by Matthew Holloway | Oct 10, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act (S. 656), a bill designed to facilitate the transition of U.S veterans into a field requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL) through GI benefits, was signed into law on October 1st. The bipartisan legislation, championed by Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ), was sponsored by Senator Deb Fisher (R-NE) and passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a voice vote on Sep. 25th after passing the Senate by unanimous consent, making it a very rare, truly bipartisan bill.
The new law will exempt newly opened trucking school facilities from an existing regulatory delay of two years, during which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and state regulators are required to deny the school the ability to process GI benefits, as long as the primary facility has already been approved. This allows existing schools to expand. In effect, this will streamline the opening of new facilities to train more veterans moving into the trucking industry.
According to a press release from Rep. Crane, “This will allow veterans more accessibility to CDL schools, reducing commuting times, leading to high-paying careers in the trucking industry.”
Crane said in a statement, “I’m proud to play a role in expanding opportunities for veterans in rural Arizona. Expanding the scope of GI education benefits to CDL programs is a way to increase opportunities for those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Bureaucratic obstacles should never inhibit our nation’s veterans from having flexibility in building prosperous lives for themselves.”
Rep. Edwards told reporters, “It’s high time we take meaningful steps toward better supporting a veteran’s transition into the civilian workforce,” according to Landline. “Too many arbitrary rules are impeding a veteran’s ability to achieve the very American dream that they are fighting for others to pursue, but the Veteran Improvement CDL Act helps to eliminate one of those barriers.”
Edwards shared in a 2023 post to X, that the then-proposed bill was endorsed by the American Legion.
Sen. Fischer said in a statement, “Our veterans deserve every opportunity to participate in the American dream they’ve fought to protect. But when their service is over, many veterans face unfair roadblocks when they look for jobs. My legislation makes it easier for veterans to get their CDL licenses and earn a good living.”
As reported by industry publication FleetOwner, the American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear applauded passage of the act through Congress with a statement hailing it as a way to “help veterans secure rewarding careers and alleviate the truck driver shortage.”
He told the outlet, “When the brave men and women in our armed forces return home, the last thing they should have to worry about is red tape preventing them from achieving the American dream that they fought to defend. Improving veterans’ access to CDL programs will open the door of opportunity to good-paying, in-demand jobs in the trucking industry. We are appreciative of the leadership by Senators Fischer and Padilla and Representatives Edwards and Pappas on this important bill, which will help veterans secure rewarding careers and alleviate the truck driver shortage.”
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 | Sep 30, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The ‘Fix Our Forests Act’ introduced by Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), co-sponsored by Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and supported by Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ) passed the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday in a 268-151 vote. The vote went largely along partisan lines with 55 Democrats joining the Republican Majority to advance it to the Senate. The act as explained by Crane’s office “would improve the health and resiliency of America’s forests.”
Citing the breadth of the designated forests in the United States at 117 million acres and with the stark warning that these forests are “overgrown, prone to fires, and in need of active management,” the Republican measure is designed to expedite the approvals process for forestry management and fire control. Both are imminent and ever-present concerns in the wildfire-prone high-desert grasslands and forests of Northern Arizona.
According to a press release from Crane’s office, the Fix Our Forests Act is designed to:
“Simplify and expedite environmental reviews to reduce costs and planning times for critical forest management projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards;
End frivolous litigation that delays needed forest management projects;
Utilize state-of-the-art science to prioritize the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfire;
Incentivize forest management projects of up to 10,000 acres to increase the pace and scale of active management;
Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration by creating a new Fireshed Center and codifying the Shared Stewardship initiative;
Make communities more resilient to wildfire by coordinating existing grant programs and incentivizing new research;
Give agencies new tools to restore watersheds, protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and prevent forest conversion;
Revitalize rural economies by strengthening tools such as Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting;
Adopt new and innovative technologies to address forest health threats like wildfires, drought, insects and disease;
Harden utility rights-of-way against wildfire by encouraging more active management and removal of dangerous hazard trees.”
The Biden administration reportedly opposes the bill, and it could potentially meet with a veto if it passes the Senate. In a statement from the White House, the Biden-Harris administration wrote, “H.R. 8790, however, also contains a number of provisions that would undermine basic protections for communities, lands, waters, and wildlife; reduce opportunities for public input; and heighten the likelihood for conflict, litigation, and delay on needed forest restoration and resilience work,” the statement continued per the Washington Examiner. “The Administration therefore strongly opposes this bill.”
In a statement published by the Congressional Western Caucus, Rep. Westerman said, “America’s forests are on life support after decades of mismanagement. The clock on these ticking time bombs is down to the final few seconds, and Congress must move swiftly to save our forests from imminent destruction. Today, the House took decisive action on the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which will empower local land managers and agencies with tools to enact the most vital forest management projects. The time to fix our forests is now.”
In a post to X, Crane wrote, “Yesterday, I voted proudly in support of the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which would restore forest health and protect our communities in #AZ02. Thanks to @NatResources Chairman @RepWesterman for his leadership on this legislation.”
The bill was cosponsored by 17 Republicans including Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and six Democrats and must now be taken up by the Senate.
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 | Sep 22, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican Congressman Andy Biggs carried on the well-worn tradition of symbolic and sometimes whimsical naming conventions for congressional bills last week. On Tuesday, Biggs introduced the Keeping Aid for Municipalities and Localities Accountable Act, abbreviated as the KAMALA Act, in a bid to withhold federal funding from states and municipalities providing housing assistance to illegal immigrants.
The obviously pejorative nature of the bill’s name aside, Biggs and his co-sponsors identified the necessity of the bill by pointing to the “Dream for All program” passed in the California legislature last month. That bill would have allowed illegal immimgrants residing in the state to receive a mortgage down payment handout of up to $150,000 bankrolled by California taxpayers, and given that a 14.5% of the state’s budget comes from federal funding, the American people as a whole.
As Biggs’ office noted in a press release, this California bill was vetoed by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, but not based on an issue with the policy, but rather purely on funding grounds, “not a recognition that the policy creates new incentives for illegal immigration and would drive housing prices further out of reach of middle-class Americans.”
In his veto, Newsom wrote, “This bill seeks to prohibit the disqualification of applicants from one of California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) home-purchase assistance programs based solely on their immigration status. Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively. For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill.”
In response the KAMALA Act, if adopted, would add new legal language to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program which would prohibit funds from CDBG funded programs to be used to benefit “illegal aliens, parolees, or asylees,” and only benefit American citizens. It would further prohibit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from allowing the same funds to be allocated to “states or localities allowing noncitizens to participate in housing assistance programs.”
Biggs said in a statement, “Americans are outraged at the Biden-Harris Administration’s refusal to put the needs of citizens over the comfort of illegal aliens. Democrats across the country are coddling illegal aliens, providing them with housing assistance while hundreds of thousands of Americans live on the streets. Congress must step in and use the power of the purse to ensure that taxpayers aren’t subsidizing these foolish priorities.”
From the text of the KAMALA Act, the bill states, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no amount from a grant under section 106 made in fiscal year 2024 or any succeeding fiscal year may be used to assist persons who are neither a national of the United States nor lawfully admitted for permanent residence under section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.”
The act is cosponsored by fellow Arizona Congressmen Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Elijah Crane (R-AZ), as well as Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Bob Good (R-VA), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Andy Harris (R-MD), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), and Tim Burchett (R-TN).
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 | Sep 12, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Subterranean Border Defense Act spearheaded by Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Lou Correa (D-CA) was passed in the House of Representatives. It now moves to the Senate where, if passed and signed into law, it would require the federal government to strengthen our border defenses through a layered system and produce annual reports to Congress on operations to counteract cross-border tunneling.
A statement released by Crane’s office warned, “As Transnational Criminal Organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security.”
“The Subterranean Border Defense Act would help Congress address the growing threat of illicit cross-border tunnels by requiring the submission of annual reports on counter tunneling operations, fortifying our security system at the border.”
According to Crane, since 1990 border officials have uncovered over 140 subterranean tunnels traversing and undermining the U.S. Southern border with Mexico with the smuggling activity through this method increasing by 80 percent since 2008 and the Obama Administration.
Rep. Crane explained, “Passage of this bill is a massive win for our security. The Biden-Harris Administration has eagerly dismantled our border, leaving Americans inexcusably vulnerable. This legislation would help counter that by making sure Congress has the info we need to address the deadly threat of cross-border tunnels. I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of my bill and for his distinguished leadership of the Homeland Security Committee.”
As reported by Border Report in July, a vacant lot used by food trucks in Tijuana was recently under heavy surveillance by Mexico’s National Guard and other law enforcement agencies after investigators said unidentified individuals were spotted digging several suspected drug tunnels on the property. One of the shafts reportedly connected to an existing tunnel that led under the border into the U.S. The northern terminus of the tunnel is not publicly known, but it reportedly leads to an area near the commercial side of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
As recently as February, an official release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement revealed that a tunnels system was located and shut down in Nogales, Arizona, which straddles the border with the Mexican city of Heroica Nogales, Sonora.
The report stated, “Department of Homeland Security agents and their counterparts from the Mexican Federal Police (SSP) entered both ends of the tunnel simultaneously early Thursday morning. No people were found, but SSP officers seized 550 pounds of bundled marijuana discovered inside.”
The tunnel was believed to be just a week old before being shut down by U.S. and Mexican authorities and was approximately 110 feet long. It averaged two feet wide and two feet tall with limited wooden braces and ran approximately 5 feet under the surface. In the report, ICE stated that federal authorities have shut down 22 completed cross-border tunnels in the Nogales area alone over the last three years.
In a statement from the House Committee on Homeland Security, Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) said, “The House of Representatives also passed two more Committee bills to combat Communist China’s deadly fentanyl supply chain across our Southwest border, which Beijing accomplishes with the help of criminal cartels. I’m proud of Congressmen LaLota and Crane’s leadership introducing bills to improve fentanyl interdiction and DHS’ mission to counter the insidious tunnels cartels often use to smuggle this poisonous drug––both commonsense pieces of legislation to close DHS capability gaps and help save lives amid this historic border crisis. I urge the Senate to take up and pass these measures without delay to combat the influence of our greatest geopolitical adversary.”
In a post to X sharing his comments on the Cross-Border Tunnel Report, Crane wrote, “My bipartisan bill would help Congress address the growing threat of illicit cross-border tunnels by requiring the submission of annual reports on counter tunneling operations, fortifying our security system at the border. Put simply, this legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense.”
The bill, H.R. 7404, was cosponsored by a dozen Republicans including Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, Texas Congressmen Morgan Lutrell, Michael McCaul, and August Pfluger, as well as Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana. In addition to Correa, the bill was cosponsored by Democrat Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan.
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 | Sep 6, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressmen Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have issued a letter directed to the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan. The letter called upon them both to answer for the prioritization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training over other considerations by the Coast Guard. The Congressmen are demanding the two address the impact of this prioritized training on the operational readiness of the Guard.
As noted in a press release from Rep. Crane, “USCG has reported that it is about 4,800 members short and has missed its recruiting targets for the past four fiscal years, leading to the decommissioning and shorter lifecycle of USCG ships and increased burden on USCG members.”
The Arizona Congressman further observed, “At the same time, the USCG is carrying out indoctrination training, including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training, which service members believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks.”
In April, the U.S. Naval Institute wrote that the Coast Guard, being 2,500 personnel under recruiting goals, has launched a “comprehensive talent realignment initiative that sought to address personnel shortages,” citing a top personnel officer.
In November 2023, Fagan was forced to acknowledge the then-shortfall of 3,500 recruits as it sidelined 10 Coast Guard Cutters and 29 stations according to Forbes.
The outlet reported, “Three east-coast based Reliance-class cutters, the USCGC Confidence (WMEC-619), the USCGC Dauntless(WMEC-624) and the USCGC Dependable (WMEC-626), will each enter layup in mid 2024, becoming little more than in-reserve ‘parts-barns’ for active, in-service cutters. Add in the March retirement of the Decisive (ex-WMEC-629) with the long-planned retirement of the USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623) later this year, and the loss of Coast Guard cutter capability becomes quite significant.”
In a post to X, Gaetz explained, “The U.S. Coast Guard is prioritizing indoctrination training over addressing its staffing shortages and military readiness. Today, I sent a letter with @RepEliCrane to DHS @SecMayorkas and USCG Commandant Linda Fagan to demand answers on why the USCG is focusing on training for Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity inclusivity instead of improving manning issues, meeting recruiting goals, and recommissioning ships.”
In the text of the letter, Crane and Gaetz tell Mayorkas and Fagan, “We have heard from service members concerned with trainings and events they believe to be extraneous to mission- critical tasks, specifically Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training programs, including the attached examples of official USCG announcements encouraging service member participation in Transgender Shipmates Inclusion Training.”
Among the Congressmen’s inquiries, they are demanding the Coast Guard and DHS answer: “How much of the USCG’s budget has been spent on developing and carrying out SOGI inclusivity trainings and events within the last three fiscal years?” They are also demanding a citation of the statutory authority which DHS and the USCG are using to justify said training and whether these trainings are taking place during work hours or after duty hours. Finally, they ask, “Do USCG personnel who attend SOGI inclusivity training events receive promotion points or recognition?”
The two conclude definitively, “We ask you to end SOGI inclusivity training programs within the USCG and focus on mission-critical operations.”
As noted by Citizen Free Press, Crane has been questioning the effectiveness of Coast Guard recruiting since at least November 2023 when he challenged Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier that the real cause of the decline could be “wokeness and drag shows on base.”
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.
