by Matthew Holloway | Jun 11, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new incentive on Monday from the Trump administration for illegal aliens who self-deport through the CBP Home App. DHS announced that illegal aliens who self-deport using the application will be forgiven for any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart, receive cost-free travel, and will still receive a $1,000 exit bonus to be paid upon confirmation of their return through the app.
The announcement came as violent riots in Los Angeles continued into their fourth day with mounting attacks against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and vehicles.
“If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home,” Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
She appealed to illegal aliens still in the country, “If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.”
According to reporting from the BBC, and Politico 65, illegal aliens have successfully participated in “Project Homecoming,” and received the offered free travel and $1,000 stipend. DHS told the Daily Signal that over 40,000 illegal aliens had registered with the government via the CBP Home App as of May 5th. As reported by NPR, Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a nonprofit immigrant advocacy group, estimated that ICE detention centers are currently operating at approximately 125% capacity.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explained at the time.
ICE confirmed to the outlet that “some ICE facilities are experiencing temporary overcrowding due to recent increases in detention populations. We are actively implementing measures to manage capacity while maintaining compliance with federal standards and our commitment to humane treatment. The reality is that these accusations do not reflect ICE’s policies or practices.”
“This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens, and is a 70% savings for U.S. taxpayers. Download the CBP Home App TODAY and self-deport,” Noem said.
During an appearance on Fox News Monday evening, Noem warned: “ICE will continue to enforce the law. If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Jun 11, 2025 | Economy, News
By Staff Reporter |
The inventor and top distributor of the Taser, Axon Enterprise, says it will no longer be working with the Scottsdale City Council on their new headquarters.
That’s not to say Axon will leave Scottsdale or the state. Axon leaders clarified the company only intended to keep city leaders out of discussions to establish their new headquarters going forward.
Axon President Josh Isner announced on Monday the company withdrew from negotiations with city leaders on building their new headquarters. Isner blamed the “toxic” political climate of Scottsdale City Council.
“Unfortunately, Axon is withdrawing from negotiations with the City of Scottsdale,” said Isner. “The internal politics of the City Council currently make it impossible to reach an agreement. I have never seen such a toxic environment in my life. We put a great deal on the table and we tried our best.”
Scottsdale City Councilman Adam Kwasman said he was disappointed in his fellow council members for refusing Axon’s negotiations. Kwasman said he would work on another solution to keep Axon from leaving.
“[Axon’s] offers were generous and would have benefitted both Scottsdale and Arizona as a whole,” said Kwasman. “I am saddened that my colleagues could not share in a vision that would have reduced approved density, reduced approved apartments, funded police, and built an incredible partnership between the city and one of America’s best companies.”
Isner thanked Kwasman and Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky for their efforts to keep negotiations afloat.
“You came to the table in a solution-oriented and thoughtful way,” said Isner. “It was a pleasure working with you on this and appreciate your continued support of Axon.”
Borowsky, in turn, thanked Axon for their willingness to negotiate and expressed disappointment at the impasse between the company and the council.
“Unfortunately, there were too many hurdles to overcome in order to move an agreement forward successfully,” said Borowksy. “I remain hopeful that future negotiations result in a win-win agreement that works for the community and keeps this vital employer right where it belongs – in Scottsdale.”
Not all leaders representing the area were pleased with Axon’s actions up to this point.
State Rep. Joseph Chaplik accused Axon of navigating the dealmaking process dishonestly. Chaplik told Axon to make good on their threat of leaving the state by disclosing where they planned to move their operations.
“They have divided the Republican caucus and they are now dividing the city council. They do not listen to the people of Scottsdale, who I represent. They have bypassed all proper channels to resolve their land use issues,” said Chaplik. “Their tactics included bullying, threatening and securing close door meetings. This is not how a transparent company operates.”
Although these recent negotiations didn’t go Axon’s way, the company did see wins in other areas recently. Governor Hobbs signed a bill retroactively preventing zoning decisions from becoming ballot questions. The new law nullifies a referendum effort by 27,000 Scottsdale residents challenging Axon’s planned headquarters — under that referendum, voters would have decided on the proposed headquarter’s fate in 2026.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Andy Biggs | Jun 10, 2025 | Opinion
By Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05) |
When the history of America is written, it will certainly have a section on our global rivalry with our first existential threat of the twenty-first century: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In that narrative, we’ll be reminded of the leadership of President Donald J. Trump who has taken the fight to communists who wish to see our nation collapse. When I am the next governor of Arizona, I’ll follow the President’s lead by working with the State Legislature to get a bill prohibiting the ownership of real property in Arizona by the Chinese government passed and signed into law within the first 60 days of my administration.
Unfortunately, right now our country is stuck with too many weak politicians like Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who has failed to stand up to China and protect Arizonans.
Through subversion, cutouts, and espionage, China has attempted to infiltrate the United States and develop surveillance capabilities within our own borders. The CCP’s most recently emergent strategy is to purchase land in the United States, preferably near sensitive military sites and energy infrastructure, to garner intelligence.
At the federal level, I cosponsored the No American Land for Communist China Act to address this problem. Many states are also taking action to proscribe purchases to prevent potential probing by the Chinese government. Arizona’s Legislature recently passed, with exclusively Republican votes, Senate Bill 1109, which safeguarded the United States.
The bill makes clear that the purpose is to protect critical infrastructure, and to, “…protect this state from global security threats and halt or reverse the influence operation of the Chinese Communist Party that poses a risk to the national security of the United States.”
As you might expect, you cannot find a Democrat who supported this national security bill. Nor would you be surprised to see that Governor Hobbs vetoed the bill.
Why would Governor Hobbs permit our nation’s enemy, and make no mistake that China’s hegemonic ambition defines it as more than an economic competitor, to purchase lands in our state?
Arizona has one of the largest nuclear power plants in the United States. We have multiple dams that ensure Arizona’s water needs are met, as well as military training facilities used by our services and allies. Our state is home to a huge aerospace and defense complex, with military bases housing advanced military machinery and personnel. Our state’s high-tech industry has grown businesses and fostered talent from across the state and country to become a global giant.
Protecting these assets takes strong leadership, but Governor Hobbs has shown to be weak and indecisive when it comes to protecting Arizonans.
She has failed to recognize the CCP threat that has come across our border, which includes Chinese students attending universities that have been arrested for spying on U.S. military bases. The Chinese military has made scale mock-ups of U.S. aircraft carriers ostensibly to train on how to defeat them. And Chinese bellicosity over Taiwan included a demand that the Chinese military prepare to go to war.
And we’ll never forget the most pronounced example of Chinese surveillance in America when a spy balloon was permitted to float over U.S. airspace, oddly taking a course that flew directly over several sensitive United States military assets before being destroyed over the Atlantic Ocean.
Joe Biden failed to act and keep our nation secure, just like his good friend Governor Katie Hobbs has failed to protect the best interests of Arizonans.
The comparisons between Hobbs and Biden are too similar to ignore: weak, timid, and unable to take action that puts our citizens ahead of foreign threats.
Arizona needs a strong, decisive leader who knows what it takes to keep our state safe. It’s clear now that Katie Hobbs would rather protect the CCP than Arizonans.
Rep. Andy Biggs serves Arizona’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is currently running for Governor of Arizona in the 2026 election.
by Tamra Farah | Jun 10, 2025 | Opinion
By Tamra Farah |
Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee (51) has announced her candidacy for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, challenging incumbent Tom Horne (80) in the 2026 primary election. Both candidates are Republicans. Both are statewide elected officials. Yee is term-limited as Arizona Treasurer. Voters will decide which candidate is best equipped to lead the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and address the state’s K-12 educational challenges. Here are some notes on the job itself and the candidate’s positions.
The Role of the Superintendent
It is a big job. The superintendent oversees the ADE, manages education policy, administers state and federal funds, and ensures compliance with standards for approximately 1.1 million students across more than 200 districts, 400 charter school holders, and over 550 charter school campuses. The primary responsibilities fall into three categories: choice, policies, and academics.
The Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) is the banner issue on choice. Current policy issues include merit-based programs such as school report cards and cultural hot buttons such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Academics consist of all scholastic initiatives. The role demands collaboration with the State Board of Education, engagement with parents and administrators, and a focus on student well-being, school safety, and parental choice.
CHOICE: Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
Educational choice has long been an Arizona value. In fact, the Arizona legislature expanded the ESA program in 2022 to include all Arizona K-12 students. It has grown during Horne’s term, from 12,000 to approximately 85,000 students between January 2023 and mid-2024, or from 1.1% to 7.7% of Arizona’s 1.1 million K-12 students. However, the program faces scrutiny. A 2024 Heritage Foundation survey reported that 65% of parents struggle to contact ADE staff, and 63% have difficulty getting answers about ESA issues.
The survey revealed that nearly half (49%) of the respondents in the Heritage Foundation’s December 2024 survey experienced curriculum request denials due to insufficient curriculum documentation, attributed to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ (Democrat) July 2024 directive requiring ESA purchases to be tied to a specific curriculum. Superintendent Tom Horne criticized these requirements, stating, “We are supporting the Goldwater Institute in challenging it in court, and we’re hoping to get that overturned so that we won’t have that silly rule anymore,” referring to the September 2024 lawsuit (Aguirre v. State of Arizona), which argues that Mayes’ restrictions violate state law and the ESA handbook, which does not mandate such documentation for supplementary materials. Horne is not a plaintiff in the case.
In general, the poll found that 66% of ESA parents indicated dissatisfaction with the department’s “program administration” and found it cumbersome or difficult to tap into the benefits of the ESA. For example, reimbursement delays were frustrating parents and, in some cases, caused economic hardship. The 2023 transition from debit cards to ClassWallet and staffing shortages led to manual review backlogs. The Heritage survey found that 88% of respondents said they would prefer access to a debit card to make purchases using their child’s ESA funds rather than ClassWallet’s online payment system, or to pay out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement. In addition, 77% of parents experienced long wait times for approvals, and 86% for reimbursements.
In my interview with Horne, he addressed these issues, stating, “The complaint related to delays in reimbursements is valid, and I took it very seriously. Most of the requests are under $2,000. Requests over $2,000 get checked out before they’re paid. Requests under $2,000 are paid without checking them out, subject to later risk auditing. In addition, our parent user group sets amounts for specific requests that would be approved without question. Those two things solved the problem. The amounts have become controversial. The parent user group are fearful that if we lose, those delays will occur again.” I asked Horne how many or what percentage of the parent user group might allegedly fear delays under a new superintendent. His assertion, without data to back it up, is questionable.
In my interview with Yee, she positions herself as a longtime supporter of school choice, including as an Arizona State Senator. She states that she understands the intent of the ESA to provide parents with an easy-to-use mechanism for choosing the best education for their kids, explaining, “As a former member of the Arizona legislature, I sponsored and supported the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to expand the school choice options for families in Arizona. Arizona has long been a national leader in parental rights and giving families various options for school choice that best fits their child’s unique educational needs.”
Yee added, “As the future superintendent and a longtime school choice advocate with a proven conservative track record, I will protect and preserve school choice in Arizona and ensure the ESA program is run efficiently and effectively and will work with the legislature to provide fiscal accountability at all levels of our education system that the taxpayers deserve.”
Yee believes that Horne has created unnecessary burdens for ESA families, stating, “Empowerment Scholarship Accounts were created by the legislature, and it is important that the functions of administering ESAs are strictly and only determined by the law—not by a rogue superintendent who continues to overreach his authority by creating arbitrary policies out of the Department of Education by unelected bureaucrats.”
POLICIES: Addressing DEI
Though policies include teacher certification, school safety programs, and a host of compliance issues, the hot button issue is DEI. Both candidates have addressed DEI policies in schools, particularly considering the federal mandate under President Trump requiring districts to eliminate DEI practices or risk losing funding. Horne said, “I’m working very hard to implement President Trump’s education action. I’ve told the schools if they don’t sign a statement that they’re not doing DEI, their funds will be cut off.”
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes publicly opposed Horne’s enforcement of the Trump administration’s April 3, 2025, U.S. Department of Education mandate requiring schools to eliminate DEI programs or risk losing approximately 11% of federal funding. Mayes argues that Trump lacks legal authority to withhold funds, as stated in her April 17, 2025, response to the Kyrene School District case. The mandate, rooted in a directive, cites Title VI, and the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard ruling was blocked by federal judges, supporting Horne’s reference here to a district court ruling: “I’m very satisfied as a former attorney general that [it] will be [confirmed] overall on appeal and while other superintendents in other states have objected to it, I have enthusiastically supported President Trump’s program.”
Horne relies on a parent hotline for DEI compliance monitoring, explaining, “I have a hotline that parents can contact me and let me know when schools that said they weren’t doing DEI are doing DEI. It’s not a formal follow-up or proof they’ve done it. It’s just random parents who may or may not call the hotline…and we do report when we get a message on the hotline; we report to the federal government so that they can take it into account and cut funds.” When later asked, Horne said the hotline call data indicated “572 [districts and charter schools] have signed and 23 have refused. Some of those who have signed are probably not honest about it, so we’ll be watching for that.”
Asking Yee what she would do as it relates to DEI, she highlighted her efforts against DEI as State Treasurer, stating, “I have a solid record on fighting back against radical DEI policies as the State Treasurer of Arizona. This legislative session, my office moved forward an anti-DEI bill in the legislature to ensure that DEI is not used in the hiring, promotion, or training of state employees in Arizona agencies. As the head of the Arizona Treasury, I hire based on a person’s individual skills, experience, and merit.” She pledged effective action as superintendent, adding, “I support President Trump’s requirement to remove federal funding from schools that continue to promote DEI in school administration and inside the classroom. As superintendent, my administration will not only clean up woke DEI policies from day one, but we will ensure funding is removed immediately from any schools that ignore this federal mandate because we must get back to the basics of focusing on reading, math, and student success in our classrooms.”
ACADEMICS: Scholastic Proficiency
Arizona has not performed with distinction academically since its public school systems were included in the National Rankings. Under Horne, academic proficiency has not improved; rather, it declined. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Arizona’s 4th-grade reading scores dropped from 215 (Basic) in 2022 to 208 in 2024, below the national average of 214 (a proficient score is 238). Data for 2023-2024 is not yet available on the ADE website, but further details can be found at nationsreportcard.gov.
Horne outlined his efforts, stating, “I have 15 initiatives [to help] the schools improve academic results. I’m personally involved in every one of those 15, so I’m quite busy, and I’ll give you a couple of examples. We have solutions teams to go out to the schools; these are highly qualified teachers and principals who go out to schools to help them.” He highlighted a program targeting the bottom 5% of schools, noting, “One of the projects they made was the bottom 5% of schools—90 some schools—and after they worked with them, 70% of those schools are no longer in the bottom 90% and that demonstrated in part that poor kids can learn as well as rich kids as long as they are properly taught. We adopted a school in a very poor area, and we sent people out every week from my department to work on fifth grade…showing the teachers how to teach them and doing some teaching themselves, and we increased their math courses by 27%.” Horne was unsure if the information he provided related to his “15 initiatives” is available for stakeholders to review on the ADE website, and at this writing, it cannot be confirmed through a search of other available sources.
Yee focused on foundational skills, drawing on her experience, saying, “My policy background in education began in the 1990s, where I helped develop academic content standards in reading and mathematics. It was important, even back then, to fight the woke educators who wanted to teach whole language reading with pictures only, because they thought that phonics would be too emotionally challenging for these young children. The result was illiterate children who were inappropriately being moved onto the next grade level, struggling with severe achievement issues because they never received basic, traditional skills in the classroom. We need to get back to the basics of reading and math in order for children to succeed.”
Candidates for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Yee’s and Horne’s campaign websites and other public sources provide background information about past experiences related to offices held and department leadership.
As Treasurer of Arizona since 2018, Kimberly Yee has increased total investment earnings to over $4.5 billion. She led the Treasury’s historic, record-high performance for earnings under the state land endowment, distributing over $2.43 billion to Arizona schools. In 2022, she was elected to her second term as State Treasurer of Arizona, garnering more votes than any other statewide elected official.
Bringing years of experience to public budgeting and executive agency management, Yee is a longtime financial education advocate and sponsored legislation to add financial literacy to the K-12 academic standards in schools. She has been the administrator of the statewide AZ529 Education Savings Plan for higher education since October 2020. In just 54 months, Arizona 529 accounts have increased by 54,178 new accounts, with $2.46 billion in assets under management, helping families save for higher education and workforce development.
In her early career, Yee focused on public policy in K-12 and higher education, emphasizing school choice as a senior research analyst for the Arizona Senate Education Committee. Also in the 1990s, she helped draft laws expanding open enrollment, charter schools, and homeschool protections. During two gubernatorial appointments under Republican governors, she worked on childcare, K-12 academic standards, and vocational education for career and college readiness. Elected to the Arizona Legislature in 2010, she was unanimously chosen as Senate Majority Leader, the second woman in that role after Sandra Day O’Connor. Congressional Quarterly’s Roll Call recognized her as one of the “25 Most Influential Women in State Politics.”
As the former Chairwoman of the Arizona Senate Education Committee, Yee sponsored legislation recognizing traditional district and charter schools and expanded eligibility for Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, particularly for low-income students. She has also earned numerous awards and recognitions, including as the recipient of the Friend of the Taxpayer Award, the Friend of the Family Award, the Golden Apple Award, and multiple School Choice Champion Awards. She was honored as one of the 48 Most Intriguing Women in Arizona in a book sponsored by the Arizona Centennial Legacy Project.
Tom Horne first served as Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003 to 2011 and was re-elected in 2022. As Superintendent, he implemented Structured English Immersion, increasing English proficiency rates for English Language Learners from 4% to 31% in one year, stating, “At 31% in one year, within three or four years everyone becomes proficient.” Historical reports from Horne’s earlier tenure support similar improvements. No specific 2023–2025 ADE data confirms this exact figure. Horne states he was a key advocate for banning ethnic studies through Senate Bill 1069 (2010), arguing that public schools should “develop the student’s identity as Americans and as strong individuals” rather than “promote ethnic chauvinism.”
Horne implemented social studies standards annually, ensuring students “learn lessons in five areas, including American history, world history, geography, civics and government, and economics” from kindergarten through high school. Horne replaced bilingual education with Structured English Immersion, increasing English proficiency rates for English Language Learners from 4% to 31% in one year. He also worked with the State Board to require reading proficiency before third graders advance to fourth grade.
Horne’s campaign website currently refers to “appointing Christine Accurso to manage ‘educational choice to help shape and mold the futures of their precious children.’” However, Mrs. Accurso resigned from her position directing ESAs after seven months in 2023. Strangely, Horne’s campaign website has not been updated. Horne’s site also emphasizes accountability, which appears to be lacking in his performance, stating, “There are two kinds of accountability. There’s academic accountability; you want to see results for putting in more resources. And then there’s financial accountability; the money goes toward teachers’ salaries rather than administration because a school can be no better than the teachers in the classroom.”
Horne served on a school district board for 24 years and served as Arizona Attorney General from 2011 to 2015. During a campaign finance investigation in March 2012, the FBI observed a hit-and-run in a Phoenix parking garage. The FBI concluded Horne left the scene to hide an affair with Carmen Chenal, a subordinate earning $108,000 as an assistant attorney general. Horne was not criminally charged.
In his reeletion bid in 2014, Horne lost to Mark Brnovich in the Repbulican primary for Arizona Attorney General. Brnovich’s campaign highlighted ethical issues and scandals surrounding Horne, including the FBI investigation into alleged campaign finance violations from Horne’s 2010 campaign and the extramarital affair. Brnovich also brought attention to a whistleblower claim by former staffer Sarah Beattie that Horne used his Attorney General’s office staff for campaign work, violating state law.
Horne’s legal background includes graduating magna cum laude from Harvard College and with honors from Harvard Law School and serving as a Special Assistant Attorney General and Judge Pro-Tem.
Looking Ahead for the Arizona Department of Education
The 2026 primary election for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, set for Tuesday, August 4, followed by the general election on November 3, will shape the future of the state’s education system.
As our state looks forward to the 2026 election, Arizonans should carefully research each candidate. If the ESA program can be administered effectively and efficiently, more families will likely benefit from it. It would be wise to ensure that the next superintendent can operate in a fiscally responsible manner while prioritizing improvements in student academic achievement. Arizona’s 1.1 million students and the state’s future deserve strong leadership at the Department of Education.
Tamra Farah leads AmericanStrategies.org, bringing twenty years of experience in public policy and politics as a journalist while focusing on protecting individual liberty and promoting limited government. She has engaged with ten local, state, and federal candidates and organizations, such as Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Moms for America, and Arizona Women of Action. Farah frequently appears on conservative radio, television, and in print media.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 10, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a statement released via X on Sunday, the group ‘Veterans for Arizona’ asked United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins why allegations against Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego have not been investigated. The allegations stem from prominent 2023 reports that Gallego claimed both his residences in Arizona and Washington, D.C., as his primary residence in order to benefit from special VA mortgage rates granted as a benefit to U.S. Veterans.
During Gallego’s 2024 U.S. Senate Campaign, Politico stated that Gallego purchased his Washington, D.C., home near the Capitol claiming that it was his primary residence on documentation for a VA home loan, while the then-Congressman and his wife also claimed their Phoenix home as their primary residence.
Citing loan documents the outlet obtained, Politico reported that Gallego’s campaign officially maintained that his primary residence is located in Arizona, as required by election law, despite the documentation of his Washington, D.C., home.
In June 2023, after the reports initially appeared in Politico, the National Republican Senate Committee raised the concern that “Gallego signed loan documents making Washington, D.C., his primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage rates, while at the same time taking advantage of homeowner tax breaks and voting in Arizona. This raises questions about whether Gallego committed fraud on his loan application.”
The NRSC also noted that the revelation of Gallego’s alleged mortgage fraud came to light just weeks after his links to a bank targeting immigrants were exposed by AZCentral. The bank was later shut down according to the outlet.
NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell told the Arizona Republic, “If Ruben Gallego signed fraudulent documents, that will be a serious issue for him in the election — and potentially with the authorities,” Mitchell said. “National Democrats are in a serious pickle as they choose between their incumbent, Kyrsten Sinema, and accused fraudster Ruben Gallego.”
“Legally, Gallego doesn’t have to live in his district to serve in Congress, this isn’t like legislative offices or most county offices,” one election law expert told the Arizona Daily Independent. However, they added, “His campaign does have to consider the optics and potential legality of what he’s doing. Claiming two primary residences in two different states to obtain favorable terms and to meet the requirements of the loans, even though both claims can’t be simultaneously true, isn’t something the average person does or even thinks to do. So it’s another Washington D.C., elite that laws don’t apply to, running for office claiming to be for the average Joes.”
Despite the allegations against him, Gallego was successful in his Senate bid and went on to become a harsh critic of VA Secretary Collins, with the Senator announcing plans to block all VA nominations in April until Collins drops plans to make staffing cuts to the VA in accordance with the Trump administration’s demands for government efficiency. Gallego reiterated the demand in May in a letter co-signed by fellow Arizona Democrats Senator Mark Kelly, and Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).
Collins refuted Gallego’s claims however under questioning by Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) during a House Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on May 15th, telling Hamadeh, “We’re not looking at doctors, we’re not looking at nurses. We’re looking at issues where we have payroll that’s being done at 60 locations, that was supposed to be centralized a long time ago, with hundreds of employees that we’re now looking to consolidate to see how we can run it efficiently and more cost effectively.”
He added, “We don’t need them all over the place, we don’t need the issues we have with human resources being run in every location, again, with hundreds of employees.”
“Frontline workers should be the happiest at the VA right now because we’re going to be freeing them up to do their job and not get bogged down with paperwork,” Collins noted per the Arizona Daily Independent.
As of this report, no investigation has been announced against Senator Gallego pertaining to the allegations raised by the NRSC following the Politico report.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
