by Elizabeth Troutman | May 25, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., offered scholarships to the students in his district who won awards in the Congressional Art Competition.
The U.S. House of Representatives sponsors the Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in every congressional district in the nation, each spring.
Crane represents Arizona’s second district, which is the northeastern part of the state.
The Phippen Museum in Prescott displayed all submitted artwork. Local judges visited to view and evaluate each piece.
Hannah Pryor, a student at Miami High School, won first place this year for her piece “My Cat.” Hannah will fly to Washington, D.C. for an awards banquet and have her award-winning artwork displayed for a year in the U.S. Capitol.
Grayson Edwards of Mingus Union High School won second place for his piece “The Professional.”
Trinity Christian School student Ethan Orr, who was last year’s first place winner, placed third for “A Stroll in Seoul.”
Clay Witten of Trinity Christian School received Honorable Mention for “Downtown Prescott.”
The People’s Choice award went to Lydia Minjarez from Mingus Union High School for “Zebra Eye.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | May 17, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., accused President Joe Biden of “treasonous” conduct in mishandling the border at a Judiciary Committee hearing on May 10.
Crane joined House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and members of the committee in Sahuarita, Arizona for a field hearing titled “The Biden Border Crisis: Arizona Perspectives.”
The hearing examined the effects of the current southwest border crisis on Arizona’s residents and communities.
Crane said the president has “betrayed” the country. He read a definition of treason from the dictionary and said he thinks the president’s behavior qualifies.
“I think it’s treasonous, I absolutely do,” Crane said. “You guys feel betrayed? I know I do.”
The committee members heard from local residents, including a former Border Patrol sector chief, a former sheriff’s deputy, a fifth-generation rancher whose property and leases cover five miles of the border, and a woman who lost two children to fentanyl overdoses.
The witnesses said the border is the worst they’ve seen.
“It’s purposeful, and the purpose is to change the demographics of this country,” said Jim Chilton, the rancher. “It’s politically thought by the administration, Mr. Biden, that these people will vote for Democrats in the future.”
Chris T. Clem, the former high-ranking Border Patrol chief who served from President Clinton to President Biden and is now retired, said the Biden administration aims “to swing power on their behalf.”
Jordan agreed.
“It’s sad because you don’t want to think that about the commander-in-chief,” the Ohio Republican said. “But it’s tough to come up with any other conclusion.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Apr 15, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Legislation to strengthen border security against illicit drugs passed out of committee on Wednesday.
The House Committee on Homeland Security passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act, which was introduced by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. The bill awaits further action on the House Floor.
The bill would require 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,” Crane said. “I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of this bill and for his distinguished leadership on the Committee.”
Illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security, according to a news release from the congressman.
Law enforcement officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border since 1990. There has been an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green said the committee is committed to protecting America from cartels.
“Illicit cross-border tunnel operations are more evidence that vicious criminal cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle weapons, drugs, and illegal aliens into this country to our detriment, and for their profit,” Green said. “DHS must provide Congress with reporting on these operations annually, as well as the Border Patrol’s efforts to stop them, as these operations are a threat to all Americans.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Apr 14, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday which would enable Gila County, Arizona to operate a veterans center on 232 acres in Young, Arizona.
Introduced by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., the bill creates the first center of its kind in northern Arizona, providing resources and support to primarily rural veterans and their families.
This veterans center is so crucial for rural veterans in northern Arizona who selflessly served our nation,” Crane said. “I’m grateful to see my colleagues in the House recognize the significance of this land transfer.”
The federal government retains large amounts of land, limiting states’ ability to maintain, conserve, recreate, and responsibly produce on the lands within their own borders, according to Crane. Transferring ownership to Gila County would guard the property’s history and provide family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation.
“This was the first piece of legislation I introduced and is a testament to the significance of northern Arizona’s veterans,” Crane said. “Anytime Congress can vote on legislation that returns power to the states is a good thing.”
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and former Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., co-sponsored the bipartisan effort legislation last Congress.
Crane thanked the House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman and Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany for their leadership. Westerman said Congress must do all it can to thank veterans and their families for their sacrifice.
“The commonsense, bipartisan land transfer provided by H.R. 1829 will do just that by opening up new experiences to veterans in the area for recreation and recovery,” Westerman said. “A veteran himself, Representative Crane has led on these issues this Congress, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to get this bill through the Senate and signed into law.”
Democratic Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Krysten Sinema introduced the bill in the Senate.
In the hearing, Crane asked Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline about the purpose of the veterans center.
Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on the significant impacts and outstanding resources the center would provide for veterans and their families in the region. He said the site would be one of two in Arizona.
“It’s huge for our local community as well,” he said. “We have a local veteran community of about 100 people right there in that small town. And then right there between us and Payson, there’s roughly another 5,000-7,000 more right there. Having this accessible, not only to the local members, the state members, the national members, but also, we’re adjacent to the White Mountain Apache Tribe that is not very far away that has a number of veterans in that reservation as well that have been big supporters of this project. It means everything to these folks.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Apr 8, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., honored Vietnam War Veterans last week.
Crane partnered with the America Vietnam War Veterans Commemoration to hold an inaugural pinning ceremony for local Vietnam War veterans at VFW Post 9907 in Show Low, Arizona.
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration program is a national 50th anniversary commemoration authorized by Congress. Thousands of organizations have joined the program.
Crane himself is a veteran. After 9/11, he enlisted in the Navy, eventually becoming a member of SEAL Team 3. The representative went on five wartime deployments, three of which were to Iraq. He served for a total of 13 years.
“As a veteran myself, it’s heartbreaking to know that many of these heroes who sacrificed so much for this country never received the appreciation and recognition they courageously earned,” Crane said in a news release. “This is a long overdue honor, and I’m humbled to have held the first in a series of Vietnam Veterans pinning ceremonies in Arizona’s Second Congressional District.”
Around 184,000 Vietnam War veterans live in the Grand Canyon state, and many have never been honored for their sacrifice. Crane said he hopes the commemoration changes that.
In his opening remarks at the commemoration, Crane said it was one of the best events he had been part of.
“This is one of the coolest events I have gotten to do since I became a congressman,” he said, “and it is a pleasure to be in the presence of so many of my brothers and sisters, even though I came from a different generation.”
Crane thanked the veterans for their efforts in changing the tone of the nation for returning veterans.
“I got treated better when I came home from Afghanistan than you did returning from Vietnam,” he said. “It is a shame that you got treated that way, and it is a stain upon our country.”
The men and women pinned included Douglas Anglemeyer, U.S. Navy; James Barden, U.S. Army; Joseph Castaldo, U.S. Marine Corps; Lee Crocker, U.S. Army: Jon Dahl, U.S. Navy; Kenneth Dominguez, U.S. Army; Loel Garrison, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps; Douglas Hixson, U.S. Army; Gary Josey, U.S. Marine Corps; Frederick Krieser, U.S. Army; John Lindsey, Jr., U.S. Air Force; Curtis Reed, U.S. Air Force; Richard Robinson, U.S. Army; Robert Schenfeld, U.S. Navy; Richard Thompson, U.S. Navy; Charles Tomlinson, U.S. Navy/Army; David Wright, U.S. Air Force; David Jones with his service dog, Charlie Brown, U.S. Marine Corps; Timothy Smith, U.S. Army; Mary Freeman, Army Reserve/National Guard; Richard Spies, U.S. Marine Corps Mark Reynolds, U.S. Air Force and on Crane’s Veterans Advisory Committee; Charles Baldwin, U.S. Army; Philip Cox, U.S. Army; Debra Anglemeyer, Civil Service; Jeff Denny, U.S. Army; Bruce Walton, U.S. Marine Corps; and John Jenkins, U.S. Army posthumously.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
