by Matthew Holloway | May 22, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The office of Arizona Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ02) issued a call on Tuesday for Veterans, Gold Star Families, and Active-Duty Spouses to apply for the exclusive Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program to bring one of them into Crane’s Prescott office in a two-year paid position.
The applicant chosen will take on the responsibility of managing veteran-related casework and serve as a liaison between Rep. Crane’s constituents and federal, state, and local agencies.
According to Crane’s office, “The G&G CAP was established to create employment opportunities for veterans, Gold Star families, and active-duty spouses within the U.S. House of Representatives. Selected candidates will work directly for a Member of Congress as part of their office staff.”
The duties of the role may also include, serving as a liaison to local veterans organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion, as well as, attending local events and meetings. The role boasts a salary starting at $54,000 annually.
In his announcement, Congressman Crane said, “As a veteran myself, I know firsthand the challenges and bureaucratic hurdles within our system. Our nation’s heroes deserve nothing less than the highest quality of service, and it is our duty to ensure they receive the care and support they need.”
He added, “I’m proud to partner with the Green & Gold Congressional Aide Program to provide veterans and military personnel with first-class assistance. I encourage dedicated patriots to apply for this essential role in my office.” Potential applicants may apply online.
To be eligible, veterans must be: “Honorably discharged; released from active duty within the last six years; and pay grades at or below E-5/O-3/W-2.” However, “Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.”
For Gold-Star families: the surviving spouses, children and step-children, parents and step-parents, siblings and step-siblings of a veteran who died in the line of duty while serving in the Armed Forces or from a service-connected disability are eligible to apply.
Spouses of active duty servicemembers must be wed to an active duty service member working for the military full-time and “and are subject to permanent change of station or permanent change of assignment orders upon completion of each tour of duty.” Spouses of servicemembers subject to Title X mobilization are not eligible.
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 | May 4, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ2) is bringing attention to a “robust border security funding package” that advanced out of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
The funding recommendation proposes massive investments in physical barriers at the border, the improvement of existing facilities, a major manpower investment, including retention bonuses and signing incentives, as well as an urgently needed overhaul of border surveillance technology.
“As Arizona’s only member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I’m proud to support President Trump and his team as they secure the border. By heavily investing in overlapping deterrents, our plan will significantly reduce human trafficking, fentanyl overdoses, and unlawful entries,” said Rep. Crane.
“This package will provide reinforcements for our brave agents on the ground and fortify our defenses for years to come. I appreciate Chairman Green’s leadership and look forward to sending the President long-overdue assistance.”
Among the recommendations, the Committee advanced an allocation of $46.5 billion for an “integrated border barrier system—an advanced solution that includes not only physical infrastructure but also technological enhancements.”
According to the Committee, the improvements will include: “internally reinforced steel bollards, fencing, all-weather access roads, lighting, surveillance cameras, and other cutting-edge technologies to support real-time monitoring and response.”
In terms of physical barriers, the package would allocate $46.5 billion for:
- Completion of 701 miles of primary wall
- Construction of 900 miles of river barriers
- Construction of 629 miles of secondary barriers
- The replacement of 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
Technological advances would include a $2.7 billion investment in:
- Ground detection sensors
- Integrated surveillance towers
- Tunnel detection capability
- Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
- Enhanced communications equipment.
In terms of personnel-facing investments, the package directs $4.1 billion toward filling the need for “additional Frontline CBP Personnel,” $2 billion for annual Retention Bonuses for existing personnel, and signing incentives for new hires.
“After hours of Democrat objections to commonsense border security funding, Homeland Security Committee Republicans held the line to advance budget recommendations that provide Customs and Border Protection with the resources needed to continue President Trump’s success in securing our border for years to come,” said Chairman Mark E. Green.
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 | May 3, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Members of the Arizona GOP Caucus, Reps. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) and Eli Crane (R-AZ02), marked the 100th day of President Donald Trump’s second administration with statements and social media posts praising the accomplishments of the 47th President and the Republican-led Congress.
Congressman Crane offered a series of posts to X pointing to the President’s achievements in border security, the economy, energy, forest health, and draining the swamp.
In full he wrote, “Thank you, President Trump, for ending the premeditated border invasion. We didn’t need new legislation. We just needed a new President.”
“The Democrats left President Trump a broken economy with record inflation and skyrocketing costs. Thankfully, we now have a President who prioritizes Americans, not globalists.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, American Energy Dominance will prevail. The days of sidelining our vast resources are over.”
“Thank you, President Trump, for revamping our approach to forest health. #AZ02 welcomes these proactive wins that provide long-term stability.”
“Despite formidable opposition, President Trump continues to take on the administrative state and entrenched establishment. We appreciate the President’s commitment to tackling waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Congressman Hamadeh offered his own congratulatory post with a note: “Promises Made. Promises Kept. Congratulations to @POTUS on an incredibly successful First 100 Days!”
Hamadeh cited as accomplishments: 70+ Terrorists killed, $5 Trillion in secured domestic investment, $57 Billion in canceled foreign aid, $935 Billion in saved tax dollars, along with 139,000 illegal immigrants deported to date.
The White House posted on X, “Under President Trump’s leadership, we have the most secure border in the history of this nation. President Trump was able to do in 100 days what the Biden administration couldn’t — or wouldn’t — do in four years.” In a subsequent post the White House added, “100 days of President Trump—and we’re nowhere near tired of winning. To the haters: we’re just getting started. AMERICA FIRST FOREVER!”
In a statement, President Trump said, “Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”
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 | Apr 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has made it clear that it is targeting the congressional districts of Congressmen David Schweikert (AZ-01), Eli Crane (AZ-02), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) in 2026.
On Wednesday the Arizona Democratic Party said it is “focused on winning these critical seats, paving the way for a Democratic House majority in 2026.” The release referred to the three Republican Congressmen as “vulnerable,” and their districts as “competitive.”
Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Robert E. Branscomb, II claimed, “Arizonans are tired of David Schweikert, Eli Crane, Juan Ciscomani and other MAGA-cronies playing politics with the issues that impact their ability to make ends meet. As a Party, we will stop at nothing to hold them accountable and to finally elect leaders who will move Arizona forward.” However, the state of play in each district doesn’t seem to be that simple.
Schweikert and Ciscomani both won their 2024 elections with 2-3% margins with Schweikert serving as Ciscomani’s CD6 predecessor before moving to CD1 with redistricting. Each of these constituencies are competitive by their nature and by design, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC). The 2021 commission held District 1 competitiveness at a 2.6% vote spread and District 6 at a 2.4% spread, both of which proved accurate in the 2024 race.
Historically, the area that is now District 6 has seen six Republican victories and only three for the Democrats in the in the past nine statewide elections, making District 1 truly the most “competitive” with a more even split of 5 GOP victories to 4 losses per the AIRC.
The same day the Arizona Democratic Party issued their press release, both Reps. Ciscomani and Crane held telephone town hall meetings with their constituents.
The DCCC’s calculus seems to fall short with Rep. Eli Crane’s District 2 seat though, which has seen historically zero Democrat wins in the last nine races and was designed to hold a 7.2% vote spread competitively. That spread Crane decisively beat in his 9-point victory over Democrat Jonathan Nez last year.
As AZ Free News reported in February when a Democrat SuperPAC bankrolled by leftist billionaires announced they would target his seat, Crane’s response was blunt. He wrote in a post to X, “The great thing about #AZ02 is they see through phony attacks by coastal elites. Bring it.”
Given the historic makeup of these districts: two of them designed to give Democrats a chance and a third that appears nearly unassailable, the AZDems assessment of the three Congressmen as “vulnerable,” and their districts as “more “competitive than normal” seems questionable at best.
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 | Apr 11, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Republican Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) celebrated President Donald Trump’s Executive Order using emergency authority to keep the Cholla Power Plant in Navajo County in operation.
“While most politicians ignore the will of We the People, President Trump takes decisive action. By saving the Cholla Power Plant from imminent closure, hardworking Arizonans will maintain their jobs and livelihoods,” Rep. Crane said in a statement. “For years, radical environmentalists tried to destroy the once thriving coal industry. Under President Trump’s leadership, those days are officially over. This is a huge win for Navajo County, and I applaud the President and his team for delivering.”
In a statement signing the Executive order Trump said, “I am instructing Secretary Wright to save the Cholla coal plant in Arizona, which has been slated for destruction. We’re going to keep those coal miners on the job. We’re going to have that plant opening and burning beautiful, clean coal in a very short period of time.”
The text of the Executive order stated, “America’s coal resources are vast, with a current estimated value in the trillions of dollars and are more than capable of substantially contributing to American energy independence, with excess to export to support allies and our economic competitiveness.”
“Our nation’s beautiful clean coal resources will be critical to meeting the rise in electricity demand due to the resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of artificial intelligence data-processing centers.”
The move by Trump was also praised by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren who shared a lengthy statement to X, saying in part, “Today marks a pivotal moment for energy policy in the United States. As President Trump signs an executive order aimed at revitalizing the coal industry, I want to emphasize the importance of including tribal nations like the Navajo Nation in this national conversation.”
Nygren added, “The harmful policies of the past have unfairly targeted coal, but those tides are turning. Last year, the U.S. produced over 1 billion tons of coal, and even now, we are producing more than 500 million tons annually. If the federal government is serious about increasing domestic energy production, enhancing permitting, and bolstering energy security, it must work in partnership with tribal nations. Together, we can strengthen local economies, generate revenue, and create good-paying jobs in historically underinvested areas like ours. For the Navajo Nation, coal is more than an export—it has powered our homes and our economy since the mid-20th century. Our people have depended on the royalties, wages, and tax revenues from this industry for generations. Coal has also remained a primary heating source for many Diné families.”
Speaking with AZCentral, APS, which owns the Cholla Power Plant stated, “APS stopped generating electricity at Cholla last month, in accordance with federal regulations and due to increasing costs that have made the plant uneconomical to operate.”
The utility said, “We plan to preserve the site for potential future-generation uses, including the possibility of nuclear power. At this time, APS has already procured reliable and cost-effective generation that will replace the energy previously generated by Cholla Power Plant.“
The contradictory statement leaves questions around whether the plant will resume operation in the immediate future.
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.
