Weekly Newsletter
July 13, 2025
Gosar Holds Press Conference with Downwinders in Kingman
This week I joined several Downwinders and members of their families in Kingman to celebrate the reauthorization and expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, in addition to the historic tax relief for all Arizonans, the One Big Beautiful Bill also included my legislation reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and, most importantly, corrects an administrative oversight in the RECA Act of 1990 that arbitrarily excluded areas of Mohave County, Arizona. Atomic weapons testing conducted during the Cold War came with a heavy cost to Americans living in Arizona and within tribal communities.
Since first being elected to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that RECA not only be reauthorized but more importantly, be expanded so that every person in Mohave County who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation can be compensated for being poisoned and oftentimes lied to by the federal government. The expansion of RECA is a hard-won victory for Arizonans harmed by nuclear contamination.
RECA has had an outsized impact on people living in communities in Arizona who were exposed to radiation during the Cold War. But it had gaping holes and inconsistencies that left victims in Mohave County wrongfully neglected for decades and forced to face the devastating costs and suffering of radiation exposure alone.
Thankfully, the reauthorization and expansion of RECA is wonderful news. RECA will finally deliver justice for so many Downwinders and survivors in all of Mohave County who have suffered since the 1950s and 1960s.
It is a tragic fact that to protect us from our enemies, our government poisoned its own people. As a result, the federal government has a responsibility to take care of the survivors of nuclear weapons testing who unknowingly sacrificed their health and sometimes their lives. The reauthorization and expansion of RECA is a bittersweet step toward justice. Because no compensation can erase the pain suffered by Downwinders and their families.
I can assure you that I will continue to make certain that every person who qualifies receives the compensation that they deserve. Because we must honor our survivors and those we have lost. That means acknowledging the debts we owe and delivering them the justice and overdue compensation they deserve.
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who gathered with me this week in Kingman, including Chief of Police Cooper and Kingman PD’s finest officers and every city of Kingman official who helped make this event a success. I am incredibly grateful to all the Downwinders and their families for their perseverance and support over the years.
NIH Yields to Gosar, Agrees to Immediately Halt Funding for Fauci Dog and Cat Experiments
This week I demanded that the National Institutes of Health immediately terminate funding for barbaric dog and cat experiments approved by Dr. Anthony Fauci and his Biden-era successors at the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Faithful Gosar Newsletter readers will remember that last year I sent a letter asking Fauci’s successor, Biden-Harris NIAID Director Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, to cut funding for Fauci’s animal labs, but the request was blatantly ignored.
In fact, numerous media reports and ongoing investigations by the non-profit group White Coat Waste, have documented how the NIH continues to renew and fund dozens of Dr. Fauci’s disturbing experiments on dogs and cats in labs around the world, in which animals are infested with insects, infected with viruses, force-fed experimental drugs, and killed. Even though Dr. Fauci retired at the end of 2022, many of these harmful experiments he approved are alive and well, with some scheduled to be funded through 2031.
I have some good news to report on this front. Just two days after receiving my letter, the NIH announced this week that it will phase out Dr. Fauci's barbaric dog and cat tests and end the use of taxpayer funds for Fauci's twisted sadism against animals. I often say that trust is a series of promises kept, so I will continue to hold NIH accountable to ensure they follow through and will be sure to keep you updated as I have heard from many of you expressing outrage that taxpayers are funding these cruel animal experiments.
Arizona Sets All-Time Energy Demand Record, PLREDA to the Rescue
On Wednesday, July 9, Arizona faced a day of record heat and record energy demand as the temperatures soared to 118°F across the Phoenix area, including in my district in Goodyear, Peoria, Glendale, and Surprise.
As everyone cranked their air conditioners, both of Arizona’s largest electric utilities, Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP), reported record peak electricity demand.
APS reported a record-breaking peak of 8,527 megawatts used between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, the highest ever recorded in the company’s history. Not far behind, SRP hit its own all-time high of 8,324 megawatts between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. These figures surpassed even last year’s intense summer peaks and reflect the growing energy needs of Arizona’s rapidly expanding population and energy demand.
The great news is that neither utility experienced blackouts nor interruptions in service. APS and SRP credited careful planning, diversified energy portfolios, and robust grid infrastructure for keeping the system stable under extreme pressure.
For perspective, last year on July 8th, peak usage for APS reached approximately 8,212 megawatts, during what was then considered a severe heatwave. Two decades earlier, in July 2000, peak loads were closer to 5,500 megawatts, or roughly 60% of today’s totals. Back in July 1980, during a time when the state’s population and energy footprint were far smaller, peak electricity demand for APS was under 2,500 megawatts. In just 45 years, Arizona’s energy demand has more than tripled, with much of that growth concentrated in the Phoenix area.
As demand for electricity continues to rise, I am proud to help Arizona’s energy policy keep pace. Last week, my PLERDA Bill was signed into law by President Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. My legislation opens new pathways for responsible energy development on public lands and is expected to streamline permitting and increase domestic generation capacity. In the context of Wednesday’s record energy demand, the timing of PLREDA’s passage could not be more relevant or necessary.
Thanks to coordinated and smart policymaking, Arizona met this week’s challenge head-on. Your air conditioners stayed on. The power grid held. And because of my legislation, a path forward for more energy is already in motion.
Gosar Announces Congressional App Challenge for Middle and High School Students
Registration is now underway for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. The competition is open to all middle school and high school students who live in Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District.
The annual competition is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students can register for the 2025 competition by clicking HERE and begin coding their apps. The competition deadline is October 30, 2025.
Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete with their peers by creating an application or “app,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices.
The winner from the Ninth Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us, and the winning app also will be on display at the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country.
For more information or questions, visit the official Congressional App Challenge website or email my District Director, Penny Pew at penny.pew@mail.house.gov.
It’s Mail Time!
I receive hundreds of letters each week and I appreciate everyone who writes in. I try my best to respond to all who write in. Here are a few I received this week:
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery S. from Litchfield Park wrote in:
Congressman Gosar, wow - will you be addressing the horrific violent tragedy of members of Congress and their spouses being shot, dying and critically wounded.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. S., last month, Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband were tragically shot and killed in an apparent politically motivated assassination. Additionally, Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot, but both survived. The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, reportedly disguised himself as a police officer, knocked on their doors, and began shooting once the residents opened their doors. After a two-day manhunt, Boelter was apprehended by authorities and charged with the murder.
My sincerest prayers go out to the victims' families and all who were affected by this senseless violence. This was a horrific, tragic attack that demonstrates how the polarization and extremism that have infected our politics have real, devastating consequences. There is no place for violence, period. People have the right to disagree with one another, and we should strive to resolve those differences through respectful discourse and debate. This heartbreaking attack on the Hortmans and Hoffmans is the worst example of what can happen when we demonize and vilify those who disagree with us.
James B. from Surprise, AZ writes:
Regarding the mask ban bill, brought forward by the lawless democrats, Booker and Padilla, among others, please OPPOSE this. This is an act of undermining the safety of all law enforcement. Please stand up to these people and tell them they are wrong! Deport All Illegals!
James, law enforcement officials are wearing masks because leftists, Mexican criminal cartels and other criminals want to identify our ICE agents to threaten them, harass them and kill them. This is called "doxing" and the agents have every right to protect themselves.
DHS has reported that assaults against ICE/federal agents were up nearly 700% between January 21, 2025, and June 30, 2025, compared to the same period in the previous year. There were 79 reported assaults in that timeframe in 2025, compared to 10 in the same period in 2024. In a related report, DHS noted a 500% increase in assaults against ICE agents while conducting immigration enforcement operations as of June 20, 2025.
Just earlier this month DHS revealed that ICE/federal agents were being doxed and threatened in Portland, Oregon.
ICE agents were targeted in two ambush attacks in recent days, involving shots fired at federal agents and a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, and an incident at a DHS detention facility in Prairieland, TX.
Critically, federal agents are experiencing doxing by criminals and likely Mexican gangs, with personal information and photos being posted online, putting them and their families at risk, according to the DHS.
That is the context for what is going on.
Recently, California State Senator Scott Wiener proposed introducing legislation to prohibit ICE officers from wearing masks while carrying out federal immigration enforcement actions in California. If passed, it would make wearing masks a punishable offense under California state law. Senator Wiener claims that this act will prevent “the rise of secret police… grabbing & disappearing people” and thus restore trust in democracy and law enforcement. Similarly, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recently introduced a bill to ban ICE officers from wearing masks while carrying out federal immigration orders. However, these bills will not only run afoul of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution – it will also flagrantly disregard Supreme Court precedent on immigration enforcement. In Arizona v. United States, the Supreme Court held that field preemption by the federal government precluded any state from modifying the penalties of illegal immigration. This not only prevented Arizona from enforcing illegal immigration at a higher level than the Obama administration did; it also prevents California from enforcing illegal immigration at a lower level than the Trump administration.
Similarly, these state bills run afoul of Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly, a Supreme Court case prohibiting state laws from “frustrating” federal legislation whose punishments are within the exclusive control of the federal government. The central issue of Lorillard was whether the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could ban tobacco ads and the sale of tobacco within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. The Supreme Court ruled that it could not, because the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act imposed criminal penalties for any cigarette manufacturer which violated the FCLAA. This logic also applies to any state bill, because the federal government has given the Department of Justice exclusive authority to investigate and prosecute law enforcement misconduct. These laws would intrude on the DOJ’s statutory authority to prosecute ICE agents who fail to follow federal law while carrying out immigration enforcement orders. This act is not only unconstitutional, but it demonizes law enforcement as “secret police” due to enforcing federal law.
In response to these potential challenges, House Democrats have recently introduced H.R. 4004, No Anonymity in Immigration Enforcement Act of 2025. This bill seeks to prevent ICE agents from wearing face coverings while forcing them to display their name and affiliation with ICE. But it does not provide any legal protection for ICE agents, nor does it provide any exceptions whatsoever. Let me be clear, wearing a mask while carrying out law enforcement is not illegal, nor should it be. During the COVID-19 pandemic, police officers routinely wore masks while carrying out law enforcement orders; no Democratic lawmaker raised concerns about this “undermining democratic trust” or violating a person’s rights to due process. Similarly, ICE agents wore masks during 2020 and 2021 while the COVID-19 pandemic kept the country in lockdown. The only change between then and now is that Democratic lawmakers view ICE agents wearing a mask as a sign of “guilt” and “criminality” in what they are doing. They argue that ICE agents wearing a mask undermines the transparency of law enforcement, that it inspires fear, and it prevents them from being held accountable. But I disagree that these actions undermine transparency in law enforcement; if anything, these actions show how deeply divisive our society has become. ICE agents wear masks because they fear “doxing,” “swatting,” assault, and harassment by people who think that enforcing federal immigration law is an immoral crime against humanity.
Today, where people specialize in harassing people they disagree with, it should be no surprise that ICE agents want to take steps to protect themselves. They have a right to protect their family from bad actors targeting them for political reasons while working.
So, while I am sympathetic to fears about police overreach, these bills threaten the safety of thousands of ICE agents. ICE agents are upholding federal law and arresting illegal aliens in accordance with federal law. Any wrongdoing by ICE agents will be investigated and prosecuted by the DOJ; not by radical vigilantes looking for internet “clout” in harming the families of ICE agents. No law enforcement official should suffer the horrors of swatting and doxxing simply because they arrested an illegal alien.
Tweet of the Week:
Photo of the Week:
📸 Joe Mancino from Prescott, Arizona shares this very cool photograph he snapped at a recent the rodeo. Fun! Thanks for sharing, Joe.
Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our "Picture of the Week?" If so, send your best shots along with a brief description to Anthony.foti@mail.house.gov. Remember to include your name and where you live.
Gosar in the News and Other Must-Read Stories:
📰Kingman Daily Miner: Rep. Paul Gosar celebrates RECA expansion with Mohave County Downwinders
🗞AZ Free News: Rep. Gosar’s Downwinders Parity Act Passes Through Inclusion In ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
📰 ABC 15 PHX: Advocates for Arizona radiation exposure victims score big win in Congress
🗞Breitbart: Exclusive — GOP Rep. Paul Gosar Demands Termination of NIH Funding of Cruel Dog and Cat Experiments
📰 Washington Examiner: NIH to phase out dog and cat testing days after Republican complaints
🗞 Gateway Pundit: BREAKING: Pressure from Gosar, White Coat Waste and Gateway Pundit’s Reporting Forces NIH to Begin Phasing Out Dog and Cat Labs
⚠ Warning!! The Gosar Weekly Newsletter is meant for discerning readers with above average intelligence. We link to interesting stories. We get stories a couple different ways: Google alerts, a third-party aggregator and sometimes readers send stuff. We don’t vouch for every publication or every author. If we link to a story, it is because of that story. The views expressed in any of the publications do not represent any promotion, endorsement or reflection of Congressman Gosar’s views. While we try our best, we cannot guarantee every news organization spouting hatred, animosity or divisiveness will be filtered from appearing in the Gosar Weekly Newsletter. We will endeavor to prevent that from happening by never linking to Fake News organizations including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Rolling Stone, the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Mirror, Media Matters or the New Republic.
