by Ethan Faverino | Aug 6, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (AZ-08) has introduced the Proving Residency for Overseas Voter Eligibility (PROVE) Act, which is a step toward ensuring trust and integrity in America’s elections.
Joined by original co-sponsors Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) and Congressman Andy Ogles (TN-05), Hamadeh’s legislation addresses critical vulnerabilities in the current voting system for overseas citizens.
The PROVE Act amends the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to require non-military U.S. citizens living abroad to prove current residency in the state where they intend to vote.
Acceptable proof includes residency ties through the voter, their spouse, parent, or legal guardian. Those unable to establish state residency may vote in federal elections only in the District of Columbia.
Under existing UOCAVA rules, states must allow overseas citizens to vote in federal elections based on their last state of residence, even if they lack current ties to that state.
39 states, including key swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, permit people who have never resided in the U.S. to vote in state elections, undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
Congressman Hamadeh stated, “The loophole in UOCAVA allows citizens living overseas, with no current ties to a state, to arbitrarily choose where their vote counts. This threatens electoral integrity and is an affront to everyone who believes in fair and free elections. The PROVE Act will close this loophole and go far to restore trust in our elections.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Congressman Hamadeh has prioritized election integrity and called on his colleagues to join him in supporting the PROVE Act so they can rebuild the trust of American citizens in our country’s elections.
“In Arizona, we have seen what the mismanagement of voter rolls, failed election infrastructure, and corrupt courts can do to destroy voter confidence and faith in our system overall,” said Hamadeh. Since taking office, I have introduced legislation to address some of the most egregious practices and close the most glaring loopholes in our election system.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 16, 2025 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ08) issued a call this week for Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, to resign. Hamadeh cited a series of failures from Powell in an official Congressional letter sent on Sunday.
“My call for Chairman Powell’s resignation does not come lightly nor without good cause,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “Considering the recent revelations by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought about Chairman Powell’s gross mismanagement of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation project, and his apparent lack of candor before the Senate Banking Committee, neither does my call come too soon.”
In a post to X Monday, Hamadeh further stated, “Jerome Powell has lost the confidence and ability to effectively Chair the Federal Reserve.”
Senators pressed Powell hard on the ongoing $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters during the Chairman’s semiannual monetary policy hearing before Congress in June. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) critcized Powell for the renovations, referring to them as “luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the Palace of Versailles.”
James Blair, a White House deputy chief of staff, announced in a post to X, “The Federal Reserve’s Inspector General is considering opening an investigation into the massive cost overruns for their $2.5B+ HQ renovation project.”
Blair was appointed to the National Capital Planning Commission which holds oversight over the project last week.
In his letter calling for Powell to step down, Congressman Hamadeh echoed the words of Director Vought, who questioned the “ostentatious” overhaul of the Federal Reserve Campus and also cited the Chairman’s “failure to accurately assess the effects of tariffs” and “refusal to lower interest rates for the good of the nation in a timely manner,” as causes. He added, “This renovation is $700 million over budget at a time when your political game playing is wreaking havoc with Americans’ budgets. In fact, it is your failure at the Fed that has caused home ownership to be cost prohibitive for too many young families, denying them access to one of the most important facets of the American Dream.”
Hamadeh continued by highlighting Powell’s failed predications on the Trump administration’s tariff system.
He wrote, “Aside from the burden you have placed on taxpayers, who must foot the bill for your frivolous fabrications, you have failed to properly assess the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. Contrary to your predictions, increasing tariff collections are helping improve government finances with the U.S. Treasury Department posting a $27 billion budget surplus in June 2025.”
Hamadeh acknowledged that “White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has said that President Trump has the authority to fire Chairman Powell for cause,” but added that “it shouldn’t have to come to that.”
He concluded, “Chairman Powell needs to accept the fact that his political game playing has led to harmful failures and step down for the good of the country.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Jul 14, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) has reintroduced H.R. 4235. This is a bipartisan bill to designate the United States Postal Service facility at 100 N. Taylor Lane in Patagonia, Arizona, as the Jim Kolbe Memorial Post Office.
The reintroduction aligns with what would have been former Congressman Jim Kolbe’s 83rd birthday on June 28, 2025. Congressman Kolbe passed away on December 3, 2020.
The bipartisan effort is co-sponsored by Representatives Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ).
This legislation was introduced in the 119th Congress, 1st session and referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
The bill includes two key provisions:
- That the post office at 100 N. Taylor Lane in Patagonia, Arizona, will be officially named the Jim Kolbe Memorial Post Office.
- That any mention of the facility in laws, maps, regulations, documents, or other U.S. records will reflect its new designation as the Jim Kolbe Memorial Post Office.
Jim Kolbe, a native of Patagonia, represented southeastern Arizona in Congress for 11 terms from 1985 to 2007.
Prior to Congress, Kolbe served in the Arizona State Senate from 1977 to 1982 and began his career as a U.S. House page.
He was also a Navy veteran who served from 1967 to 1977 including in Vietnam.
Congressman Kolbe was a respected statesman known for his leadership on the House Appropriations Committee, where he was the chairman of one of its 12 subcommittees.
Congressman Ciscomani praised the former Congressman by saying, “Jim Kolbe lived a life of service dedicated to not only our state but our country as a whole. He was a Navy veteran who represented Arizona as a true statesman, leading in foreign affairs, trade, and fiscal discipline, while staying true to his values. He continues to inspire my own service in Congress and his impactful leadership will long be remembered.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 11, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Earlier this week, Republican Congressman Abe Hamadeh’s (R-AZ08) social media team offered words of gratitude and even praise for Laurie Roberts, an opinion columnist for the Arizona Republic. The exhange came in regard to the framing of her recent op-ed entitled “Rep. Abe Hamadeh says no Medicaid cuts? He’s not fooling anyone.” According to Roberts, she incorrectly wrote in a post to X that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains cuts to Medicare, rather than reforming Medicaid.
Addressing the erroneous post, Roberts wrote a new post to X and commented, “Deleted my earlier tweet as I mistakenly said the cuts were to Medicare. Don’t want to start a panic, so I deleted it. The cuts are to Medicaid, as the column correctly points out.”
Abe Hamadeh War Room, the Rapid Response account for the Congressman’s office, highlighted Roberts’ correction writing, “Thank you for showing integrity. In this case and correcting your mistake, Laurie. Unfortunately, the Democrats have created panic for months now by conflating these two very important issues. The last thing we would want is to scare people.”
As explained by the White House, “Medicare has not been touched in this bill— absolutely nothing in the bill reduces spending on Medicare benefits. This legislation does not make a single cut to welfare programs—it safeguards and protects these programs for all eligible Americans.”
The White House further noted that H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), does not in fact make cuts to Medicaid either.
“As the President has said numerous times, there will be no cuts to Medicaid. The One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for those who rely on it—pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse,” the White House wrote. “The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable.”
According to the latest congressional summary of the bill, the Medicaid reform in the OBBA falls into four main categories:
Reducing Fraud and Improving Enrollment Processes
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are to create a centralized system by 2027 for states to detect multi-state Medicaid/CHIP enrollment; states must verify addresses and report Social Security numbers monthly by FY2030; funding provided for system setup and maintenance.
- States must check Social Security Administration’s Death Master File quarterly starting 2028 to identify deceased Medicaid enrollees.
- States to verify provider termination from Medicare, other state Medicaid, or CHIP during enrollment/reenrollment starting 2028, with monthly checks thereafter.
- States to check provider death status via Death Master File during enrollment/reenrollment starting 2028, with quarterly checks thereafter.
- States to redetermine Medicaid expansion population eligibility every six months starting December 31, 2026.
- 10% reduction in enhanced federal matching rate starting FY2028 for states providing comprehensive health benefits to non-lawfully residing individuals (except children/pregnant women).
Preventing Wasteful Spending
- CMS to survey pharmacies through FY2033 for Medicaid drug pricing; non-participating pharmacies face penalties; OIG to study survey results with FY2026 funding.
- Mandates pass-through pricing and bans spread-pricing for Medicaid pharmacy benefit manager contracts.
- Prohibits Medicaid/CHIP federal payments for gender transition procedures, with exceptions for minors with parental consent for specific medical conditions.
- Bars federal Medicaid payments for 10 years to nonprofit essential community providers primarily offering family planning/abortions (beyond rape/incest/life-threatening cases) if they received over $1M in Medicaid payments in FY2024.
Stopping Abusive Financing Practices
- Non-expansion states as of March 11, 2021, must expand Medicaid by January 1, 2026, to receive enhanced federal matching rate.
- Prohibits federal matching for revenue from new or increased Medicaid provider taxes.
- Limits state-directed payments under Medicaid managed care to Medicare rates (100% for expansion states, 110% for others) through FY2033.
Increasing Personal Accountability (Work Requirements)
- Medicaid expansion population must meet 80-hour monthly work/community service/education requirements starting December 31, 2026; exemptions for medical conditions or dependent children; FY2026 funding for implementation.
- Cost-sharing required for Medicaid expansion population with income above poverty line starting FY2029; max $35 per service, 5% of family income; excludes certain services; providers may require payment upfront.
Under the OBB, Medicaid isn’t cut but is in fact mandated to expand for “non-expansion states,” to receive enhanced federally matched funding. The only individuals and families purportedly “cut” from Medicaid would be those who fail to meet the program’s work/community service/education requirements and are not exempted by medical conditions or dependent children or whose income exceeds the program’s limitations and “non-lawfully residing individuals.”
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 Matthew Holloway | Jul 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Months after its reintroduction to Congress, H.R. 1362 the Downwinders Parity Act, sponsored by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ09) and cosponsored by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08), passed by inclusion within the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill.’ The act, which reauthorizes the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), passed through the Budget Reconciliation process and was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4th.
“Atomic weapons testing conducted during the Cold War at the Nevada Test Site came with a heavy cost to Americans living in Arizona, Nevada and within tribal communities. Every person, known as ‘downwinders,’ who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing deserves to be compensated by the federal government,” explained Gosar.
“Downwinders,” their survivors, and uranium industry workers affected by the testing are now eligible for up to $100,000 in federal compensation.
The RECA bill originally authorized compensation for “downwinders” for 20 years in 1990 and was subsequently extended for 22 years and expanded in scope to include Apache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo, and Yavapai Counties, in Arizona, but only included parts of Mohave County and only included townships 13 through 16 at ranges 63 through 71 of Clark County, Nevada. As Gosar notes, despite the revisions and even another two year extension in 2022, the entirety of Mohave County or Clark County were not included.
“Not only were downwinders residing in Mohave and Clark counties closer to the Nevada Test Site than residents in other eligible counties, but they also have the second-highest overall incidence rate of cancer in their respective states,” Gosar said.
He added, “Since first being elected to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to fix the error that excluded Downwinders from Mohave and Clark Counties from filing claims with the federal government. Congress has a moral responsibility to reauthorize RECA and update it by including both Mohave and Clark counties as affected areas.”
Cullin D. Pattillo, a surviving son of Eddie Pattillo of Kingman, told ABC15 that his father suffered for thirty years against three different forms of cancer after being exposed to radiation in the 1950s from nuclear testing 120 miles north of his Mohave County home.
“It killed my father and killed thousands of other people around the state of Arizona,” Pattillo said.
He told the outlet that his father never benefited from RECA compensation and screenings.
“I know of at least 100 claims that’ll be submitted here in Kingman, and there’s probably going to be a lot more,” he added.
Pattillo who has advocated for the expansion of RECA told the outlet, “It was always something that he fought for. We got close several times while he was still alive, and it was something I wanted to at least push through to the bitter end.”
In a statement marking the passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Rep. Gosar said, “Following the four disastrous years of the failed and corrupt Biden administration that created historic inflation, destroyed our economy and welcomed nearly 20 million illegal aliens into our country, I am very pleased to have voted in favor of legislation advancing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.”
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.
