR JOHN McCAIN VOTES TO REPEAL OBAMACARE,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the Senates passage of theRestoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, legislation that would repeal Obamacare: Today, I was proud to join my colleagues in Congress to continue the fight to repeal and replace Obamacare. Since its enactment, Obamacare has been full of empty promises that have only made our nations health care problems worse. I hear from Arizonans every day who have been saddled by rising premiums, increased health care costs, and reduced access to doctors and hospitals. In fact, according to data released last month, 24 insurance plans in the Obamacare exchanges will see double-digit rate hikes in 2016, while residents of Phoenix are expected to see their premiums increase to roughly 19 percent. The highest average premium increase in Arizona is projected to reach a whopping 78 percent. For five long years, Americans have been let down by Obamacares broken promises. The legislation we passed today would unburden Americans from the harmful effects of this failed law and build a bridge to health care solutions that work for families in Arizona and across the country. It is clear that any serious attempt to improve our health care system must begin with a full repeal and replacement of Obamacare, and I will continue fighting on behalf of the people of Arizona to achieve it. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4c5279cd-6030-4243-b4c9-738ca9482e1b,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN OPPOSING AMENDMENT TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today opposing an amendment offered to the Budget Reconciliation Act that would increase funding for Planned Parenthood: As a lifelong pro-life American, I strongly oppose the amendment offered today and voted no to sending more taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood. Along with millions of Americans across the country, I was appalled by gruesome footage showing Planned Parenthoods role in the harvesting of unborn baby parts, and was proud to cosponsor legislation that would have defunded this scandal-plagued organization. Its time to take a stand for the rights of all human life, including the unborn, and start doing more to protect the well-being of women, mothers, and their families. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=52301028-b1f9-4a1c-aa1a-7de32929f6ef,ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN STATEMENT ON DECISION TO OPEN ALL COMBAT POSITIONS TO WOMEN,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, released the following statement today on Defense Secretary Ash Carters decision to open all military combat positions to women: Secretary Carter's decision to open all combat positions to women will have a consequential impact on our servicemembers and our military's warfighting capabilities. The Congress has an essential Constitutional role to make rules for the government and regulation of our nation's armed forces. Moreover, by law, the Congress has a 30-day period to review the implications of today's decision. The Senate and House Armed Services Committees intend to carefully and thoroughly review all relevant documentation related to today's decision, including the 1,000-page Marine Integrated Task Force report. We expect the Department to send over its implementation plans as quickly as possible to ensure our Committees have all the information necessary to conduct proper and rigorous oversight. We also look forward to receiving the Departments views on any changes to the Selective Service Act that may be required as a result of this decision. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=cc017ed5-6821-402f-b222-f6084aee4416,CONGRESS PASSES McCAINS MEASURES ADVANCING MAJOR TRADE ROUTE DESIGNATIONS FOR ARIZONA,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate delivered final passage of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), a five-year, bipartisan, bicameral bill that provides authorization and funding to enhance roads, bridges, and transit programs in Arizona and across the country. This bill is vital to providing state and local officials in Arizona certainty to set transportation priorities, invest in critical infrastructure and plan wisely. It also includes measures supported by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that would pave the way for establishing the Sonoran Corridor and the future Interstate 11 (I-11). These roads will ensure that Arizona has the infrastructure it needs to develop significant international trade routes for the Western United States. The FAST Act will now be sent to President Obamas desk for signature. Senator McCain originally introduced these measures in the Senate with theSonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act of 2015and theIntermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, which were ultimately included as part of the FAST Act. These provisions will designate the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate to connect I-19 to I-10 south of the Tucson International Airport, and the future I-11 from Phoenix north to Las Vegas and I-80, and south to Arizonas southern border. Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) also sponsored these measures in the House of Representatives. This long-term authorization bill provides the funding certainty that state and local officials in Arizona need to repair our aging roads and improve critical infrastructure, while improving safety for all Americans in transit, said Senator McCain. Im particularly proud that this bill includes measures that I cosponsored that will enable Arizona to become a key part of an international trade route that reaches all the way to the southern border, driving economic growth statewide. While this legislation is not perfect, it advances important provisions to help improve our nations infrastructure and connect Arizonas businesses and communities to major domestic and international trade partners. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and leaders from across Arizona also praised the legislation: I commend Congress for passing a long-term transportation bill to support critical transportation projects serving our state, said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. This action today will further our mission of creating a transportation system that drives Arizonas economic development, and attracts business and commerce throughout the state. Transportation is a key element in growing our economy and providing opportunity for all. I am so thankful for Senator McCain and Representative McSallys leadership in getting this designation added to the transportation bill and through the Congress, said Sharon Bronson, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Their leadership, combined with the strong bipartisan support this project received from the entire Arizona Congressional delegation, resulted in a major victory for the people of southern Arizona and the entire state. The Sonoran Corridor has the potential to be the most significant economic development effort in the countys history. The very foundation, the very backbone of the entire effort is the auxiliary highway connecting the two interstates. This designation is the first, vital step on the long road we still have to travel for funding and construction. The future prosperity of our region just got a little brighter today. I'm very pleased this project has made it past this hurdle, said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. The Sonoran Corridor is important to our airport, our major employers, and our regional economy. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber and our affiliated chambers in Nogales, Douglas and Sierra Vista applaud Senator McCain and Congresswoman McSally for their leadership in advancing these major trade route designations for the state of Arizona, said Lea Mrquez Peterson, president of Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The passage of these measures will enhance the importance of a key trading route from Mexico to the United States. The Sonoran Corridor will create an alternative route that will enable the hundreds of thousands of freight vehicles traveling through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales each year to avoid having to pass through the congested city of Tucson to reach major trade routes using I-10. This development is estimated to reduce total travel by 12 miles and 20 minutes per truck, connecting southern Arizona to agricultural regions, infrastructure and manufacturing centers, and existing high priority corridors of the National Highway System. The Sonoran Corridor will also be home to the new Aerospace Parkway next to Tucson International Airport, which has the potential to become one of the largest manufacturing and logistics hubs in the Southwest. The future I-11 will extend from Arizonas southern border through Phoenix to Las Vegas and north through the State of Nevada, ensuring the future interstate is connected to the Northwestern United States and plays a key role as an international trade route. Specifically, its designation would provide both states Departments of Transportation the flexibility to develop a Northern Nevada and Southern Arizona connectivity corridors as part of the I-11 effort. This full north-to-south, Canada-to-Mexico interstate system is critical for our nations mobility, economy, and national defense. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=e5767559-8c79-484b-a2cb-f55c090bc11e,CONGRESS PASSES McCAINS MEASURES ADVANCING MAJOR TRADE ROUTE DESIGNATIONS FOR ARIZONA,2015-12-03,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Today, the U.S. Senate delivered final passage of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), a five-year, bipartisan, bicameral bill that provides authorization and funding to enhance roads, bridges, and transit programs in Arizona and across the country. This bill is vital to providing state and local officials in Arizona certainty to set transportation priorities, invest in critical infrastructure and plan wisely. It also includes measures supported by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that would pave the way for establishing the Sonoran Corridor and the future Interstate 11 (I-11). These roads will ensure that Arizona has the infrastructure it needs to develop significant international trade routes for the Western United States. The FAST Act will now be sent to President Obamas desk for signature. Senator McCain originally introduced these measures in the Senate with theSonoran Corridor Interstate Development Act of 2015and theIntermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, which were ultimately included as part of the FAST Act. These provisions will designate the Sonoran Corridor as a future interstate to connect I-19 to I-10 south of the Tucson International Airport, and the future I-11 from Phoenix north to Las Vegas and I-80, and south to Arizonas southern border. Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) also sponsored these measures in the House of Representatives. This long-term authorization bill provides the funding certainty that state and local officials in Arizona need to repair our aging roads and improve critical infrastructure, while improving safety for all Americans in transit, said Senator McCain. Im particularly proud that this bill includes measures that I cosponsored that will enable Arizona to become a key part of an international trade route that reaches all the way to the southern border, driving economic growth statewide. While this legislation is not perfect, it advances important provisions to help improve our nations infrastructure and connect Arizonas businesses and communities to major domestic and international trade partners. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and leaders from across Arizona also praised the legislation: I commend Congress for passing a long-term transportation bill to support critical transportation projects serving our state, said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. This action today will further our mission of creating a transportation system that drives Arizonas economic development, and attracts business and commerce throughout the state. Transportation is a key element in growing our economy and providing opportunity for all. I am so thankful for Senator McCain and Representative McSallys leadership in getting this designation added to the transportation bill and through the Congress, said Sharon Bronson, chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Their leadership, combined with the strong bipartisan support this project received from the entire Arizona Congressional delegation, resulted in a major victory for the people of southern Arizona and the entire state. The Sonoran Corridor has the potential to be the most significant economic development effort in the countys history. The very foundation, the very backbone of the entire effort is the auxiliary highway connecting the two interstates. This designation is the first, vital step on the long road we still have to travel for funding and construction. The future prosperity of our region just got a little brighter today. I'm very pleased this project has made it past this hurdle, said Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. The Sonoran Corridor is important to our airport, our major employers, and our regional economy. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber and our affiliated chambers in Nogales, Douglas and Sierra Vista applaud Senator McCain and Congresswoman McSally for their leadership in advancing these major trade route designations for the state of Arizona, said Lea Mrquez Peterson, president of Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The passage of these measures will enhance the importance of a key trading route from Mexico to the United States. The Sonoran Corridor will create an alternative route that will enable the hundreds of thousands of freight vehicles traveling through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales each year to avoid having to pass through the congested city of Tucson to reach major trade routes using I-10. This development is estimated to reduce total travel by 12 miles and 20 minutes per truck, connecting southern Arizona to agricultural regions, infrastructure and manufacturing centers, and existing high priority corridors of the National Highway System. The Sonoran Corridor will also be home to the new Aerospace Parkway next to Tucson International Airport, which has the potential to become one of the largest manufacturing and logistics hubs in the Southwest. The future I-11 will extend from Arizonas southern border through Phoenix to Las Vegas and north through the State of Nevada, ensuring the future interstate is connected to the Northwestern United States and plays a key role as an international trade route. Specifically, its designation would provide both states Departments of Transportation the flexibility to develop a Northern Nevada and Southern Arizona connectivity corridors as part of the I-11 effort. This full north-to-south, Canada-to-Mexico interstate system is critical for our nations mobility, economy, and national defense. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-remembers-howard-henderson,U.S. Rep. McSally Remembers Howard Henderson,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Martha McSally today spoke on the House floor in remembrance of Howard Henderson, the former owner of KDAP-FM and KAPR-AM radio stations in Douglas who passed away last month. Transcript Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to pay tribute to the life of Howard Henderson, a man who was cherished by many throughout Southern Arizona. Howard moved to Douglas, Arizona in 1984 when he became the owner and president of KDAP-FM and KAPR-AM radio stations. He wasted no time making his mark, both on air and in the community. Howard hosted the Trading Post morning show, one of the most popular and listened-to shows in the area. He broadcast over one thousand high school games and supported community events, including serving on the local fair board. His on-air personality and active presence in Douglas earned him the nickname, Mr. Wonderful."" I got to know Howard over recent years. Like many, I was touched by his professionalism, grace, and dedication to the community. On November 20th, Howard passed away after battling cancer at the age of 65. We will miss hearing his voice on the airwaves and seeing his smiling face around Douglas, but we will never forget his impact on Southern Arizona. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-supports-every-student-succeeds-act,U.S. Rep. McSally Supports Every Student Succeeds Act,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today released the following statement after the House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and reform the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The bill provides school districts with increased flexibility and authority in determining education decisions while empowering parents, teachers, and local administrators. Every student deserves the chance of a high-quality education. Unfortunately, our current system is failing to provide that. As the child of a public school educator, Ive witnessed how our current top-down approach ties the hands of our teachers and heard about from local administrators how it hamstrings our schools, said Rep. McSally. Todays bipartisan, bicameral bill restores control to those who understand best what our students need. It prioritizes evidenced-based outcomes, not testing, and provides states and school districts with the tools they need to succeed. Im very glad to see this bill move us away from our current one-size-fits-all approach and restore education decision-making to those who know our school best, said Dr. H. T. Sanchez, Superintendent of the Tucson Unified School District. By giving states and local districts more flexibility, this bill allows us to better meet the unique needs of each and every student we serve. It is our belief that accountability and decision-making authority is best in the hands of state and local authorities, not the federal government, and this bill is a positive step toward that direction, said Calvin Baker, Superintendent of the Vail Unified School District. In particular, we appreciate the provisions in this bill to eliminate the burdensome Highly Qualified Teacher requirement and return authority to states for determining the best methods of evaluating teacher performance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20160826233300/https://franks.house.gov/transctip-floor-speech-energy-protection-amendment,TRANSCRIPT: Floor Speech on Energy Protection Amendment,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Trent Franks,F000448,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"The following is a transcript, as prepared by Mr. Franks, on December 2nd, 2015, to support his amendment to H.R. 8North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. Video of the speech can be found here. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Rules Committee for making this amendment in order. I also want to commend the committees of jurisdiction for moving this important bill forward. Mr. Chairman, our National Security and the reliability of our national electric grid are inextricably related. Without the grid, telecommunications no longer operate, transportation of every kind is profoundly affected, sewage and water treatment facilities stop and a safe and continuous food supply is interrupted. Contemporary U.S. society is not structured, nor does it have the means, to provide for the needs of nearly 300 million Americans without electricity. The current strategy for recovery from a failure of the electric grid leaves us ill-prepared to respond effectively to a significant manmade or naturally occurring EMP event that would potentially result in damage to vast numbers of components nearly simultaneously over an unprecedented geographic scale. The negative impacts on U.S. electric infrastructure are potentially catastrophic in a major EMP or severe space weather event, unless practical steps are taken to provide protection for critical elements of the electric system. Nearly a dozen studies, including those by DoD, DoE, the Army War College, the National Academy of Sciences and the bipartisan Electromagnetic Pulse Commission have all come to the same conclusion: The United States bulk power grid is critically vulnerable to severe space weather and electromagnetic pulse, and this represents a profound danger to this nation. We have spent now billions of dollars hardening are critical defense assets against electromagnetic pulse. However, the Department of Defense depends upon the unprotected civilian electric grid within the continental United States for 99% of their electricity needs without which they cannot affect their mission. Some of Americas most enlightened national security experts as well as many of our enemies or potential enemies consider a well-executed weaponized electromagnetic pulse attack against America to be a QUOTE kill shot to America. It is astonishing that our civilian grid remains fundamentally unprotected against severe EMP. And for it to remain so, is an open invitation to our enemies to exploit this dangerous vulnerability. Mr. Chairman, my amendment amends section 215 of the Federal Power Act by creating a protocol for cooperation between industry and government in the development, promulgation, and implementation of standards and processes that are necessary to address the current shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the electric grid from a major EMP event. The base bill does indeed provide for such protocols for protection of the grid, but only in a QUOTE ""grid security emergency"", defined in the bill as the actual occurrence of the EMP event or the imminent danger of one, and only after the President issues written directive declaring such an emergency. This is akin to having a parachute that opens on impact. The nature of this threat is such that if there is a true emergency it may be then too late to effectively respond. My amendment is critical because it proactively encourages cooperation on a solution to our vulnerability before it is deemed an emergency. Mr. Chairman, we live in a time where the vulnerabilities to our electric grid, our most critical infrastructure, are big enough to be seen, and still small enough to be addressed. This is our moment. I appeal to my colleagues to support this vital amendment to protect Americans and our national security from this dangerous threat. And I yield back.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=350692fa-d8b4-436f-9730-d03a0d146758,Wastebook: The Farce Awakens,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today released a video announcing that he will release Wastebook: The Farce Awakens on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Flakes report the latest in the franchise begun by retired U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) will feature over 100 examples of wasteful federal spending including a taxpayer-funded study of sheep in microgravity, beer as foreign food-aid, a virtual haunted house and an experiment involving a monkey in a hamster ball on treadmill. The video can be viewed here. Wastebook will be Flakes fourth oversight report in a year. In Nov. 2015, he joined U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to release Tackling Paid Patriotism, a report on their joint investigation into taxpayer-funded payments by the Department of Defense to professional sports teams for patriotic displays honoring the U.S. military. In June 2015, Flake responded to calls for a return to the practice of congressional earmarking by releasing Jurassic Pork, a report highlighting the continued cost of pork projects in the post-earmark-ban era. In Dec. 2014, Flake published the Science of Splurging, a report highlighting more than a dozen examples of wasteful and egregious spending by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since June 2014, Flake has regularly released PorkChops, a series highlighting wasteful and egregious federal spending. While serving in the House, Flake established the Egregious Earmark of the Week series, which ran from 2003 until 2010, after Congress enacted a self-imposed moratorium on congressional earmarks. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=270d6350-6087-405f-b58b-2b605cfb3c7c,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON DOD PERSONNEL REFORM & STRENGTHENING ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE,2015-12-02,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on Department of Defense personnel reform and strengthening the all-volunteer force: The Committee meets this morning to continue our series of hearings focused on defense reform. Today we will focus on military and civilian personnel reform and how to strengthen the All-Volunteer Force in the 21st Century. We are fortunate to have a distinguished group of witnesses joining us today: The Honorable David Chu, President and CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; The Honorable Bernard Rostker, Rand Corporation Senior Fellow and also a former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; The Honorable Robert Hale, Booz Allen Hamilton Fellow and former Under Secretary of Department of Defense (Comptroller); and Admiral Gary Roughead, USN (Retired), Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and former Chief of Naval Operations. Put simply, our All-Volunteer Force is the greatest fighting force in human history. Any consideration of personnel reform must begin from that basis. And all of usthe Congress and the Department of Defensemust take great care as we consider what changes are needed to ensure that our force can respond to the needs of a new generation of warfighters and meet our future challenges. Our efforts must proceed from rigorous fact-finding and analysis. We must always ask what problems we are trying to solve. We must always measure any reform against the militarys unique mission of combat effectiveness. And we must always remember that what works for the private sector or society at large may not always work best for our military. We have all heard the stories of the many excellent service-members who are choosing, or being forced, to leave the military for ridiculous personnel reasons. This is a real problem, but it is made more complicated by the fact that so many talented officers and enlisted continue to fill the ranks of our force. All of us meet them every day across the country and around the world. The question is whether our military is able to recruit and retain so many excellent Americans because of its personnel system, or in spite of it. I am concerned that, all too often, it is the latter, as in the acquisition system and other parts of our defense organization. Too often, our military is losing and misusing talent because of an archaic military personnel system. Promotions are handed out according to predictable schedules with only secondary consideration of merit. Thats why even after more than a decade of service, there is essentially no difference in rank among officers of the same age. Is it really because they all perform the same or deserve the same rank? Jobs in the military are assigned rather than chosen. To some extent, that is necessary. After all, the mission must always come first. But we should ask whether we can better support this mission by giving service-members more of a say in their assignments. At the Reagan Defense Forum last month, for example, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Milley, described how he had met a soldier who spoke six languages but had been assigned as a truck driver. We need truck drivers, of course, but we also need first-rate linguists and intelligence analysts, and we need a personnel system that can manage our peoples talent accordingly We should ask whether we should give commanders greater discretion to build a staff with the specialists and experts they need in the right positions. Commanders are likely better able to assess their needs than bureaucrats in the personnel system. Our military has always had an entrepreneurial culture that encourages individuals to innovate. But the military personnel system undermines that spirit when it mistakes upholding professionalism with enforcing conformity and when high standards give way to a zero-defect mentality in performance evaluations. This discourages risk-taking, truth-telling, and the cultivation of entrepreneurial leaders. To strengthen the all-volunteer force, we must also review the promotion system, especially the requirements of the Defense Officers Personnel Management Act and the Goldwater-Nichols reforms. Previous witnesses have expressed concern that the joint duty requirements that a military officer must meet have contributed to the growth in headquarters staffs that we have seen in recent decades, as the personnel system seeks to check a series of boxes that may be of little value for actual career development. We need to review whether this requirement is meaningfully enhancing the joint capabilities of the force, and how it can be better tailored for our 21st-century force. The personnel system cannot be an end in itself. Similarly, we must ensure that our civilian personnel system is equally capable of recruiting and retaining the best leaders. Unfortunately, there is much work to do. The USA Jobs System, for example, is an abysmal failure. We are repeatedly told by managers that they cannot hire the employees they need to fill mission-critical roles because they cannot hire qualified individuals through the USA Jobs system or because they cannot make job offers in a reasonable timeframe. The Department of Defense needs to devote more energy to resolving these hiring stalemates, not developing more mini-bureaucracies that have so often failed before. Finally, a key pillar of personnel reform will continue to pertain to compensation. This Committee has made great strides this year with the most sweeping reform of our military retirement system in seven decades. We must bring the same rigorous, bipartisan approach to the task of reforming the military health system next year. If we do nothing, the Congressional Budget Office projects that defense healthcare costs will devour about 11 percent of the defense budget in 2028. This is staggering. Every dollar that the Department of Defense spends on healthcare is a dollar that cannot be spent on training and equipping our warfighters. While we need to slow the growth of defense health spending, the primary focus of our reform efforts must be creating a better healthcare system for service-members, military families, and retirees by improving access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes. We must identify and eliminate waste in the military healthcare system, and evaluate the organizational structures of the services medical departments, with an eye towards making them flatter, more efficient, and more responsive. In some cases, we may need to eliminate some organizations or infrastructure while ensuring that we maintain and improve medical readiness. With these and other reforms, we can make the military health system perform better for beneficiaries and more sustainable for the Department of Defense. It is often said that Americas greatest military advantage is its people. That is not a talking point. It is a reality. We will consider input from all sides throughout this process, starting with our witnesses today. I thank you for your willingness to appear before the Committee today, and I look forward to your testimony. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/house-passes-collins-gosar-bill-requiring-tracking-disclosure-attorney-fees-paid-out,House Passes Collins-Gosar Bill Requiring Tracking & Disclosure of Attorney Fees Paid Out from Environmental Lawsuits,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House successfully passed H.R. 3279, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, bipartisan legislation which he introduced with Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) which aims to strengthen the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) by reinstating the tracking and reporting requirements for money paid out by the federal government under this law: Unfortunately, a well-intentioned law that was meant to protect the little guy has been hijacked by extremist environmental groups who are profitting off the taxpayer dime. Shamefully, these special-interest lawyers are billing the federal government for exorbitant rates as high as $750 an hour. Shockingly, we dont even know the true costs of this abuse because the government stopped tracking these expenditures in 1995. The bipartisan legislation passed by the House today sheds some much needed light on an appalling process that has operated in the dark for more than 20 years. Special-interest groups shouldnt be getting rich off American taxpayers by filing frivolous lawsuits. Commonsense necessitates that, at minimum, we should track the sources and recipients of these taxpayer expenditures. Background The Equal Access to Justice Act, originally passed by Congress in 1980, was intended to reimburse veterans, small businesses and other American citizens for attorneys fees and costs incurred for suing the federal government. H.R. 3279 requires important disclosure information relating to the amount of fees and expenses awarded by federal courts when the United States loses a case or settles with a non-federal entity to be published online in a searchable database. EAJA is funded by a permanent appropriation and as a result Congress does not control the amount ofmoney that that comes from this fund. EAJA claims are awarded from agency budgets as well as the U.S. Treasury. EAJA originally included tracking and reporting requirements but these were removed by Congress in 1995. Prior to 1995, EAJA payments were approximately $3 million dollars annually. Unfortunately, EAJA has operated in the dark for more than 20 years and payments have skyrocketed. The Government Accountability Office recently confirmed that we dont even know the totality of these costs as most federal agencies dont even bother trying to compile this information. This bipartisan legislation will track how much money is paid out under EAJA, and more importantly, from which agencies. Endorsements of the bill include: the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, Boone and Crockett, the National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Public Lands Council, the National Association of Conservation Districts, Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, American Motorcycle Association and many others. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1569,Congress Strikes Back to Reject EPAs Lawless Attack on the Coal Industry,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House successfully passed S.J.Res.23 and S.J.Res.24 which will trigger the Congressional Review Act to effectively block the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) arbitrary regulations for new and existing power plants:No amount of self-righteous claims or baseless partisan attacks from President Obama will change the fact that he has no power to enact his fanatical environmental agenda, period. His backdoor attempts to rule by executive fiat have been repeatedly and resoundingly rejected by Congress, federal courts and the American people. The president's war on coal is unlawful and extremely misguided as nearly 40% of our nation's electricity is generated from this important resource...that includes electricity to charge the luxuryhybrid car ofthe president's climate change buddy, Al Gore. Once again, I challenge the president to follow the law and attempt to pass his Clean Power Plan through the legislative process. If he truly believes that his ideas are worthy of action, why continue to circumvent the process? The reality is the American people will never submit to bogus cap-and-trade mandates. Further, the president failed to pass cap-and-tax through Congress when the Democrats controlled both Houses in 2010. Hard-working taxpayers can't afford more EPA regulations that will drive up energy prices and cost our economy billions of dollars each year. The American people have said no, Congress has said no and it is only a matter of time before the courts say no.Let the president stew over that inconvenient truth' on his flight back from Paris. Background: Congressman Gosar is a cosponsor of H.J.Res.71 and H.J.Res.72, the two identical House bills that recently passed the Energy and Commerce Committee. From the House Republican Conference: S.J. Res. 23 and 24 would disapprove of EPA's rules to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) from new and existing plants. The rules were issued pursuant to the President's Climate Action Plan and published on October 23, 2015. They would put in place an unprecedented new regulatory structure on the U.S. electricity sector, effectively imposing renewable energy and cap-and-trade mandates similar to those in the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade legislation that failed in 2010. In these rules, the administration is seeking to regulate where it could not legislate. The resolutions would provide for Congressional disapproval of each rule, and that each rule shall have no force and effect. Under the Congressional Review Act, the agency may not issue the same or a substantially similar rule unless authorized by subsequent legislation. Passage of these resolutions will ensure that the United States continues to pursue an all of the above energy policy, that households and businesses continue to have access to affordable and reliable energy, and that we protect American ratepayers and jobs. Twenty-seven states, twenty-four national trade associations, thirty-seven electric cooperatives, ten major companies, and three labor unions have all sought to stop one or both of these EPA rules through the appropriate legal avenues due to the harm these rules pose to the availability of affordable and reliable electricity. Supporters and endorsements of S.J.Res.23 and S.J.Res.24 include National Taxpayers Union, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Iron and Steel Institute, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Competitive Enterprise Institute, American Energy Alliance and Americans for Prosperity. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-questions-top-us-security-officials-isis-strategy,U.S. Rep. McSally Questions Top U.S. Security Officials on ISIS Strategy,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Rep. McSally Questions Top U.S. Security Officials on ISIS Strategy WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today questioned Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford on our ISIS strategy in Iraq and Syria at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Rep. McSally urged the unleashing of America air power against ISIS and confirmed the critical importance of the A-10 Warthog from the highest ranking military officer in the Armed Forces. Rep. McSally questioned the Administration's delay in assessing how to stop the flow of black market oil, which is estimated to finance ISIS terror with millions of dollars a month. She also hammered officials on their decision not to attack fuel trucks until just recently, 17 months after ISIS declared a caliphate and 15 months after the start of air operations. I just want to be clear. Ive been involved in the targeting process at all levels, if youre driving a truck for a terrorist organization thats fueling them, youre a combatant. Toward the end of her time, Rep. McSally asked General Dunford about the importance of the A-10 in taking out ISIS targets and performing Combat Search and Rescue roles. That exchange is below. Rep. McSally: Is it your assessment theyre critical to this fight? Gen. Dunford: The A-10 has been a valuable platform. Rep. McSally: And do you consider this fight is going to go on for a while? Gen. Dunford: I do. Other quotes Im deeply concerned about the lack of using American air power for all it brings to the fight. It looks like (ISIS) is taking on American air power and winning. And that has added to their propaganda, its added to their metastasizing, its added to the sort of romantic approach to recruiting people to join the fight. It sounds like youre saying things have changed, but in addition to the changes you mentioned, are we changing the cumbersome approval process, can we feel the confidence that were going to unleash and unshackle American air power, and not just be in this limited, impotent mindset?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcsally.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-rep-mcsally-votes-protect-rural-residents-and-jobs,U.S. Rep. McSally Votes to Protect Rural Residents and Jobs,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Martha McSally,M001197,mcsally.house.gov,,,legacy,"Resolutions Overturning EPA Carbon Rules Pass House WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Representative Martha McSally today voted to stand up for rural Arizona residents and overturn the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) harmful carbon rules on new and existing power plants. The EPAs rules, which were modified in August after Rep. McSallys extensive advocacy efforts, continue to threaten operations at the Apache Generating Station near Willcox and put rural consumers at risk. The EPAs rigid overreach has the potential to greatly harm families throughout Cochise County-especially those who can least afford it-through blackouts, higher rates, and the loss of good-paying jobs, said Rep. McSally. Todays votes rightfully check that overreach. When you live in remote and often hard to reach areas, like many Southern Arizonans do, access to affordable and reliable energy is a necessity. I will continue to fight for the priorities of our rural residents and to give our energy producers the flexibility they need. We want to thank Congresswoman McSally for co-sponsoring H.J. Res. 71 and H.J. Res. 72, two resolutions of disapproval related to the EPA's rules on existing and new power plants. Congresswoman McSally has taken a lead role in working to protect Arizonas rural electric cooperatives and the Apache Generating Station from overreaching regulations that threaten the livelihood and wellbeing of rural people, said Patrick Ledger, CEO of Arizonas G&T Cooperatives. In many of the areas we serve, more than a third of those who will be impacted by this rule live at or below the federal poverty level, and simply cant afford the price tag attached to this rule. We need fair and sensible regulation that provides a reasonable transition to new energy sources and does not undermine our ability to provide safe, reliable and affordable electric power for more than 400,000 rural people who rely on us, Ledger said. Arizonas rural communities are made up of residents, small businesses, industry, agriculture, hospitals, schools and many other entities, all of which are still struggling to recover from the recession. They have invested hundreds of millions of their hard earned dollars in facilities that may have to be retired and replaced unnecessarily because of this rule. The cruel irony is that some of the hardest-hit economies in the nation could be paying some of the highest electric rates because of this ill-conceived rule, Ledger said. The House today passed two resolutions previously passed in the Senate to overturn the EPAs carbon rules on existing and new power plants. Rep. McSally is a cosponsor of both House companion resolutions. The resolutions passed today now go to the Presidents desk. In May, Rep. McSally called on the EPA to modify its proposed rule to give Arizona needed flexibility in meeting the new mandates. In June, she voted in support of House passed legislation that she also cosponsored to protect Arizona residents from electricity shortages and rate spikes as a result of the new mandates. She also toured and met with officials at the Apache Generating Station near Willcox during her first months in office. The EPA originally sought to mandate on Arizona a 52% reduction in emissions by 2030, which was the second most stringent requirement for any state in the county. In August, that goal was reduced to 34% in the final rule. The EPA also extended its interim compliance goal by two years.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=78b0bdf0-fd14-4f9e-89d4-0a68e95c2938,"Feinstein, Flake Introduce Bill to Strengthen Security of Visa Waiver Program",2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,Jeff Flake,F000444,www.flake.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) today joined U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to introduce the Visa Waiver Program Security Enhancement Act, legislation that will strengthen the security of the visa waiver program to help prevent terrorists from entering the United States. The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The Feinstein-FlakeVisa Waiver Program Security Enhancement Actwould improve the security of the Visa Waiver Program by doing the following: Require individuals who have traveled to Syria or Iraq in the past five years to acquire a traditional tourist visa instead of traveling without a visa under the visa waiver program. This process requires an in-person interview with an American consular official and the submission of the travelers biometric information. Require travelers using the visa waiver program to submit biometric information, in the form of fingerprints and a photograph, before they travel to the United States. Require all visa waiver travelers to use an electronic passport, which are more secure and harder to tamper with. Require increased intelligence-sharing between visa waiver program countries and the United States. Security enhancements in the bill would be paid for by increasing the visa waiver traveler fee, which is currently $14. Only $4 supports visa waiver program security. In comparison, the fee for a traditional tourist visa is $160. In the wake the Paris terrorist attacks, its important that Congress work together in a meaningful way to ensure that those who would do us harm on our own soil are unable to do so,said Flake.Passing this bipartisan bill to strengthen the highly-beneficial visa waiver program so that it cannot be exploited by individuals who may have ties to terrorism in Iraq and Syria will be an effective start. The Paris terror attacks were committed by French and Belgian nationals, which means it would have been possible for them to board a plane to this country using the Visa Waiver Program. As growing numbers of foreign nationals travel to the Middle East to train and fight, and with 45 million lost and stolen passports on the black market, we must do all we can to secure the program, said Feinstein.Strengthening the program will require collecting additional information from travelers before they arrive and require participating countries to share valuable information and intelligence with us. Gaps in the security of the Visa Waiver Program must be addressed as soon as possible. The text of the bill can be viewed here. Additional Information The bill would strengthen the visa waiver program in the following ways: 1. Preventing foreign fighters from using the visa waiver program: An estimated 5,000 European citizens have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight. More than 1,500 of them are from France. If they return to their home countries, these individuals may be able travel to the United States without a visa. Legislative solution: Require individuals who have traveled to Syria and Iraq in the past five years to go through the traditional visa process, which includes an in-person interview, to come to the United States. 2. Requiring additional biometric information: In cases where the foreign national has never been to the United States before, U.S. law enforcement cannot run biometric information from that visa waiver program traveler against key databases in advance of the persons first arrival in the United States. Legislative solution: Require biometric data to be provided by a foreign national prior to travel to the United States using the visa waiver program. 3. Requiring electronic passports for participation in the visa waiver program: Although electronic passports with built-in chips carrying biometric data are now required to be issued by Visa Waiver Program countries, some existing designated countries are effectively allowed to phase-in this requirement over several years because older passports can remain valid. Legislative solution: Require all visa waiver program travelers have electronic passports within 90 days of enactment. Only individuals with machine-readable passports may travel using the visa waiver program. 4. Requiring additional information sharing between countries: Information-sharing with the United States is a means of protecting national security while allowing individuals to travel without a visa. Information-sharing must be improved to ensure threats are detected. Legislative solution: Improve information sharing by participating countries in the following ways: Require participation in the visa waiver program be contingent on countries full implementation of information-sharing agreements, including agreements on foreign terrorists and those who have committed crimes. Increase contribution to, and screening against, INTERPOLs lost and stolen documents database. Require DHS to consider a countrys ability to collect, analyze and share passenger data concerning dangerous individuals. Improve biometric information sharing about, and screening of, refugees and asylum seekers. Require DHS to consider a countrys ability to share information about foreign fighters with multiple countries and multilateral organizations, like INTERPOL. 5. Increasing security in the air: All visa waiver program countries should have signed federal air marshal agreements, which provide legal protection to air marshals in situations where they need to take action. Legislative solution: Require completion of a federal air marshal agreement. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=f6f24202-1d83-459b-a8dc-06def008f91f,OPENING STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN AT HEARING ON NEXT STEPS FOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION REFORM,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on next steps for defense acquisition reform: The Senate Armed Services Committee meets this morning to discuss next steps for reforming the Pentagons broken acquisition system. Last week, the President signed theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016into law. That legislation marked the beginning of a significant revamping of the defense acquisition system that has been broken for decades. Schedule delays and cost overruns are par for the course. Complex regulations and stifling bureaucracy impede innovation and restrict access to critical commercial technologies. Worse still, it seems no one in the defense acquisition system is ever held accountable for these repeated failures. Thats why in this years NDAA, Congress sought to improve access to non-traditional and commercial innovation by removing barriers to new entrants into the defense market, adopting commercial buying practices for the Defense Department, and ensuring these firms are not forced to cede intellectual property developed at their own expense. The NDAA also expanded flexible acquisition authorities and the development of alternative acquisition pathways to acquire critical national security capabilities. And perhaps most importantly, the NDAA took important steps to ensure accountability in the defense acquisition system. The NDAA gave greater authority to the military services to manage their own programs and enhanced the role of the service chiefs in the acquisition process. Services chiefs, service secretaries, service acquisition executives, and program managers will now sign up to binding management, requirement, and resource commitments. And if military services fail to manage a program effectively, they will lose authority and control over that program and be assessed an annual cost penalty on their cost overruns. This Committee will be watching closely to ensure the Department implements these reforms in keeping with both the letter and spirit of the law. At the same time, we will continue to press forward to make lasting reform a reality. It has been almost thirty years since the landmark Goldwater-Nichols Act and the Packard Commission. It has been twenty years since the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act and the Clinger-Cohen Act. In recent years, the Pentagon has been given unprecedented authorities to bypass the existing acquisition system and access new technologies and innovative companies. Yet today, the defense acquisition system is more risk-averse, costly, inefficient, and less open to commercial solutions than it was thirty years ago. This morning, we welcome a distinguished panel of witnesses to help us identify what else Congress can do to change the current incentive structure and culture to achieve improved acquisition outcomes that meet the needs of our service members and taxpayers: The Honorable Jacques Gansler, Chairman and CEO of the Gansler Group and Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland. Mr. Gansler previously served as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics in the Clinton administration; Mr. Norman Augustine, founder of In-Q-Tel, former Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, and Acting Secretary of the Army; Mr. Ben FitzGerald, Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security; and Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Dan Ward, a former Air Force acquisition officer who specialized in leading high-speed, low-cost technology development programs. We simply cannot tolerate the vast management failure that is the defense acquisition system. All too often, programs are delayed, over budget, and underperforming. Worse still, the Pentagon has wasted billions on programs that produced no combat capability whatsoever. $20 billion spent on the Future Combat System with little to show for it Over $1 billion spent on the Expeditionary Combat Support System (ECSS), a failed attempt to implement a commercial off-the-shelf logistics I.T. system that resulted in no useable capability for the Air Force $3 billion and 15 years spent on the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) And $3.2 billion squandered on the Presidential Helicopter without ever fielding a single helicopter. And to think, we used to be able to field zero helicopters for free. Still, the management failures and the colossal waste of taxpayer dollars may not be the worst of our problems. As the bureaucracy fiddles and fails to modernize our forces, our adversaries are catching up with us in the development of critical defense technologies. At the same time, the Defense Department struggles to incorporate advanced commercial technologies into its operations as they become more widely available to our enemies. Our national security cannot rest on the assumption that our adversaries will be as inefficient and clueless as we are about buying defense capabilities. We have reached a critical inflection point. We are confronting an emerging technology gap with the commercial market in electronics, information security, robotics, communications, and data analytics. Combined with budget cuts that prevent us from modernizing our forces or deploying them in sufficient numbers around the world, such a gap will be disastrous, emboldening our adversaries and feeding instability. We must not allow any such technology and capability gap to grow. The United States has the greatest military in the world. But make no mistake, protecting our military technological superiority is the urgent work of today, not tomorrow. For acquisition reform to be successful, we must change the current culture of inefficiency, risk aversion, and complacency. There is only so much that legislation can do to accomplish this goal. It will require changing incentives and focused and continuous leadership from Congress, the Secretary of Defense, and industry. Every year we fail to do so, billions more in taxpayer dollars will be wasted and our military will be left less capable of performing its missions. That is dangerously unsustainable, that is what we must prevent, and that is why we must continue to press the cause of acquisition reform. I look forward to the testimony of our witnesses. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=3c3f27eb-5cc0-45ac-b6d3-16f529d67f58,STATEMENT BY SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN ON U.S. SENDING ADDITIONAL SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES TO FIGHT ISIL,2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on Defense Secretary Ashton Carters announcement today that the United States will deploy additional special operations forces to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL): Secretary Carters announcement of the deployment of additional U.S. special operations forces to fight ISIL in Iraq and Syria is a belated step forward. Many of my colleagues and I have been calling for years to deploy these forces, as well as forward air controllers and additional military advisers, to increase the tempo of our military operations against ISIL and gather intelligence that can add lethality and precision to our air campaign. However, todays announcement is yet another reactive and incremental step, specifically responding to the Paris attacks, in a policy that has allowed the ISIL threat to metastasize to Libya, Afghanistan, and elsewhere across the globe. A comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIL is totally absent, urgently needed, and long overdue. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4f87e8d7-1e10-4127-9115-3678ffcf7e3e,"STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON DEAL ENSURING FUTURE OF APACHE RAILWAY IN NAVAJO COUNTY, ARIZONA",2015-12-01,2015,2015-12,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on the announcement that a deal has been reached allowing Apache Railway Company to continue operating in Navajo County, Arizona: I applaud the deal reached this week that will allow the Apache Railway Company to continue its operations in support of important industries in Navajo County. This is a vitally important development in an area of the state under considerable economic stress. For years, the Apache Railway has provided vital infrastructure to the White Mountains forest restoration effort and bolstered the local economy. Thanks to the work by Steve Brophy of Aztec Land and Cattle Company and others, Apache Railway finally closed a deal Monday that will allow the current management to remain in place in an effort to attract future business. Following years of hard work, a collaboration including Snowflake Mayor Tom Poscharsky, Navajo County Supervisor Jason Whiting, Show Low Mayor Daryl Seymore, Navajo County Economic Development Director Paul Watson, the Town Councils of Pinetop, Show Low, and Snowflake, Apache and Navajo County, the Snowflake Community Foundation, and the Arizona Commerce Authority came together to support this critical asset. All those throughout the State of Arizona, but especially impacted citizens in Apache and Navajo County, should be gratified by this great work. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1734,House Passes Collins-Gosar Bill Requiring Tracking & Disclosure of Attorney Fees Paid Out from Environmental Lawsuits,2015-11-30,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the House successfully passed H.R. 3279, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, bipartisan legislation which he introduced with Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) which aims to strengthen the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) by reinstating the tracking and reporting requirements for money paid out by the federal government under this law: Unfortunately, a well-intentioned law that was meant to protect the little guy has been hijacked by extremist environmental groups who are profitting off the taxpayer dime. Shamefully, these special-interest lawyers are billing the federal government for exorbitant rates as high as $750 an hour. Shockingly, we don't even know the true costs of this abuse because the government stopped tracking these expenditures in 1995. The bipartisan legislation passed by the House today sheds some much needed light on an appalling process that has operated in the dark for more than 20 years. Special-interest groups shouldn't be getting rich off American taxpayers by filing frivolous lawsuits. Commonsense necessitates that, at minimum, we should track the sources and recipients of these taxpayer expenditures. Background The Equal Access to Justice Act, originally passed by Congress in 1980, was intended to reimburse veterans, small businesses and other American citizens for attorneys' fees and costs incurred for suing the federal government. H.R. 3279 requires important disclosure information relating to the amount of fees and expenses awarded by federal courts when the United States loses a case or settles with a non-federal entity to be published online in a searchable database. EAJA is funded by a permanent appropriation and as a result Congress does not control the amount ofmoney that that comes from this fund. EAJA claims are awarded from agency budgets as well as the U.S. Treasury. EAJA originally included tracking and reporting requirements but these were removed by Congress in 1995. Prior to 1995, EAJA payments were approximately $3 million dollars annually. Unfortunately, EAJA has operated in the dark for more than 20 years and payments have skyrocketed. The Government Accountability Office recently confirmed that we don't even know the totality of these costs as most federal agencies don't even bother trying to compile this information. This bipartisan legislation will track how much money is paid out under EAJA, and more importantly, from which agencies. Endorsements of the bill include: the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, Boone and Crockett, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Public Lands Council, the National Association of Conservation Districts, Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, American Motorcycle Association and many others. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://schweikert.house.gov/2015/11/25/rep-schweikert-statement-terrorist-attack-tunisia/,Rep. Schweikert Statement on Terrorist Attack in Tunisia,2015-11-25,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,David Schweikert,S001183,schweikert.house.gov,schweikert,https://schweikert.house.gov/category/congress_press_release/,scraper,"Washington, D.C., November 25, 2015 – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), co-chair of the Congressional Tunisia Caucus, released a statement on the terrorist attacks that occurred in Tunis on Tuesday. Congressman David Schweikert – “I am saddened to learn of another terrorist attack in Tunisia and send my deepest condolences to the friends and families of those injured or killed in the bombing. Attacks such as these seek to undermine and reverse the progress that Tunisia has made to establish a democratic nation. We must universally condemn this savagery and stand with Tunisia in confronting the scourge of terrorism. I remain committed to working with all those who support the goals of a stable, prosperous, and democratic Tunisia.” Schweikert said. Congressman Alcee Hastings – “I am deeply saddened by the bus bombing that occurred yesterday in Tunis, Tunisia. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the twelve people who were killed in this horrific and cowardly act. The terrorists behind this latest attack in Tunisia, like terrorists everywhere, work to defeat open and democratic societies like Tunisia through barbaric and loath some actions. We must not, and will not, allow them to undermine the democratic principles we all care and fight for on a daily basis. I, like all Americans, stand with the Tunisian people as we all redouble our efforts to rid this world of the terrorists who continue to try to undermine our way of life,” said Hastings. Congressman David Schweikert and Congressman Alcee L. Hastings registered the Congressional Tunisia Caucus in the Summer of 2013. Since its inception, the Caucus has worked to inform policy makers of the democratic transition in Tunisia, while strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and Tunisia. ### Back to News",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-08T20:30:58Z https://schweikert.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-schweikert-statement-terrorist-attack-tunisia,Rep. Schweikert Statement on Terrorist Attack in Tunisia,2015-11-25,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,David Schweikert,S001183,schweikert.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C., November 25, 2015 - Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), co-chair of the Congressional Tunisia Caucus, released a statement on the terrorist attacks that occurred in Tunis on Tuesday.Congressman David Schweikert - “I am saddened to learn of another terrorist attack in Tunisia and send my deepest condolences to the friends and families of those injured or killed in the bombing. Attacks such as these seek to undermine and reverse the progress that Tunisia has made to establish a democratic nation. We must universally condemn this savagery and stand with Tunisia in confronting  the scourge of terrorism. I remain committed to working with all those who support the goals of a stable, prosperous, and democratic Tunisia.” Schweikert said.Congressman Alcee Hastings - “I am deeply saddened by the bus bombing that occurred yesterday in Tunis, Tunisia. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the twelve people who were killed in this horrific and cowardly act. The terrorists behind this latest attack in Tunisia, like terrorists everywhere, work to defeat open and democratic societies like Tunisia through barbaric and loath some actions. We must not, and will not, allow them to undermine the democratic principles we all care and fight for on a daily basis. I, like all Americans, stand with the Tunisian people as we all redouble our efforts to rid this world of the terrorists who continue to try to undermine our way of life,” said Hastings.Congressman David Schweikert and Congressman Alcee L. Hastings registered the Congressional Tunisia Caucus in the Summer of 2013. Since its inception, the Caucus has worked to inform policy makers of the democratic transition in Tunisia, while strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and Tunisia.###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=08d432e4-8f8d-439d-84d0-442f03a935e8,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON ESTABLISHMENT OF DUPLICATIVE USDA CATFISH INSPECTION OFFICE,2015-11-25,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement on todays announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued final rules establishing a duplicative catfish inspection program: Today, the Obama Administration added to its list of big-government accomplishments the creation of a brand new government agency: the USDA Catfish Inspection Office. The establishment of this office comes despite the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already performs seafood inspections and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued more than six reports calling the USDA program wasteful and duplicative. As a result of this protectionist program, an estimated $15 million per year will be spent on enabling government bureaucrats to impose barriers on foreign catfish importers, which will in turn increase the price of catfish for American consumers, restaurants, and seafood processors. The GAO, the FDA, and the UDSA have all said that there is no legitimate food safety problem with catfish imports. The agency's true purpose is to benefit a handful of special-interest domestic catfish farmers in southern states who will enjoy full access to the catfish market while foreign suppliers are kept out by red tape. The USDA Catfish Inspection Office is an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars and a classic example of anti-free market protectionism. Unfortunately, this is not the last we'll hear of this reckless program, as experts have warned it will spur trade retaliation by Asia-Pacific nations on other sectors of American agriculture. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=c63c98a8-a530-4bad-9d01-d10850e8befc,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON NDAA BECOMING LAW,2015-11-25,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the President signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (NDAA) into law: This years NDAA is one of the most significant pieces of defense reform legislation in a generation. The NDAA modernizes the military retirement system, bans torture, and reforms the broken defense acquisition system. The legislation delivers these reforms while authorizing vital pay and benefits for our troops and making critical investments in the equipment and training they need to confront growing threats to our security. While I am tremendously proud of this years NDAA, this is only the beginning. The Senate Armed Services Committee has already begun a major hearing series on Pentagon reform. It is my hope that working together with Senator Reed, Representative Thornberry, and Representative Smith, we will craft an FY17 defense authorization bill that will deliver further defense reforms that can enable our military to rise to the challenges of a more dangerous world. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/floor-statements?ContentRecord_id=d698d1df-4de7-49b0-ba8f-1b3beab61ab1,"OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN AT FIELD HEARING IN PHOENIX ON EFFORTS TO COMBAT AMERICAS HEROIN EPIDEMIC, CROSS-BORDER DRUG TRAFFICKING",2015-11-23,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today delivered the following opening statement at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee field hearing in Phoenix, Arizona titled, Americas Heroin Epidemic at the Border: Local, State and Federal Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Illicit Narcotic Trafficking. The hearing, chaired by Committee Chairman Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), features two panels of testimony from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Cochise County, Arizona Sheriff Mark Dannels, Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Executive Director Dawn Mertz, National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, and The Salvation Armys Public Advisory Board/Public Policy Member Jeff Taylor. Senator McCains opening statement follows: Mr. Chairman, thank you for agreeing to hold this field hearing in Arizona. As we will soon hear from the witnesses today, our state has the dubious distinction of being the primary entry point, trafficking corridor and distribution hub for drugs transported from Mexico to the United States by the Sinaloa Cartel. We have made progress in securing our border. The reduction in apprehensions demonstrate the effectiveness of the men and women of the Border Patrol in preventing the illegal entry of people crossing the border. Increased surveillance towers and other technologies will only increase that effectiveness. But clearly, we are losing the war with the transnational criminal organizations that bring illicit narcotics into our country. The demand for these drugs heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine is too high and the profits the cartels make are too great to simply dissuade these criminals from trafficking drugs across the border. We of course must improve our drug interdiction strategy, but we must also do what is necessary to reduce the demand for these drugs. The threat to Arizona is not just that it has become a drug corridor. These drugs stay in our state, poisoning our children and doing great harm to our communities. Deaths and overdoses from heroin are skyrocketing. According the Arizona Department of Health Services, heroin-related heaths increased from less than 50 in 2004 to almost 200 in 2014. The reality is, we are not going to stop all of these drugs at the border or at our ports of entry. That is why it is critical that we use our intelligence capabilities and strengthen partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement to combat these drug traffickers. Border Patrol has long used the term defense in depth, and that description applies here as we work to stop illegal trafficking of drugs. That is why I am intrigued by the governors plan to create a new drug interdiction strike force to work as a true partner to federal and local officials to intercept narcotics on the highways and bi-ways that cross the border. Finally, while this hearing is focused on heroin trafficking, the transnational criminal organizations that are bringing these drugs into the United States do not limit themselves to narcotics. They control the smuggling routes and routinely traffic humans, currency, and other illicit activities. In recent months, weve seen Special Interest Aliens from Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries pay Mexican nationals to smuggle them into the United States. No one crosses the border without these cartels permission, indicating their clear complicity in smuggling these Special Interest Aliens into the country. Once again, I thank Chairman Johnson for holding this hearing and the witnesses for appearing and providing testimony on this critical issue to Arizona and the nation. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6397d336-a4e2-4e03-89fa-762d54bb25ca,STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON ARIZONA STATE SENATOR CARLYLE BEGAY JOINING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,2015-11-23,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,John McCain,M000303,www.mccain.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on Arizona State Senator Carlyle Begays announcement that he is switching parties and joining the Arizona Republican Party: I am very proud to welcome my friend State Senator Carlyle Begay to the Republican Party. A member of the Navajo Nation, Carlyle has been a leading voice for increasing economic development and educational opportunities throughout the rural and tribal communities of the 7th District. In particular, I have appreciated the opportunity to work with Carlyle to demand the EPA be held accountable for the Gold King Mine disaster, which has impacted so many in his district. As a lifelong Republican, I have always valued our Party's ability to bring people from all walks of life together around shared values and a common purpose. I couldn't be happier to welcome Senator Begay to join our efforts to advance a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Arizona. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://gosar.house.gov/press-release/rep-gosar-introduces-purse-act-prevent-irs-employees-using-taxpayer-dollars-unionize,Rep. Gosar Introduces PURSE Act to Prevent IRS Employees from Using Taxpayer Dollars to Unionize,2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4083, the Preventing Unionization of Revenue Service Employees (PURSE) Act, legislation which prohibits federal government tax collectors and other IRS bureaucrats from unionizing and entering into collective bargaining agreements at taxpayer expense: The IRS has proven to be one of the most destructive and criminal agencies within the most lawless administration in the history of this great country. Under the failed leadership of John Koskinen and Lois Lerner, the IRS has devolved into a patently partisan organization that has targeted conservative groups simply for their political beliefs. With the targeting scandal and initiation of impeachment proceedings against IRS Director John Koskinen by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is now more important than ever to ensure that IRS employees remain unbiased while performing official duties. The PURSE Act, championed in the Senate by my friend and Republican rockstar SenatorCory Gardner (R-CO), would add the IRS to the list of federal agencies that are prohibited from unionizing and entering into collective bargain agreements. This bill is necessary to check the partisanship and abuse that has festered within an agency that is supposed to be nonpolitical. IRS employees should be focused on serving taxpayers, not carrying out the mission of labor unions while they are on the clock. Rather than serving the interests of the American people, this inefficient agency allowed bureaucrats to squander more than half a million employee hours last year on union activities alone. We must not forget that current IRS employees targeted innocent Americans because of their political ideologies. I will continue to seek to restore accountability to a partisan agency that has lost its way. Background: The full text of the PURSE Act can be found HERE. The PURSE Act exempts Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute (5 U.S.C. Chapter 71). H.R. 4083 is the House companion to S.2245 introduced by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO). Under current law, several federal government agencies are already prohibited from unionizing and entering into collective bargain agreements including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Given the everyday functions of the IRS, there is no good reason why the agency shouldnt also be on this list. In 2013, over 200 IRS employees spent more than 520,000 hours of official time on union activities. American taxpayers had to foot the bill for these employees salaries and benefits to the tune of over $23 million. To make matters worse, the IRS has over 70,000 union-covered employees, and more than 95% of the unions political contributions have gone to Democratic candidates in recent elections.Following introduction of the PURSE Act, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning stated, [This bill] goes to the heart of the Hatch Act civil service protections that ensure the bureaucracy is not subject to undue political influence. The rise of public employee unions as major contributors to the left has long been a threat to the political neutrality of the civil service system. The IRS' unprecedented targeting of conservative organizations and donors makes it all the more important that [this] brilliant legislation become law. Current endorsements for the PURSE Act include: Americans for Tax Reform,Americans for Limited Government,Citizens Against Government Waste, FreedomWorks, Gila County (AZ) Cattle Growers Association, Mason ContractorsAssociation of America, New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, New Mexico Federal Lands Council, New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc.,Arizona Mining Association,Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Veritas Research Consulting, Yuma County (AZ) Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Liberty, Concerned Citizens for America, Associated General Contractors of America, and the Town of Fredonia, AZ, and taxpayer Jim Salscheider. 21 Original Cosponsors joined Rep. Gosar in introducing the PURSE Act including: Representatives Brian Babin, Dave Brat, Ken Buck, Rick Crawford, John Culberson, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Gregg Harper, Tim Huelskamp, Steve King, Cynthia Lummis, Jeff Miller, Pete Olson, Bill Posey, Tom Rice, Mike Rogers, Todd Rokita, David Rouzer, Chris Stewart, Scott Tipton, and Joe Wilson. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://gosar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1970,Rep. Gosar Introduces PURSE Act to Prevent IRS Employees from Using Taxpayer Dollars to Unionize,2015-11-20,2015,2015-11,Republican,House,AZ,Paul Gosar,G000565,gosar.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 4083, the Preventing Unionization of Revenue Service Employees (PURSE) Act, legislation which prohibits federal government tax collectors and other IRS bureaucrats from unionizing and entering into collective bargaining agreements at taxpayer expense: The IRS has proven to be one of the most destructive and criminal agencies within the most lawless administration in the history of this great country. Under the failed leadership of John Koskinen and Lois Lerner, the IRS has devolved into a patently partisan organization that has targeted conservative groups simply for their political beliefs. With the targeting scandal and initiation of impeachment proceedings against IRS Director John Koskinen by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is now more important than ever to ensure that IRS employees remain unbiased while performing official duties. The PURSE Act, championed in the Senate by my friend and Republican rockstar SenatorCory Gardner (R-CO), would add the IRS to the list of federal agencies that are prohibited from unionizing and entering into collective bargain agreements. This bill is necessary to check the partisanship and abuse that has festered within an agency that is supposed to be nonpolitical. IRS employees should be focused on serving taxpayers, not carrying out the mission of labor unions while they are on the clock. Rather than serving the interests of the American people, this inefficient agency allowed bureaucrats to squander more than half a million employee hours last year on union activities alone. We must not forget that current IRS employees targeted innocent Americans because of their political ideologies. I will continue to seek to restore accountability to a partisan agency that has lost its way. Background: The full text of the PURSE Act can be found HERE. The PURSE Act exempts Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute (5 U.S.C. Chapter 71). H.R. 4083 is the House companion to S.2245 introduced by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO). Under current law, several federal government agencies are already prohibited from unionizing and entering into collective bargain agreements including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Given the everyday functions of the IRS, there is no good reason why the agency shouldn't also be on this list. In 2013, over 200 IRS employees spent more than 520,000 hours of official time on union activities. American taxpayers had to foot the bill for these employees' salaries and benefits to the tune of over $23 million. To make matters worse, the IRS has over 70,000 union-covered employees, and more than 95% of the union's political contributions have gone to Democratic candidates in recent elections.Following introduction of the PURSE Act, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning stated, [This bill] goes to the heart of the Hatch Act civil service protections that ensure the bureaucracy is not subject to undue political influence. The rise of public employee unions as major contributors to the left has long been a threat to the political neutrality of the civil service system. The IRS' unprecedented targeting of conservative organizations and donors makes it all the more important that [this] brilliant legislation become law. Current endorsements for the PURSE Act include: Americans for Tax Reform,Americans for Limited Government,Citizens Against Government Waste, FreedomWorks, Gila County (AZ) Cattle Growers Association, Mason ContractorsAssociation of America, New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, New Mexico Federal Lands Council, New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc.,Arizona Mining Association,Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Veritas Research Consulting, Yuma County (AZ) Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Liberty, Concerned Citizens for America, Associated General Contractors of America, and the Town of Fredonia, AZ, and taxpayer Jim Salscheider. 21 Original Cosponsors joined Rep. Gosar in introducing the PURSE Act including: Representatives Brian Babin, Dave Brat, Ken Buck, Rick Crawford, John Culberson, Trent Franks, Louie Gohmert, Gregg Harper, Tim Huelskamp, Steve King, Cynthia Lummis, Jeff Miller, Pete Olson, Bill Posey, Tom Rice, Mike Rogers, Todd Rokita, David Rouzer, Chris Stewart, Scott Tipton, and Joe Wilson. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z