E-Newsletter from Congressman Paul Gosar

August 22, 2011

Congressman Paul Gosar Marks Seven Months of Achievements






Seven months into my first term serving as the Representative of Arizona's First Congressional District, I have established a solid record of legislative accomplishments. I have pursued an aggressive legislative agenda on behalf of my district, placing me among the most legislatively active members of the 92-person freshman class of the 112th Congress. I have introduced eight pieces of legislation, seven of which specifically deal with Arizona's First Congressional District, one of which draws upon my twenty-five years of experience providing medical care.






I am proud of the progress my team and I have made on issues that are important to the people of Arizona's First Congressional District. Two of my bills, paramount to the First Congressional District, have advanced out of the House Natural Resources Committee and are ready to be approved by the full House of Representatives. While both of the initiatives have failed to get legislative action in prior years, I promptly navigated my bills through the legislative process:






Gosar Jobs Bill. H.R. 1904, Passes Committee, Heads to House Floor - Bill Will Spur a 3,700+ Job Economic Development Project






The Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011 authorizes a land exchange in the Copper Basin, opening up the third largest undeveloped copper resource in the world. This land exchange will lead to a project that will support over 3,700 Arizona jobs while significantly helping meet the growing demand for copper with domestic resources. According to a recent economic study conducted by the Scottsdale based economic consulting firm Elliott D. Pollack & Company, the total economic impact of the project for the State of Arizona is estimated to be over $61.4 billion, nearly $1 billion per year, and another $20 billion in federal, state, county and local tax revenue. The passage of this legislation would be an economic game changer for our state.




View the Arizona Silverbelt story by Ted Lake regarding Gosar's jobs bill: "6 years later: U.S. House to vote on a Resolution Land swap"




Gosar Legislation to Ensure the Long-Term Management of C.C. Cragin Dam Project Advances to the House Floor






The C.C. Cragin Dam plays an essential role in providing water for the City of Phoenix and Gila County. Towns such as Payson and other neighboring communities rely on this pipeline to supply municipal drinking water to the community. H.R. 489 resolves a long-standing jurisdiction dispute between the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Reclamation that has led to untimely repair delays, cost increases, and a waste of precious water resources. This common-sense proposal eliminates government red tape and provides a clear approval process for the Salt River Project (SRP) to maintain the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir Project. H.R. 489 garnered unanimous bipartisan support in the House Natural Resources Committee.






View the Cronkite News story by Matthew Trotter regarding H.R. 489: "Payson officials hope law can end six-year feud over Cragin Dam."






As a small business owner and healthcare provider for the past twenty-five years before serving as your Representative, I know firsthand that true health care reform must be patient-centered, and must emphasize freedom, choice, and accountability. With that experience in mind, I have introduced a common-sense, bipartisan health insurance proposal which will spur competition and bolster patient choice, in turn lowering costs to the consumer.




Gosar Introduces H.R. 1150, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2011






Certain types of insurers, including health insurers, enjoy exemptions from the antitrust laws passed by Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court since the 1940's. I do not believe that the government should be picking winners and losers, and that includes the business of insurance. My legislation would repeal this exemption. Insurance companies should not be given special exemptions over any other industry- they too must learn to compete in the marketplace so that the patient has more affordable options and better access to care.




View the American Dental Association's (ADA) story by Craig Palmer about Gosar's McCarran-Ferguson Repeal Legislation






In addition to introducing stand-alone legislation, I have utilized the open amendment process in the U.S. House of Representatives to advocate for policy initiatives important to my constituents. Five amendments I have introduced, proposing changes to FY2012 Appropriations bills, have passed the full House of Representatives. These amendments include:






Gosar Amendment to Restore 2nd Amendment Rights on Army Corps of Engineers Administered Recreational Lands Passes House






Last Congress, legislation that allowed citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms on recreational lands, unintentionally omitted the 11.7+ million acres of land, including 400 lakes and river projects, 90,000 campsites and 4,000 miles of trails administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. My amendment restores our constitutional right to bear arms on recreational lands, regardless of what federal agency administers the land.


Gosar Amendment to Cut Legislative Branch Spending Passes the House






Congresswoman Nan Hayworth (R-NY) and I introduced an amendment that trimmed funding for the United States Botanic Garden by 5.3%, reducing the budget by $632,780, and adding those funds to the Spending Reduction Account, which goes to pay off the deficit. While I truly value the United States Botanic Garden, our fiscal crisis threatens the well-being of every single American, and even good and worthy programs such as the United States Botanic Garden cannot be spared from our effort to scale down our federal budget significantly.



Gosar Pro-Israel Amendment Passes the House






I introduced an amendment to the FY2012 Department of Defense Appropriations bill which prohibits any military funds or assistance to go towards the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Government of Iran. The amendment, which was passed unanimously by the House, reaffirms U.S. foreign policies towards Israel, against terrorism, and the support and safety of our troops.



Congressman Gosar: Honored for his Commitment to Constituent Services






When I was first came to Congress, I promised to strive to be the most accessible and responsive Representative my constituents have ever had. Because of that commitment, the non-partisan National Write Your Congressman organization awarded me the "Constituent Communication Award" for my efforts to communicate with my constituents and ensure that their voices are being heard.






In my first seven months I have...






-Travelled over 25,000 road miles, spanning the 58,000+ square miles of Arizona's First Congressional District—the 10th largest district in the country—to meet with constituents.






-Held ten open town halls in the district, directly communicating with more than a thousand constituents.






-Held three tele-town halls, reaching over 15,000 constituents.






-Sent over 27,000 letters in response to constituent inquiries.






-Closed 197 constituent cases






-Held over a dozen district open office hours






View Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's Letter to the Editor in Casa Grande Dispatch regarding Gosar's commitment to Constituent Services






I remain committed to being open, accessible, and responsive to my constituents. Whether it is at a town hall meeting, on the phone, via email, or out in the district, I always enjoy hearing from the people of Arizona's First Congressional District. I want to encourage everyone to share their ideas with me on how we can find solutions to the problems that face our country.






If the past seven months is any indication, my constituents can expect more action and more results from their Congressman. It is an honor to serve as your representative in Washington. Your suggestions are always welcome, and if ever I may be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.






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As always, you can follow everything I am working on in Washington through my website (http://gosar.house.gov) or through my Facebook page at Paul Gosar on Facebook.