On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed H.R.1829, a bill that I introduced which would enable Gila County, Arizona to operate a veterans center on 232 acres in Young, Arizona.
The center is the first of its kind in northern Arizona, providing resources and support to primarily rural veterans and their families.
In many parts of the Western United States, the federal government retains vast amounts of land, limiting states’ ability to maintain, conserve, recreate, and responsibly produce on the lands within their own borders.
The transfer of ownership to Gila County would protect and maintain the rich history of the property, while providing family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation.
This veterans center is so crucial for rural veterans in northern Arizona who selflessly served our nation. I’m grateful to see my colleagues in the House recognize the significance of this land transfer.
This was the first piece of legislation I introduced and is a testament to the significance of northern Arizona’s veterans. |
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Homeland Security passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act, a bipartisan bill I introduced alongside Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA).
The bill now awaits further action on the House Floor.
The legislation would strengthen our layered defense system at the border by requiring annual reports to Congress on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations.
Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents. My legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense—especially when the Biden Administration's policies have left our country inexcusably vulnerable. I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of this bill and for his distinguished leadership on the Committee. |
AZ-02 is the home of over half of the tribes in Arizona.
Biden’s border crisis is having a devastating impact on their lives.
Yesterday, I had a chance to raise awareness on this important issue in the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Click on the image above to hear more. |
The intelligence community and law enforcement officials used FISA 702 to illegally spy on President Trump and other American citizens.
If the Swamp actually cared about your security, they wouldn't embrace open borders.
Huge thanks to Lou Dobbs for promoting freedom and liberty.
Click on the image above to hear more. |
- Introduced Legislation to Curb Abuse of U.S. Immigration System: Congressman Crane introduced the Nuclear Family Priority Act, which strengthens the U.S. immigration system by restricting chain migration to only those within a visa holder’s nuclear family. The current family-sponsored visa system has resulted in endless chains of foreign nationals overwhelming our immigration system. Worse, it further incentivizes illegal immigration by encouraging distant relatives of immigrants to arrive and reside illegally in the U.S. while they wait for a visa to become available. To mitigate these issues, the legislation eliminates extended, non-nuclear family visa categories and limits family-sponsored visa eligibility to nuclear family members only; and reduces the baseline annual cap for family-sponsored visas issued. The bill also allows for exceptions in special circumstances for immigrants to care for aging parents. As you know, since President Biden took office, more than 8 million criminal aliens have crossed into the United States, 300+ terror watchlist members have been incentivized to infiltrate our communities, over 1.8 million people have illegally crossed and evaded Border Patrol, and more than 325,000 migrants have been flown in by our own government. By signing on, the Congressman seeks to put a stop to the border and immigration crisis.
- Cosponsored the VALID Act: Congressman Crane joined Homeland Security Chairman Green (R-TN) and Sen. Lee (R-UT) in introducing the VALID Act, which prohibits the use of the CBP One Mobile app and DHS Forms I-385 (Notice to Report) and I-862 (Notice to Appear) as valid forms of ID for TSA screening to board commercial flights. These “alternative” forms of ID are based on extremely limited information and vastly insufficient to ensure the security of our homeland. By signing on, the Congressman seeks to prevent the unlawful travel of illegal immigrants into the country.
- Cosigned Letter to President Biden regarding support for Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas: Congressman Crane joined Rep. Fry in writing a letter to President Biden, urging the administration to support Israel in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas following the October 7 attack. This vicious attack led to over 1200 deaths and the abduction of over 250 people, with five American citizens still believed to be in captivity. These hostages have suffered severe sexual and psychological abuse, and their plight has been largely minimized by the international community. By signing on, Congressman Crane aims to emphasize the United States' role as a key ally to Israel in this crisis, advocating for Israel's right to self-defense and to pressure nations harboring terrorist groups to cease their support.
- Cosponsored H.R. 7533, the Modernizing Retrospective Regulatory Review Act: Congressman Crane joined Rep. Biggs (R-AZ) in introducing H.R. 7533, the Modernizing Retrospective Regulatory Review Act to improve retrospective reviews of federal regulations and encourage agencies to use AI to efficiently and accurately review regulations that may be outdated, redundant, or contain typographical errors. As you may know, federal overregulation has taken a massive toll on the U.S. economy— thousands of new regulations go into effect every year, and there simply isn’t enough manpower or existing technology to sift through previously issued regulations. According to a 2016 study, regulatory accumulation has resulted in an estimated $4 trillion loss in U.S. GDP from the 1980s to 2012. By signing on, the Congressman seeks to cut bureaucratic red tape, promote efficiency within federal agencies, and save taxpayer dollars.
- Cosponsored H.R. 4867, Veterans Members Business Loan Act: Congressman Crane joined Rep. Gonzalez (D-TX) in introducing H.R. 4867, the Veterans Members Business Loan Act to amend the Federal Credit Union Act to exclude extensions of credit made to veterans from the definition of a member business loan, thus increasing veterans' access to loans for small business purposes from a credit union. As you may know, veterans represent approximately 9.1 % of all U.S. small business owners and generate $1 trillion annually in receipts, and credit unions have a long history of serving active duty and veteran members. Currently, veterans’ loans are subject to a credit union member business lending (MBL) cap. By signing on, the Congressman seeks to promote economic growth and create jobs by broadening veterans’ ability to acquire needed capital for small business formation.
- Introduced Legislation to Remove Apache Trout from Threatened Species List: Congressman Crane introduced a bill to finalize a proposed rule from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that would remove the Apache trout from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The Apache trout – the state fish of Arizona – is found in streams in and around the White Mountains in the eastern part of the state. It has been listed under the Endangered Species Act in some capacity since 1966, but the species has made a full recovery due to collaborative conservation efforts led by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the U.S. Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish, and the Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. FWS officially recommended delisting the Apache trout in August 2023 but has yet to finalize the rule, wasting taxpayer dollars on unnecessary continuous recovery efforts. The Congressman’s bill would delist the Apache trout and recognize its successful recovery.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Cancel EPA Emissions Rule: Congressman Crane joined Rep. Clyde (R-GA) in cosponsoring a Congressional Review Act resolution that would nullify an EPA rule from May 2023 related to multi-pollutant emissions standards for vehicles. If this rule were to be implemented, electric vehicles would account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2032, compared with 7.2% in the first quarter of this year. Neither public interest nor American infrastructure and critical minerals production capabilities support this mandate. By signing on, the Congressman expresses intent to block a tyrannical EPA rule that would eliminate consumer choice in vehicles and allow the federal government to pick winners and losers when it comes to manufacturing and oil and gas.
- Cosponsored Bill to Repeal International Pollution Law: Congressman Crane joined Rep. Perry (R-PA) in cosponsoring the Energy Sovereignty Act, which would repeal Section 115 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Section 115 allows the EPA to determine how U.S. emissions are causing air pollution that endangers public health in other countries and force states to change their environmental standards. By cosponsoring this bill, the Congressman supports an effort to rein in EPA bureaucrats and prevent them from imposing unreasonable environmental standards on the states based on pollution in foreign countries.
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- H.R. 1829 – To require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona: The Congressman was happy to SUPPORT his legislation, which would enable Gila County, Arizona to operate a veterans’ center on 232 acres in Young, Arizona. Read the press release here.
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- H.R. 7320 – Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act: The Congressman OPPOSED this legislation, which reauthorizes Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including Section 702, for two years. As you may know, section 702 is the sole statutory authority that permits the government to provide targeted surveillance on foreign persons outside the U.S. However, recent findings indicate that the FBI is using FISA 702 authorities to conduct warrantless domestic surveillance outside of Fourth Amendment warrant requirements and against Americans. Recently, a partially declassified FISC opinion was released detailing the FBI’s “pattern of broad, suspicionless queries that are not reasonably likely to retrieve foreign intelligence or evidence of a crime.” Furthermore, in July, 2023 another partially declassified report was released further detailing FISA queries which violated the FBI’s own privacy standards. The FISC found that the FBI was unable to follow its own querying standards and that violations and noted that non-compliance with the FBI’s own standards were “more pervasive than was previously believed.” According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI ran “fewer than 3,394,053” queries using a U.S. person terms from December 2020 through November 2021. According to the FISC, the FBI improperly used warrantless search powers against U.S. citizens more than 278,000 times including to query information. This legislation, while containing some modest reforms, still allows for mass warrantless surveillance of Americans. By voting against this legislation, the Congressman stands against the woke and weaponized intelligence agencies and stands with President Trump to require warrants.
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These 19 Republicans voted to block the spy powers bill The Hill
Key Excerpts: - A group of 19 House Republicans Democrats Wednesday to vote against a procedural move to begin debate on a bill to reauthorize the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers, throwing the intelligence tool’s authority into question.
- The procedural vote to advance Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) failed 193-228.
- The move comes after former President Trump on Wednesday urged Republicans to “KILL FISA,” dividing the GOP.
- These are the 19 Republicans who broke with their party and voted against advancing the bill: Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Rep. Dan Bishop (N.C.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Rep. Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Rep. Michael Cloud (Texas), Rep. Eli Crane (Ariz.), Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Rep. Bob Good (Va.), Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Rep. Clay Higgins (La.), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.), Rep. Cory Mills (Fla.), Rep. Ralph Norman (S.C.), Rep. Andy Ogles (Tenn.), Rep. Scott Perry (Pa.), Rep. Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Rep. Chip Roy (Texas), & Rep. Greg Steube (Fla.).
- Almost all the Republicans who voted against advancing the bill are members of the House Freedom Caucus, which argued that FISA surveillance violates Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights because it does not require a warrant.
- The caucus first pushed for a warrant amendment to the bill in February.
- “At the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure that our government can’t keep spying on us citizens without a warrant,” Good, the Freedom Caucus chair, said at a press conference in February.
- “Simply put, anonymous bureaucrats have abused this tool that was intended for supporting surveillance of threats to spy on American citizens, but conservatives are fighting for strict reforms to this law.”
- Gaetz led the push against the bill among the House’s most conservative members.
- “FISA authorities have been used to violate the law more than 278,000 times by the national security state, and there has yet to be any consequences for this illegal activity by our government,” Gaetz said in a statement Wednesday.
- “The reauthorization lacks essential reforms to protect Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights, such as requiring the FBI to obtain a warrant before searching Americans’ data and a prohibition on the government purchasing Americans’ data from third-party data brokers,” he continued.
- Democrats have generally opposed FISA authority extensions for similar reasons, with it being the rare issue that unites both the farthest left and farthest right wings of the House.
Conservatives Enraged by Speaker Johnson Move to Scuttle Key Spy Powers Reform Breitbart
Key Excerpts: - Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) handling of deep state surveillance reform has led many conservatives to blame the leader of the House for blocking reform of controversial surveillance laws.
- Ric Grenell, former President Donald Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, said, “Reauthorizing 702 in this current form is pathetically weak. It hasn’t been reformed. It was used by Democrats to spy on their political opponent (Donald Trump). You don’t get to say you are concerned about Washington’s overreach and weaponization of the courts if you vote for this current reauthorization. It’s better to end it than reauthorize it. And don’t pretend like we need it to stop terrorists – the southern border is wide open and terrorists have been pouring in for years.”
- Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) wrote, “If the Swamp is given even an inch of ground when it comes to our liberties, it’s never long before they take a mile. A “clean” reauthorization of FISA 702 is a blatant violation of the 4th Amendment and should be voted down.”
Prescott Area U.S. Rep Eli Crane’s Border Bill Passes House Committee KYCA
Key Excerpts: - The House Committee on Homeland Security passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act on Wednesday.
- The bill, sponsored by Prescott-area Congressman Eli Crane, mandates annual reports to Congress on methods to address tunnels dug under the U.S.-Mexico border.
- In a statement from his office, Crane said, “Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents. My legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to establish another much-needed layer of defense — especially when the Biden administration’s policies have left our country inexcusably vulnerable. I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of this bill and for his distinguished leadership on the committee.”
- The bill now advances to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Andy Biggs will help prosecute impeachment case against Homeland Security secretary Arizona Republic Key Excerpts: - House Republicans next week will present documents to the U.S. Senate arguing that President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, should be removed from office.
- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., will play a leading role in that effort.
- Biggs has been designated one of 11 “impeachment managers,” meaning he will serve as a prosecutor making the case against Mayorkas while the Senate acts as the jury.
- The Republican House delegation from Arizona, a border state, has been highly involved in the impeachment effort.
- Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., helped advance the impeachment resolution through a House committee.
- Now, the measure heads to the Senate, where a two-thirds majority vote would be needed to convict Mayorkas.
- The impeachment resolution accuses Mayorkas of "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and "breach of public trust" over Biden’s administration's handling of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Mayorkas is only the second Cabinet member in American history to be impeached.
- The first was William Belknap, the U.S. Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. Belknap was impeached in 1876.
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Demand Investigation Into DOE’s $37M Fine To Largest US Christian University Daily Caller
Key Excerpts: - A group of House Republicans, led by Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, sent a letter Monday to the Department of Education demanding an investigation into their $37.7 million fine recently imposed against Grand Canyon University (GCU), the largest private Christian school in the U.S.
- The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter, which was sent to Sandra Bruce, the Inspector General of the Education Department.
- In the letter, the lawmakers say the department is “using its unchecked power to inappropriately target” the Christian university and call for the “evidence” supporting the Education Department’s allegations to be investigated.
- GCU was fined $37.7 million after the Education Department said that it lied to over than 7,000 students about the price of certain doctoral programs.
- The lawmakers mention that the allegations were “refuted” in federal court by the Higher Learning Commission and by the Arizona State Approving Agency of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Biggs was joined by Arizona Reps. Debbie Lesko, Eli Crane and Paul Gosar.
Rep. Crane: Ukraine Ranks Among Worst Countries for Government Corruption › American Greatness American Greatness Key Excerpts - Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) said the U.S. has “no business” continuing to siphon U.S. taxpayer money to Ukraine, a country that ranks near the bottom of all countries for government corruption.
- “According to Transparency International, Ukraine ranks near the bottom 1/3 of all countries when it comes to government corruption. We have no business inserting ourselves in this conflict to defend a non-ally ESPECIALLY when there's no accountability where our money is going.”
- Ukraine ranks 104th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Index.
- Ukraine lived up to its corruption index ranking last week by canceling its elections.
- Despite Ukraine’s corruption and canceled elections, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) “revealed his intent to take action on Ukraine aid soon after lawmakers return to Washington next week,” reported Fox News.
- Crane called Johnson’s desire to provide more funding to Ukraine “absurd.”
- “It’s absurd that overnighting more tax dollars to Ukraine is even a consideration. It should be totally off the table and replaced with a push for peace talks.”
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Recently, I sent out an email poll on the reauthorization of FISA 702 and the privacy rights of Americans. It read, "Should agencies like the FBI have to obtain a search warrant signed by a judge before conducting a query of an American citizen?"
RESULTS: YES - 92% NO - 8% |
Need assistance with a federal agency? Here's what some constituents from AZ-02 had to say about the recent assistance they received from our office:
Passport: Dear Congressman Eli Crane,
Many thanks for your help!
After sending a request to you about my daughter ------'s passport processing delay, her passport was issued a week later.
I appreciate very much for your quick help to one of your constituents.
Best regards,
Social Security:
Just wanna take the opportunity to thank you again for helping me with my disability. I believe the knowledge of Disability knowing that the congressman was looking out made a huge difference and speed things along. I enjoyed participating in the Phone live meeting last night [...] Thank you again God bless AZ-02 Resident
I am writing to let you know that SSA is in the process of processing a refund of the overpaid premiums. The agent informed me that once they determine how much, if any refund is due for part B, they will send a refund directly to my account. Thank you, so much, for your support. After nearly two years, I honestly believed this issue would never be resolved. It’s difficult to find words to express my appreciation. Sincerely, DS
I just wanted to thank you again for coming to our rescue. You sure knew what you were doing and I am extremely grateful!
Visas: I wanted to thank you so much for all your help on ------'s visa. I found out the other day that her visa was approved. If weren't for the help of your office I’m sure I would be still waiting. Again, thank you. -Ed P.
Veterans Affairs: Just a note of appreciation to you for your assistance with the VA Aid and Assistance Benefit for my dad. He has been approved for the benefit and has received the first monthly disbursement. Know that you made a huge difference in his life and he (and I) can now rest easier that he has a safe environment, food stability, a roof over his head and is receiving quality care. Our deepest thanks, -Valerie B.
I received the packet of 75 pages of my Dad's USN records. Wow!!! When you say you can help, you mean it. My sister is beside herself with glee and shock that I received them so fast. I told her Rep. Cranes' crew is the best. Sincerely, -Thomas W.
Other Assistance: Julie, thanks for checking in on our progress. The gas line is installed and the gas meters should be in place this week. Thanks again for your assistance, I can't imagine where we would be without your help. Bruce M.
Julie, I don't know what you did but THANK YOU! I received my refund Saturday, July 1, 2023. Now I can officially close my father's estate from 2019. I really appreciate everything you did to make this happen. -Jane M. Thank you so much for all of your help with our 2020 refund. I am so relieved it’s over. I would still be waiting if not for your assistance. -Suzanne S. If you are in need of assistance in dealing with a federal agency or are having a similar issue, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office to request help. |
MEMBERS OF MY STAFF will be holding mobile office hours throughout the district.
If you would like to receive assistance with a federal or district-specific issue, please reach out to schedule an appointment. Upcoming locations and dates below: |
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