This Week with Gosar

2022: the Year in Review

Happy New Year! It’s Been a Heck of a Year!  Closing Time…

This is my last newsletter of 2022 and, my last newsletter as Congressman for the 4th Congressional District.  Starting January 3, 2023, I will be representing District 9, which includes large chunks of CD4 but adds in areas in the West Valley of Phoenix (Glendale, Peoria, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Pebble Creek, etc).  As the song goes, “every new beginning is some other beginning’s end.”  

I share below some highlights, and a couple lowlights, from the year.  But most of all, I want to share how honored I am to represent you, to fight for you in Congress, to represent you and your real American values, and to fight against the decay and rot that is infecting our country.  As always, I choose peace over war.  Love over hate. And Christ above all else.  

I am a positive guy, so most of this newsletter focuses on good things.   But we live in strange times, so I would be remiss if I didn’t spell out some lowlights for the year:

The Lowlights

1. The Biden regime has hired men who like to pretend they are women, and predictably these men have done an awful job.  Who would have thought that a mentally ill man would fail at basic job assignments:

• Sam Britton—fired to stealing women’s clothing.  And should have been fired for being incompetent.   
• Bob “Rachel” Levine—also fond of wearing women’s clothing, and also a failure at public health.   The pandemic got worse as soon as he was put in charge. 

2.  The vaccine: it is now more apparent than ever that the vaccine was neither safe nor effective.  Heart disease and death, inflicted by the experimental drug, has caused untold death and suffering globally.  Studies have now confirmed the supposed cure is far worse than simply getting COVID-19.

3.  Censorship: although suspected for years, there is now hard proof that the federal government, and some state governments (including Katie Hobbs in Arizona) actively colluded with social media platforms including Twitter, Google, Facebook and Instagram, to censor political opponents and dissident views.  This censorship is unconstitutional and illegal. 

4.  Ukraine: the Bidens, long since on Ukraine’s payroll through bribery (remember Burisma?), continue to pay back their debt to Ukraine by spending our money on a proxy war.   Our taxpayer dollars are being wasted in Ukraine on a war we have no business in, and supporting a corrupt regime that has banned opposition parties, banned Christianity, banned free media and engages in war crimes on a regular basis.   On top of that, our borders remain open as we send billions to defend Ukraine borders. 

5.  Our border remains open with record levels of illegal aliens invading our country.  By the time you are reading this nearly five and half million illegal aliens will have crossed into the U.S. illegally in just two years.  Crime is rampant.  Drug deaths and homelessness continue to grow and fester.  Drug and sex traffickers flourish, real wages continue to drop, and housing prices increase.  This is all due to illegal aliens and an open border.   

6.  The Omnibus: the spending bill passed by democrats is a great example of waste and demonstrates a clear hatred for America and American taxpayers.   The policies being funded in this bill put America Last and other countries first.  The policies further leftist cultural attacks on the historic culture of our nation.   

Here’s a look back on the key legislation I introduced or cosponsored and a summary of other important issues impacting Arizona’s fourth congressional district and all of America. 

In response to Mr. Biden issuing his unlawful Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule requiring private businesses with 100 or more employees to enforce vaccine mandates, I quickly went to work and introduced a joint resolution to terminate the unconstitutional vaccine rule. 

Did you know that foreign investors account for almost one-third of investment in single-family rental homes in the United States?  It’s true!  Worse, the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to buy up land in the United States, with an emphasis on farmland to gain strategic leverage over the United States. 

This is a direct threat to American way of life and our economic security.  In response, I cosponsored H.R. 6383, the National Security Moratorium on Foreign Purchases of U.S. Land Act to prohibit foreigners from purchasing public or private land in the United States for five years.

This year, I cosponsored three very important pieces of legislation designed to improve border security along the southern border.   H.R. 1707, the Border Visibility and Security Act directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to install surveillance technology, including radar systems, tunnel detection technology and usage of unmanned aerial vehicles to establish situational awareness and operational control of the border.  I also cosponsored H.R. 4593, the Securing our Border States Act.  This important legislation would establish a block grant program that would allow border states to continue constructing a barrier along their borders with Mexico. This bill would give direct access to funding to Governors of southwest border states who certify that they will use the funding for wall construction. 

I also cosponsored  H.R. 2003, the Secure the Southern Border Act, legislation that would enact into law President Trump’s border policies that had a proven record of vastly slowing illegal border crossings. This includes ending “catch and release,” reinstating the “Remain in Mexico” policy, partnering with state and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws and ending sanctuary cities and allowing the National Guard to help defend our homeland by bolstering Border Patrol’s manpower.

I teamed up with Russell Walkner from Bullhead City to introduce H.R. 6675, the Independent VA Audit Act, legislation to improve the healthcare system of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Arizona is home to tens of thousands of veterans. On any given day, veterans in my district contact me to share horror stories regarding long delays to receive an appointment for hospital care and medical services.  So, when Russell came to me with his suggestion for an independent audit of the VA, I immediately went to work and turned his common-sense idea into legislation.  

I don’t often sign pledges as my pledge is to the Constitution of the United States and the flag. However, this year, the American Principle’s Project launched the Big Families Pledge for supporting pro-family policies that I felt merited my support. The family and the basics of responsibility and morality of family life are under assault from the Left’s constant attack on the unborn, nuclear family, and more.

This pledge is a commitment to defend girls’ sports by prohibiting biological males from participating, protecting children from experimental gender transition procedures, protecting kids from the harmful teachings of Critical Racing Theory, safeguarding children from pornography, and protecting life from conception to natural death. I already sponsor and cosponsor legislation to achieve these goals, so I was proud to join this pledge.

In 2022, across America mask mandates were finally lifted, schools, churches and businesses reopened and life returned to normal.  Yet, Mr. Biden extended the COVID-19 national emergency for another year despite painting an optimistic portrait of life for Americans after COVID-19 during his State of the Union address.  The extraordinary powers given to Mr. Biden to deal with the pandemic are no longer justified.  Under the current COVID-19 national emergency declaration, more than 120 emergency statutory powers can be invoked by Mr. Biden, including the power to draft Americans without consent, raising Dr. Fauci’s salary, further barricading the United States Capitol, and placing the Public Health Service under military control. 

In response, I introduced House Joint Resolution 46 and twice moved to terminate the national emergency.  Sadly, both times Nancy Pelosi changed the rules of the entire House to prevent this from happening. I was very pleased that Senate passed a companion to my resolution that would terminate the COVID-19 national emergency declaration and emergency presidential powers and I am optimistic that the new Republican majority in the House will finally take up my legislation.  Click here to learn more about the National Emergency Act and my full statement.

While I have deep compassion and sympathy for the horrible suffering of the people of Ukraine and am moved by their nationalism, I voted against a resolution to drag the United States into another war.  The resolution demanded that an armed attack against one or more NATO member in Europe or North America is considered an attack against them all and consequently America would be obligated to go to war. This is an unconstitutional infringement on Article 1 Section 8 Clause 11 of the United States Constitution, which grants only Congress the power to declare war, not NATO allies. I have repeatedly stated that this conflict has nothing to do with American national security and not one American soldier should be dragged into a war 5,000 miles away when there is no reason to be there.  In fact, I voted against every single bill to fund the war in Ukraine and I will not support any request to continue the needless death and destruction on both sides in this war.  Our nation is under attack at the southern border, inflation is at an historic high and our country is buried in $31 trillion national debt.  It is wrong for Congress to continue sending pallets of taxpayer dollars to perpetuate a needless war.

This year, I introduced the No Gun Lists Act, legislation endorsed by Gun Owners of America, that would require the ATF to immediately eliminate their illegal firearm record repository system, prohibit the relisting of records, and allow gun owners to sue the ATF for damages and injunctive relief.

In its latest attempt to keep track of all law-abiding gun-owners and implement its unconstitutional gun control agenda, the Biden administration has ordered the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) create a gun owner database of almost a billion searchable records, prohibited by current federal law.  In just the past year, the ATF has stockpiled the records of over 54 million legal gun owners according to troubling document first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.  Click here to learn more about this legislation and read my entire statement.

This past March, I hosted a round table in Goodyear, Arizona to discuss the deadly effects of fentanyl throughout the country, including right here in Arizona. I am incredibly grateful to the dozens of community leaders, law enforcement officials and families who lost loved ones from fentanyl who joined me for this important discussion. Our open borders have allowed drug and sex traffickers free reign to inflict terror in our country. Fentanyl is destroying our communities and families.  It is killing our children and loved ones. More than 105,000 people died last year from fentanyl.  

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in America among 18- to 45-year-olds. Disturbingly, most of the fentanyl in our communities finds its way there via our open southern border. Law enforcement officials along the border continue to seize record amounts of fentanyl, yet much still gets through as officials struggle to keep up with the drug smugglers along the U.S. - Mexico border.  Stopping the flow of fentanyl begins with sealing off our border to protect our communities from this deadly drug.

In that regard, I voted to permanently place fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. This would make fentanyl in all combinations subject to the harshest criminal penalties currently available.  My vote to permanently deem fentanyl-related substances among the most controlled Schedule 1 drugs would have given law enforcement officials the tools they need to combat this threat and take swift action against drug traffickers.  Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress refuse to take this crisis seriously and this important vote failed.

I also introduced the Cartel Haven Sanction Act, legislation to impose economic sanctions on Mexico for its failure to stop illicit and deadly drugs, including fentanyl, from crossing the border. The Cartel Haven Sanctions Act will liquidate cartel assets and prohibit remittances from the U.S. to Mexico until the date on which a physical wall on the international border between the U.S. and Mexico has been constructed and is fully operational. 

And I introduced H.R. 8228, the Death Penalty for Dealing Fentanyl Act, legislation that would punish a defendant with the death penalty or life in prison if convicted of selling or distributing fentanyl.

This past Spring, I joined the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on an inspection trip to our under-siege southern border, from California to Yuma. We journeyed from San Diego, California, to Yuma, Arizona, to examine how President Biden has opened our borders and allowed over five million illegal aliens to prance into our country.

I introduced the Resort Fee Transparency Act. This common sense legislation brings fairness and transparencyby addressing what are called “resort fees” or “destination fees” or “mandatory parking fees” or in some cases “electricity fees.”Whatever the fees are called, if they are not disclosed to you before you make your reservation and you learn about them when you check out, that is unfair and my bill seeks to force hotels to let you know when you make your reservation what mandatory fees they will force you to pay.  

I also cosponsored H.J.Res.72, a Congressional Review Act resolution disapproving of the Center for Disease Control’s mask mandates on planes, buses and trains.  The masks most people wear, including surgical masks, do nothing to stop viruses.  That being said, wear a mask if you want to.  It’s your choice.  But the federal government should not be mandating their usage.

To assist veterans,  I cosponsored the Emergency Community Care Notification Time Adjustment Act, important legislation that would change the requirement to notify the Veterans Affairs (VA) of emergency treatment provided by a community care partner or health care facility outside of the VA from 72 hours after admittance to 72 hours after discharge.  This bill would provide veterans more time to notify the VA, allowing them and their families to focus on their health and recovery.

This Summer, the Biden administration announced the creation of the Disinformation Governance Board to spy on American citizens and double down on this administration’s continued abuse of powers to attack Americans who disagree with its policies, smearing them as extremists.  In response, I sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas opposing the establishment of the Disinformation Governance Board. You can read the full text of my letter here.

Earlier this year, I voted to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) two additional years to provide benefit payments to persons who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing during our nation’s Cold War Era.  A two-year extension is certainly helpful, but congress has a moral responsibility to update RECA and should stop dragging its feet and immediately take up H.R 538, the Downwinders Parity Act of 2021, important bipartisan legislation I authored that would extend RECA coverage to all of Mohave and Clark Counties.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a corrupt and feckless international institution completely beholden to China and cares nothing about the United States.  President Trump was 100% right to withdraw the U.S. from this organization.

To prevent Biden from further ceding American sovereignty to unelected global foreigners at the WHO, I cosponsored the Protecting American Sovereignty Act, legislation that would prevent Biden from surrendering American sovereignty to the WHO through the proposed Global Pandemic Treaty by prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars from carrying out the treaty, therefore blocking it from taking effect. In a related matter, I also cosponsored the WHO Withdrawal Act.  This legislation requires the President to withdraw the United States from the WHO, repeals the law that originally authorized the United States to join the WHO, and prevents taxpayer money from being spent to participate in the WHO.

I voted against every unconstitutional gun control bills, including red flag laws, that will absolutely do nothing to stop gun violence, but will most certainly give the federal government more power to implement Biden’s gun grab agenda and punish law-abiding gun owners.  

I want to also let you know that I introduced a bill that would eliminate all income taxes on social security benefits. I introduced the “No Taxation on Social Security Act of 2021” to stop our government from unjustly taxing these benefits, benefits you have already been taxed for over the years.  It makes no sense for the federal government to punish senior citizens who saved for retirement or who continue to work. All this does is increase the scope of the federal government and deprive Americans of what they are rightfully entitled to.  You can read more about my bill here. 

In June, the United States Supreme Court overturned the egregiously immoral and unconstitutional Roe v. Wade, correcting an injustice that has led to over 62 million American babies slaughtered in the past 50 years!  

The court rightfully said that abortion is not a federal right and is not part of the federal constitution.  It is a state issue. The court’s decision is a return to civilization, equality and the respect for all human life.

As amazing and historic the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Roe v. Wade was, across the country leftist domestic terrorists and extremists rioted in the streets to protest the decision for days throughout the summer.  Highways were being illegally blocked, people were being pulled from their vehicles and assaulted, bricks were thrown at automobiles, property was destroyed and police officers were attacked.  In response to these hostile and illegal actions, I cosponsored the Protecting Mothers and Babies from Terrorism Act, legislation that deems the actions of these groups and other pro-abortion radical groups as domestic terrorists.

Supreme Court justice and other government officials should not be subjected to angry protests and violent threats at home because of leaked news reports pertaining the Roe v. Wade.  In response, I cosponsored H.R. 7799, the Public Servant Protection Act, legislation to protect all government employees and their families from having their home addresses listed publicly online.

Earlier this summer, the Town of Payson declared June 28 as Paul Gosar Day and Mayor Morrissey presented me with the honorary keys to the town!  I have had the privilege and honor of representing Payson for more than a decade in the United States House of Representatives.  Payson is a wonderful town and its people will always be close to my heart. 

I cosponsored, H.R. 1417, the Safety and Opportunity for Girl Act of 2021. This legislation would clarify that nothing in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 can be interpreted to give the Biden administration the authority to prohibit schools from maintaining sex-segregated bathrooms, locker, rooms, sports teams, and academic programs. The bill also adds a clear definition of sex to Title IX to clarify that “sex” means biological sex, not gender identity.

Free speech is a bedrock of the United States, but the overwhelmingly left-leaning Big Tech companies have taken that right away from Americans by policing speech they disagree with.  Tech platforms have become the de-facto town square, where free speech is and always should be protected.  Big Tech, including Facebook and Twitter, have been caught colluding with the Biden Regime to censor free speech. This is an illegal deprivation of civil rights.  The government cannot censor lawful speech even if done indirectly.  

In response, I introduced the Stop Censorship Act to revoke Big Tech’s broad immunity for the removal of “otherwise objectionable” material and instead protects the removal of “unlawful material,” extends protections to platforms for empowering users with the option to restrict access to any material, ensures Section 230 does not provide immunity from antitrust claims and requires platforms to abide by their own terms of service. 

This past Autumn, I sponsored legislation prohibiting Joe Biden from releasing illegals into America.  The Ending Catch and Release Act of 2022 amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to prohibit the Biden Administration from continuing to release illegal aliens into the country.  The Biden administration has ended the successful policies of the Trump administration that secured our border by reinstating Obama’s failed catch and release policies that ignore current laws.  As a result, more than five million lawbreakers have crossed our southern border since Biden became President.

I also introduced the Empowering States to Deport Illegal Aliens Act, legislation that will allows states to authorize state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws and prosecute anyone who illegally enters the country that is residing in their state.  Our border is a war zone and fentanyl is ravaging communities all across America.  It is going to take the states to fight this invasion, while Joe Biden does absolutely nothing to keep us safe.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many states and localities violated the rights of American citizens to assemble by refusing them entry into churches, places of business, and entertainment venues and they restricted the rights of American citizens by denying them the ability to earn a living and provide for a family through forced inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine. We must never again allow the total violation of our rights that occurred during the COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates.  In response, I introduced the End Lockdowns and Vaccine Mandates Act, legislation that prevents states and the federal government from forbidding people from entering a place of business or having to receive an inoculation as a condition of employment.

Religion and its moral basis are fundamental to the success of our republic, which was recognized by our Founding Fathers, including John Adams who stated that “our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.”  Unfortunately, hostility towards Christians and individuals of faith in the United States is prevalent in modern American culture and governmental institutions. The growing hostility is a problem Congress needs to address.  

In response, this year I cosponsored H. Res. 1416, legislation condemning the growing hostility towards Christians and individuals of faith in the United States while opposing the advancement of sexual orientation and gender identity laws, regulations, and policies that suppress Americans’ ability to freely exercise their religion.

We can all agree that the world has seen enough death and destruction among Russia and Ukraine this year.  In response, I felt compelled to send an invitation to Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Arizona to begin conversations to deescalate nuclear tensions, terminate the war and end the unfortunate death and destruction plaguing both countries.  The current posture is untenable and a pathway to peace is long overdue.  Months of escalation in weaponry and rhetoric endangers not just the citizens of Russia and Ukraine, but the whole world.

Joe Biden and Congress have wasted over $100 billion American taxpayer dollars funding a proxy war.  Ever ask yourself where did all that money go?  I joined a group of House Republicans and introduced H. Res. 1482,  a resolution to audit the funds appropriated by Congress to Ukraine.  This important resolution demands that Joe Biden, along with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, provide the House of Representatives copies of all documents and any financial statements detailing purchases, recipients, and government expenditures related to congressionally appropriated funds given to Ukraine. I voted against every single bill to fund the war in Ukraine and I will not support any effort continue the needless death and destruction on both sides in this war.  We should not send another dime to Ukraine and we should audit the money already sent there. 

This year, I introduced the Clean Disaster Relief Resolution, legislation that stipulates any bill that appropriates funding for emergency assistance in response to major disasters, including wildfires, be a standalone bill and not combined with any other legislative measure. Anyone who reads the Gosar Newsletter or has heard me speak knows that I often comment that good process makes for good policy and good politics.  The ugly truth is that congress repeatedly loads up well-intended disaster relief funding legislation with flawed and costly provisions making it difficult for members of congress, including me, to support final passage.  This resolution will allow members of congress to cast a clean vote on providing meaningful federal disaster relief without the inclusion of other ridiculous and unrelated legislative provisions.  That’s what I call good policy!

As a Christian, I believe marriage to be a God-ordained covenant relationship between one man and one woman, as does the Constitution for the state of Arizona.

I voted against harmful legislation to dismantle the traditional marriage covenant.  This was nothing more than the latest attack on all God-loving individuals who embrace the biblical teaching on marriage.  

As the waning days of congress wrap up, the 2022 voting scorecards came out and I am proud to say that I continue to fight for America First and conservative values.  From protecting your Second Amendment to blocking the constant stampede of illegal aliens to defending the traditional family, there were many causes to champion for the residents of the 4^th congressional district.  

The contentment of advocacy organizations has been reflected in their vote scorecards evaluating me.  American Family Action Network,  the American Conservative Union Foundation, Gun Owners of America, NumbersUSA, FreedomWorks, Turning Point Action and Heritage Action all gave me the highest score possible.   I encourage you to click on these important scorecards and see how I voted on key issues and compare it to others in our state and around the country.

In the closing days of 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two Republican bills that I have worked tirelessly for several years to get enacted.  S. 3308, the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Water Resiliency Act and S. 4104, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act both passed with resounding bi-partisan support. Both bills will finally give these Tribes control over their water and allow them to assist other communities in Arizona suffering from water supply challenges.

As Congress wrapped up its legislative session, my final vote was against the disastrous $1.7 trillion, 4155-page omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year 2023, I voted against this colossal mess for many reasons.  In particular, the omnibus sends $45 billion to protect Ukraine’s border.  I also sends $410 million to protect the borders of Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Oman but it spends zero dollars to protect our own borders. This last minute, lame duck legislation was a betrayal of American voters’ wishes as expressed at the ballot box in November.

Tell Your Friends to Subscribe to the Gosar Newsletter

Do you love reading the Gosar Newsletter each week?  Do you have friends that you think would appreciate reading it?  If so, let them know that they too can receive the latest legislative updates and news by signing up for my e-newsletter by clicking here.  

Finally, let me close be saying that I am honored to have earned another term representing Arizona in the United States House of Representatives.  Last year, the Independent Redistricting Commission completed its monumental task of creating new legislative and congressional districts, something that occurs every 10 years following the decennial census. Beginning next January, my new Congressional district will be district nine, which includes areas in Mohave County, La Paz County, Yuma County and Maricopa County that I have already represented for the last decade.   There will be some new towns and faces added in and I am looking forward to meeting my new constituents.   I have to express my sadness, however, in not having Yavapai County, Pinal County and Gila County in my new district.   Over the last ten years I have made so many friends, and I have had the pleasure of traveling from Florence to Chino Valley, Jerome to Apache Junction, and all points in-between.  I will continue to visit and stop by as often as I can, and I will always be available to help with issues, talk, and work for all Arizonans.  Thank you so much for your unwavering support! It’s been the honor of my lifetime representing you in congress.

That’s a wrap!  I look forward to 2023.  Happy New Year!