Rep. Abe Hamadeh wants to include children in the Trump administration’s plan to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).
Hamadeh partnered with former NFL player and Hall of Fame member Brett Favre to announce the new Congressional Fitness Challenge (CFC), a voluntary national initiative similar to the Presidential Fitness Test (PFT). The PFT was a program implemented from 1956 until its replacement with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) in 2013.
“Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America’s youth will build a stronger nation,” said Hamadeh and Favre in an opinion piece for Outkick. “The Congressional Fitness Challenge is bringing back that same competitive spirit – updated for a new era. Just like generations before us, today’s kids deserve the chance to test themselves, measure their progress, and strive for greatness. At the very least, they deserve to be as healthy as they can be.”
🚨NEW🚨
Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America’s youth will build a stronger nation.
That's why Congress Hamadeh has partnered with NFL legend @BrettFavre to introduce the Congressional Fitness Challenge. #MAHA
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) March 24, 2025
The CFC includes a one-mile run or walk, pull-ups or flexed arm hang, curl-ups or sit-ups, a shuttle run, and sit-and-reach — very similar to the PFT. The CFC also recognizes three achievement levels: gold (top 85th percentile), silver (top 75th percentile), and bronze (top 50th percentile).
Hamadeh and Favre asserted the CFC’s importance related to the inherent results of physical fitness: confidence, leadership, the drive to succeed, and an overall stronger and mentally healthier nation.
“The Congressional Fitness Challenge is an invitation – not just to kids, but to parents, teachers, coaches, and lawmakers – to invest in the next generation,” said the pair. “America has never backed down from a challenge. This is our chance to lead, participate, and build a healthier, stronger future.”
The PFT varied over the decades of its existence. In the final years of its existence, students could achieve the PFT’s Presidential Physical Fitness Award by scoring within the 85th percentile of their gender’s age range in five activities: curl-ups or partial curl-ups, shuttle runs, v-sit reach or sit and reach, one mile run, and pull-ups or right angle push-ups.
Unlike the PFT and its emphasis on specific fitness indicators, the PYFP focused on “comprehensive” measures of health.
Within the CFC, congressmen may use office budgets to promote and recognize the fitness achievements of children within their district.
Arizona’s childhood obesity rates have risen in recent decades.
According to the CDC, one in five U.S. minors are obese — about 15 million as of 2020. Obesity is more prevalent in Hispanic and Black children, and children in low-income families.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) State of Childhood Obesity reports approximately 19 percent of Arizona youths ages 10 to 17 having obesity. 13 percent of Arizona children ages 2-4 participating in WIC were obese. Similarly, 13 percent of Arizona high school students were categorized as obese.
RWJF pulls its data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics, the National Survey of Children’s Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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Former state representative Daniel Hernandez Jr. announced his campaign for late Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s open seat.
On Monday, Hernandez launched a campaign platform presenting a sweeping defense against the Trump administration: resisting Republican-led changes to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, voting, abortion, and gun ownership.
“America is in trouble,” said the announcement video from Hernandez. “I’m Daniel Hernandez, and I’m running for Congress because we need leaders who will stand up and do whatever it takes for working families, for veterans, and for seniors.”
BIG NEWS: I’m running for Congress in AZ-07!
I’ve spent my life fighting for Southern Arizona—protecting our healthcare, lowering costs for families, standing up to extremists, and defending our democracy. Now, I’m taking that fight to Washington.
Hernandez lost his last congressional race in 2022 against Kirsten Engel in the Democratic primary. Engel lost to incumbent Congressman Juan Ciscomani.
After his loss in 2022, Hernandez became the Government Affairs Director at Stand for Children in Arizona (SCA).
SCA is the Arizona hub for Stand for Children, the advocacy arm of the progressive education advocacy nonprofit Stand for Children Leadership Center (SCLC). Stand for Children has a presence in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. It focuses on advancing “educational equity and racial justice” in children.
Stand for Children took credit for Arizona’s $1 billion increase in education funding following the court overturning of Proposition 208. The organization cited its creations of “bipartisan” coalitions of legislators, school superintendents, and education groups, in addition to a digital advertising campaign resulting in over 26,000 Arizonans urging their lawmakers to use the state surplus to fund education.
“Throughout the effort, the coalition leveraged strategic lobbying resources that led to a key Republican ally in the Senate — where Republicans hold a one seat majority — committing to vote down any budget that did not include $1 billion funding increase for public education,” said Stand for Children’s 2022 annual report.
Stand for Children also took credit for the defeat of HCR 2001 in 2022, a bill to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion statements in the classroom.
Currently, SCA is advocating for abolition of the aggregate expenditure limit, eliminating fees from the state’s juvenile court system, lifting restrictions on what teachers can teach, improving the number of freshmen on track to graduate high school, investing in early literature expansions, and reforming the state’s school choice program.
SCLC operates the program Center for Antiracist Education (CARE).
Hernandez made a name for himself in politics in 2011 when he provided first aid to then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords after she was shot in the head during an attempted assassination. Hernandez was in his first week of an internship with Giffords’ office at the time. Later that year, Tucson voters elected Hernandez to the Sunnyside Unified School District governing board.
In 2016, Hernandez was elected to the Arizona House. Hernandez co-founded the LGBTQ Caucus.
Hernandez has also been the program manager for Planned Parenthood’s Latino outreach program and state director of Everytown for Gun Safety.
The primary election for Grijalva’s open seat is scheduled for July 15, followed by the general election on September 23.
Hernandez is one of 20 individuals who have filed statements of interest in the race: nine Democrats, nine Republicans, one Libertarian, and one Green Party member.
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After 45 years of existence, the Department of Education (ED) is coming to an end.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday dismantling ED: “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities.” The historic order stops short of total abolition of the agency, since law dictates that Congress must be the one to close it.
The order cited historic lows of reading and math scores among children as proof of ED’s decades-long failures, and contrasted the poor educational outcomes with ED’s high budget and massive staffing.
“While the Department of Education does not educate anyone, it maintains a public relations office that includes over 80 staffers at a cost of more than $10 million per year,” said the order. “Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them.”
The order further accused ED of operating like an inefficient bank with its management of over $1.6 trillion in student loan debt.
Trump directed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to undertake measures to close ED and return authority to the states, as well as terminate funding to programs and activities engaged in progressive ideologies including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and gender theory.
Reactions among Arizona leadership fell largely along party lines.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), Tom Horne, praised the executive order, calling the agency an “unnecessary” entity dedicated to heaping more bureaucracy on the states.
“The Federal Department of Education was unnecessary and added bureaucracy for states,” said Horne. “Thank you President Trump for bringing education back to the states where it belongs.”
The Federal Department of Education was unnecessary and added bureaucracy for states. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump for bringing education back to the states where it belongs.
Congressional efforts to codify the executive order are also underway. South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds revealed to Fox News that he’s been in discussions with Trump to do just that.
“I am working on legislation that would return education decisions to states and local school districts while maintaining important programs like special education and Title I,” said Rounds. “We are discussing this legislation with Secretary McMahon, and we believe there is a very good path forward.”
Earlier this month, the Trump administration slashed ED’s workforce by nearly half (over 1,300 staffers). Thursday’s executive order will further reduce the remaining 2,200 employees.
Although Trump’s order does not close ED totally, Mayes claimed the executive order was “illegal.”
“The Department of Education cannot be dismantled via executive order,” said Mayes. “This chaos is not about efficiency — it’s destruction.”
Another day, another illegal action by the Trump administration. The Department of Education cannot be dismantled via executive order. This chaos is not about efficiency — it’s destruction. https://t.co/GRse4zJ096
— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) March 20, 2025
Governor Katie Hobbs said Arizona stands to lose $1 billion in federal funds for certain programs, like special education, with the dismantling of ED.
Arizona could lose nearly $1 billion in vital education funding if the U.S. Department of Education is dismantled. This funding supports low-income schools, special education, Tribal and rural communities, and programs like FAFSA & Pell Grants. As Governor, I will do everything…
Senator Mark Kelly rejected Republican predictions of ED’s abolition leading to better schools and student outcomes.
“It will further undermine public schools, making it harder for kids from working families like mine or who need a little extra help to get a good education,” said Kelly.
I’m the proud product of a good public school education.
Getting rid of the Department of Education won’t improve schools or help kids in Arizona get ahead.
It will further undermine public schools, making it harder for kids from working families like mine or who need a little… https://t.co/f69s11Rebo
Senator Ruben Gallego claimed Trump was abolishing ED to enrich “his billionaire friends” and reduce school funding.
“He wants fewer resources for teachers and fewer opportunities for our kids — just so his billionaire friends can get richer,” said Gallego.
Donald Trump just gave the order to dismantle the Department of Education. He wants fewer resources for teachers and fewer opportunities for our kids—just so his billionaire friends can get richer.
— Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) March 20, 2025
Rep. Eli Crane called the continuance of ED an “insanity,” referencing the decades-long decline of student outcomes.
“Thank you to President Trump for having the courage to do this,” said Crane.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
The Department of Education has failed our nation's students for decades. It's time to chart a new path.
Rep. Andy Biggs also touched on the disparity of high funding and low outcomes. Biggs said Trump was right to be “returning power” to Arizona and its parents.
“Taxpayer funding for public schools is at an all-time high, but test scores are at an all-time low,” said Biggs. “The radical Biden-Harris regime weaponized the Department of Education against their opponents.”
Taxpayer funding for public schools is at an all-time high, but test scores are at an all-time low.
The radical Biden-Harris regime weaponized the Department of Education against their opponents.
President Trump is rightfully returning power to the States and parents. https://t.co/Svw5fLSa9B
Rep. Yassamin Ansari predicted that children would be forced out of schools, teachers would be fired, and special education services would cease.
“This reckless and irrational move will devastate our future — all to give tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of our kids,” said Ansari. “We’re going to fight this illegal EO with every tool we have.”
With the support of Republicans in Congress, Donald Trump just followed through on his plan to gut the Department of Education.
This means kids kicked out of kindergarten, special education slashed, and teachers fired. This reckless and irrational move will devastate our future…
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) March 20, 2025
Rep. Greg Stanton called the order “a direct attack on Arizona kids,” and asserted it was illegal.
Trump's executive order to eliminate the Department of Education is a direct attack on Arizona kids. pic.twitter.com/tONhDthSXr
Senate President Warren Petersen reposted remarks made by Secretary McMahon to Fox News. McMahon echoed Trump’s questioning why federal education spending only continues to increase while outcomes have decreased.
“We have to let teachers teach. I have such respect for teachers. I think it is the most noble profession in the world, and I have seen what can happen when teachers are allowed to teach and be innovative and creative in our classrooms,” said McMahon. “For every dollar that goes into the school system, it’s been reported to me that almost 47 cents of that dollar is spent on regulatory compliance. Teachers they don’t want to stay, they’re leaving the profession, because they’re bogged down by regulation. Let’s lift that burden and let them do what they do best, which is teach.”
Let the states tailor education to local communities—and get results.
Let parents choose the best educational fit for their children.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego attacked Arizona’s school choice programming in an attempt to sway Governor Katie Hobbs against an Arizona Diamondbacks funding bill.
In a letter submitted to Hobbs on Tuesday, Gallego expressed opposition over the bill to fund the Arizona Diamondbacks facility renovation, HB2704. The legislation dedicates Chase Field sales and employee income taxes to the renovation.
HB2704 has passed the House with bipartisan support and awaits Senate approval.
Gallego argued the legislation was a “boondoggle” for failing to accurately capture the fiscal impact. Gallego said the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) model underestimated the predicted cost to taxpayers derived from the city’s actual tax collection data by nearly half, equating the underestimation to the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program.
“Just like the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program or the infamous Alt-Fuels bill, there is not a high-end cap on this bill to act as a safeguard for taxpayers,” said Gallego. “I urge that you work with the Legislature to demand responsible and enforceable parameters for the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on an annual and aggregate basis.”
The JLBC model estimated a $471 million cost over 30 years, sans fiscal impact data input from the Department of Revenue. Per Gallego, the city of Phoenix estimated an $825 million cost over 30 years.
“After accounting for lost construction sales tax revenue, additional revenues that can follow a significant renovation to a major league sports facility, and inflation over 30 years, the bill in its current form will certainly cost more than $1 billion in public funds,” said Gallego.
Last month, Gallego also spoke out against HB2704 publicly. Gallego expressed opposition to the diversion of millions of funds that would have gone to the city otherwise.
“Two-thirds of Phoenix’s general fund supports public safety. Phoenix’s tax dollars are best spent supporting our firefighters who respond to emergencies, helping police fight crime, and combating homelessness — not used to pay for subsidies for those at the very top,” said Gallego.
Recently ousted Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) member and ESA Program advocate Jenny Clark advised Gallego to dedicate her efforts to improving the city’s budget rather than criticizing the budgeting of another program.
“Maybe Mayor Gallego should focus on her own MASSIVE failures with the city of Phoenix budget, instead of taking cheap shots at Arizona families using the widely popular ESA program,” said Clark.
Clark questioned why Gallego’s critique of increased funding for school choice, given the mayor attended an out-of-state private school in her youth.
The city of Phoenix narrowly avoided a reported $39 million budget deficit by the 2026 fiscal year by passing on the cost to taxpayers. The city previously announced an $85 million annual loss following the state legislature’s elimination of the residential rental tax and the implementation of the flat income tax.
On Tuesday, Gallego and the Phoenix City Council voted to increase the sales tax rate from 2.3 percent to 2.8 percent to avoid making cuts to city programs and services. The increase takes effect on July 1. Only Councilman Jim Waring voted against the sales tax increase.
The Goldwater Institute sued the city over the proposed tax increase earlier this month.
In a letter submitted to Gallego and the council, the public policy institute alleged this latest tax increase to be unconstitutional.
The Goldwater Institute also sued the city last year over allegedly illegal tax breaks for developers.
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On Tuesday, House Democrats took to the House floor to recognize their invited families with disabilities to push the passage of HB2816, a bill to provide funding for the Department of Economic Security (DES). The agency runs out of funds in May.
The bill from Assistant Minority Leader Nancy Gutierrez appropriates $122.3 million in state general funds and nearly $403 million in developmental disabilities Medicaid expenditure authority funds to the DES for developmental disabilities program expenses.
House Democrats are shenanigating to try and bring forward for a floor vote Assistant Leader Nancy Gutierrez’s HB2816 to provide the supplemental funding to keep the program for developmentally disabled children and adults, and paid parental caregivers. Rather than support a… pic.twitter.com/lJ1VHS0mRC
HB2816 did not make it past introduction. However, that didn’t stop House Democrats from attempting to bypass regular processes to get it heard on the floor on Tuesday.
“Republicans are blocking needed supplemental funds to keep the program going past May,” said Arizona House Democrats.
At the risk of getting gaveled down if she mentions developmental disability funding or her bill to save the families who need it, Assistant Democratic Leader Nancy Gutierrez artfully argues against the Republican countermove to block her motion to bring her HB2816 to a floor… https://t.co/52V2zpnkJ1pic.twitter.com/nsBByuiyHe
House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos accused House Republicans of being against funding children’s disability services.
“Arizona House Republicans just KILLED the bill to fund lifesaving disability services for children with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. All while heartbroken families watched from the gallery,” said De Los Santos.
BREAKING: Arizona House Republicans just KILLED the bill to fund lifesaving disability services for children with Down syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. All while heartbroken families watched from the gallery. pic.twitter.com/dD0BtYCLJA
House Republicans said Governor Katie Hobbs’ mismanagement was to blame for the budget shortfall and constricted timeline. Majority Leader Michael Carbone alleged to ABC15 that Hobbs had stretched disability services beyond their capabilities without the legislature’s consent.
“She expanded the scope and raised rates, all without the consent of the legislature of the necessary funding to meet her policy changes, and it now threatens the viability of the entire program,” said Carbone.
This wouldn’t be the only area of alleged mismanagement by Hobbs. House leaders addressed the pending shutdown of the Department of Child Safety’s Congregate Care program, which Speaker Steve Montenegro attributed to poor budgeting by Hobbs.
“The governor spends beyond her budget. She waits until it fails, and then she declares an emergency. In January, we were told by the governor’s staff that they needed supplemental funding for DCS,” said House Speaker Steve Montenegro in Monday’s press conference.
Hobbs’ spokesman, Christian Slater, said Republican lawmakers were “lying” about the governor’s budget handling. Slater accused Republicans of attempting 50 percent cuts to the Department of Developmental Disabilities.
“Governor Hobbs produced a balanced budget proposal that secures the border, raises pay for State Troopers and firefighters, combats Veterans homelessness and protects Arizonans with autism, cerebral palsy, and Down Syndrome,” said Slater. “Instead of showing Arizonans a budget plan of their own, Republican lawmakers have gone to the press to lie about the Governor’s budget, refused to enter negotiations, and are holding kids in foster care and Arizonans with disabilities hostage to their political games.”
NEW: Republican lawmakers are lying to their constituents instead of negotiating a budget. Today, we called on them to pass the Governor’s budget. And if they don’t like that, then they need to show Arizonans their plan. pic.twitter.com/KhFzrNlMS0
