Protecting the First Amendment and American Tax Dollars:

As we continue to investigate the New York Post story from last week which alleges that Hunter Biden was peddling influence with his father, then Vice President of the United States, in Ukraine for his own benefit, the censorship continues to roll in. This week, NPR’s managing editor released an explanation of why their outlet had not covered the story, calling it a waste of time and not really a story because of some unconfirmed concern that the story is Russian disinformation, which DNI Ratcliffe has contradicted. This is a shocking statement from NPR, who is refusing to do its job as a media source to bury a story that harms the candidate for President for the political party which NPR’s bias clearly favors.

NPR is a news outlet, and they must report the news. Further, one percent of its budget comes from federal tax dollars and it receives additional funding from state and local money - meaning it works for the American people. With 11 days left until the election, the American people should receive all possible information to make an informed decision, and they deserve to have a full spectrum of reporting about whether the Vice President abused the powers of his office or if this is Russian disinformation. Either way, this is a story, and NPR is not doing its job because it is trying to censor for political gain. That is why this week I called for the defunding of NPR and have directed my staff to begin working on this effort. Government involvement in domestic journalism is a dangerous concept, whether it contributes $1 or $1 billion, and NPR’s censorship of this story is appalling. Would you continue paying for a private subscription to any newspaper which purposefully did not report certain stories? No, so why should the American people keep its subscription to NPR?

You can read more about my effort to end wasting American taxpayer money on NPR HERE

50 Cent Endorses President Trump:

First Kanye then 50 Cent and now Waka Flaka? Who knew Donald Trump would take the rapper vote? On Monday, October 19th, the rapper 50 Cent took to Instagram to reveal that he will be voting for Donald Trump. His decision was spurred by Joe Biden’s proposed tax rates for the states of California, New Jersey and New York. We can't really print here exactly what he said on instagram, it's still up if you're inclined to look it up yourself. Suffice it to say, he was very emphatic about not wanting to pay 62% in taxes. Can you blame him? 

The Vice President's proposed tax plan would raise taxes by nearly $3.4 trillion on mostly wealthy Americans and corporations over the next decade. Almost 80% of the tax increases backed by Biden would land on the top 1% of earners in the U.S. 

Biden has pledged to hike the corporate tax rate on "day one" of his presidency if he wins the Nov. 3 election, increasing the tax rate to 28% from 21%. He has also pledged to roll-back the extremely popular 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, reversing changes made to individual income rates for households earning more than $400,000. The top income bracket rate would revert to 39.6% from 37%. He would also seek to increase investment and payroll taxes for those households earning more than $400,000.

According to the Wharton School of Business, Biden's spending proposal would cause the biggest federal budget increase in a half-century, since Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972 ran on a platform that included a guaranteed minimum income for all Americans.

50 Cent doubled down on his claims a few days ago stated that "if Biden wins the election, he is "Packing his bags." Considering the Vice President's proposed tax plan, it's unlikely he'd be alone.

American Manganese Inc. Grant:

This week, the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded American Manganese Inc. a grant to perform work on the manganese ore stockpile located near Wenden, Arizona, with the goal of producing electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) for the nation. Manganese is a critical mineral America relies on for economic and defense production, but we are 100 percent import dependent and China is the world’s largest supplier. Wenden has one of the nation’s most significant low-grade raw manganese ore stockpiles - approximately 322,000 metric tons. Purchased by the U.S. government in the 1950s and 60s, a successful project can transform this stockpile to EMM for the nation. When the National Defense Stockpile added an acquisitions order for EMM for various advanced defense uses, I immediately wrote a letter to the Department of Interior and the DLA to advocate on behalf of Wenden to fill this crucial order. If enacted, this project will not only curb American reliance on China, but make Wenden the hub for American manganese for decades to come, building a high-tech metal processing facility and bringing many high paying jobs to our district. 

You can read more about this exciting opportunity for our district HERE 

Historic Visit by Sitting President:

On Monday, President Trump made a stop at Prescott Regional Airport and spoke to our district. Our Commander in Chief commended our state’s response to Covid and stressed the importance of Arizona this coming November. This was a historic visit for our district and Prescott as it was the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited Prescott in over a century (the last time being in 1909 when the train of President William Howard Taft steamed into town). Myself and several of our state’s elected officials were in attendance, and I was truly honored when the President recognized me for fighting for our state. Thank you to President Trump for recognizing our state and the great Fourth Congressional District!

AFFH Update:

This year, President Trump repealed and replaced the Obama era Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. A tool to end discrimination in the housing market, President Obama expanded AFFH power to advance his own social engineering experiment, seeking to subvert local zoning decisions made by communities with commands from Washington bureaucrats. I have long fought this encroachment on our state and local rights, and have been actively supporting the President’s efforts to simply allow our communities to make their own decisions.  

Secretary Ben Carson gave an interview this week outlining the very simplistic notion that this fight is about allowing the American people to choose for themselves, not be directed by power hungry Democrats in Washington. The interview discusses a new plan backed by Senator Booker which is even more radical than Obama’s. Even more concerning, Joe Biden endorsed it. Under the Booker-Biden plan, Washington D.C. can force local communities to accept high density housing and eradicate single family homes. A community may decide to do this, but again that is their decision, not the decision of Biden and Booker. This bill would actually force any community to accept their commands by withholding local jurisdictions highway funding. This is extortion and a gross expansion of federal power, something the founding fathers never envisioned. I have always fought against this encroachment into our communities and neighborhoods, and I continue to stand with the President to outline the true issue behind AFFH and the Democrats attempt to centralize decision making in Washington.

Continuing to Support Israel:

A staple of President Trump’s foreign policy is the protection of Israel, which he has approached through brokering peace deals between Israel and regional Arab nations, fostering peace in the Middle East. In recent weeks, the President was able to negotiate peace deals between Israel and the Middle East nations of Bahrain and the UAE, and on Friday the President added the African nation of Sudan to this peace process. Sudan and the U.S. have a difficult history, one that was reversed and put on the track of peace, cooperation, and development this week. In 1993, the U.S. designated Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism and tightened sanctions after the terrorist attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. But Sudan’s long-time dictator is no longer in power and a new government wants to carve a new path for its country. To begin this process, President Trump this week removed Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism as Sudan made compensation payments to the American families who suffered from these attacks, and then turned around and normalized relations between Sudan and Israel. This peace deal will further protect Israel, draw Sudan closer to the West on a continent where China is seeking influence, and consolidate America’s leadership. I applaud President Trump’s steadfast pursuit of regional peace and his defense of our ally Israel.

District Activity:

Over the weekend, I served tea and crumpets to the lady Veterans at the VFW Post 11014 in Meadview. I also answered questions regarding veteran healthcare, water and rural issues. Really enjoyed meeting with these incredible ladies and look forward to doing it again!

Halloween 2020:

Every Halloween, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases safety tips to protect our children as they Trick or Treat. Unfortunately, 2020 has brought new safety protocols due to the continued presence of Covid. By taking precautions such as passing out candy outdoors, washing hands before handing out treats, distancing from people not in your home, and even setting up stations with individually packaged treats to limit contact can go a long way to ensure yourself, our children, and our families remain safe while also enjoying the holiday like usual. Together we can ensure our children do not miss this moment in their childhoods while ensuring the holiday is safe and fun for all. 

CDC information for Trick or Treating can be found HERE 

CDC information for Halloween and other fall celebrations can be found HERE