by Ethan Faverino | Dec 15, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ02) joined forces with Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) to introduce the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act of 2025, a bipartisan measure aimed at enhancing the safety and effectiveness of aerial wildfire suppression operations.
The legislation mandates the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in close consultation with the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, to conduct a comprehensive study on the disruptive effects of unauthorized drone activity over federal lands during active firefighting efforts.
The resulting report will equip Congress with critical insights to inform targeted policies that reduce risks and protect vital suppression resources.
Key elements of the study include gathering detailed data on the frequency of drone incursions, their direct impacts on firefighting operations, resulting delays in response times, and the additional financial burdens imposed on federal agencies.
It will further assess potential mitigation strategies, such as advanced counter-drone technologies and infrastructure, alongside robust public education initiatives to underscore the severe hazards posed by drone interference.
The FAA is required to deliver its findings and actionable policy recommendations to the appropriate congressional committees within 18 months of the bill’s enactment.
With Arizona facing recurrent and intense wildfires, coupled with a surge in unauthorized drone operations, Rep. Crane emphasized the urgent need to eliminate barriers that hinder effective fire management.
“I’m proud to co-introduce this bipartisan legislation to address the growing issue of drones interfering with aerial fire suppression efforts. Arizona is prone to devastating wildfires, and it’s imperative that we minimize obstruction and delays,” said Rep. Crane. “With our bill, Congress would have the necessary information to craft policies that help our firefighters combat wildfires before they get out of control. I urge my colleagues to support our approach.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Dec 12, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Rep. Eli Crane is highlighting a significant win for rural communities after the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 on Dec. 9. The bill restores lapsed payments and guarantees new funding through 2026 for counties across Crane’s largely rural Second Congressional District; many of which rely heavily on federal forest-land payments to support schools, roads, and public safety services.
The House approved the legislation by a bipartisan vote of 399–5, marking the first standalone reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program in recent years. The bill, passed by the Senate in June, now heads to President Trump’s desk for signature. It would restore missed 2024 payments while authorizing full funding for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, following a lapse that forced many rural counties nationwide to absorb steep budget shortfalls.
Created by Congress in 2000, the SRS program was designed to stabilize funding for counties with large shares of federally managed forest land as traditional timber receipts declined. Under the Act of May 23, 1908, 25 percent of national forest revenues were directed to states for public schools and roads in affected counties. As logging revenues fell over time, Congress established SRS to ensure more predictable funding for education and infrastructure in rural communities.
The U.S. Forest Service manages approximately 196 million acres of national forest land nationwide. SRS payments are distributed under three funding categories: Title I for county roads and schools, Title II for collaborative projects on federal lands, and Title III for additional county projects. Participating counties may elect between SRS payments or traditional 1908 Act payments and determine how funds are allocated among the three titles.
Crane, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, supported the reauthorization, which directly benefits rural counties across Arizona’s Second Congressional District, including Apache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, along with portions of Graham, Mohave, Maricopa, and Pinal counties.
“I’m proud to join my colleagues in reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools program to provide vital support for schools in rural Arizona,” Crane said in a statement. “This extension secures much-needed stability and funding. This is a positive outcome, and I will always fight for those I represent.”
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), who introduced the legislation and serves as chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, led the effort in the House alongside Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise. LaMalfa emphasized that SRS payments are often the difference between maintaining basic services and making deep cuts in rural communities.
“For rural counties, Secure Rural Schools funding is essential,” LaMalfa said. “These payments help keep schools open, keep roads maintained, and help ensure sheriff, fire, and emergency services remain in place when federal timber revenues fall short. When the program lapsed, rural schools and counties were cut short of the funding they rely on to provide basic services. This bill restores that funding and keeps future payments on schedule.”
The reauthorization follows a 2023 lapse that forced many counties to revert to traditional 1908 Act revenue-sharing, resulting in funding reductions of up to 80 percent in some areas. Counties reported teacher layoffs, school program cuts, and deferred road maintenance as a result. The restored 2024 payments under the amended 1908 Act were distributed in April 2025 with a 5.7 percent sequestration reduction.
Since its creation, the program has delivered roughly $7 billion to more than 700 counties and 4,400 school districts nationwide. With the House vote now complete, rural Arizona counties are preparing to factor restored SRS funding into upcoming budget planning as they await final action from the White House.
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 | Dec 10, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs is pressing House Republican leadership to move quickly on a sweeping market-based overhaul of federal health-care policy, as enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies approach their scheduled expiration at the end of 2025.
In a letter co-signed by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) and Reps. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Clay Higgins (R-LA), and Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), Biggs wrote, “Republicans have solutions, and it’s time to implement them.”
The proposal outlined by Biggs is designed as a free-market alternative to Obamacare and reflects key elements of President Donald Trump’s healthcare agenda. Supporters argue the framework would shift federal policy away from government subsidies and toward consumer-driven healthcare.
“The time for half measures is over,” Biggs wrote to Speaker Johnson. “The American people deserve healthcare reform built on freedom, affordability, flexibility, and choice—not more subsidies, red tape, or handouts for insurance companies.”
Under the proposal, conservatives would allow the expanded ACA premium tax credits to expire, arguing the subsidies have inflated healthcare costs, expanded federal dependency, and funneled taxpayer dollars through insurance companies rather than directly to patients. As Breitbart News noted, the framework draws on nine Republican proposals, including those of Reps. Greg Steube (R-FL), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Bob Onder (R-MO), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Gary Palmer (R-AL), and Chip Roy (R-TX), as well as Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and Rep. Andy Biggs’s own Health Savings Accounts for All Act.
The framework emphasizes expanded Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), allowing individuals to use tax-advantaged dollars for insurance premiums, prescriptions, and other medical expenses. It also promotes interstate insurance competition and expanded access through Association Health Plans; reforms aimed at lowering costs through market competition.
Biggs and his fellow conservatives argue that Obamacare’s structure relies too heavily on mandates, subsidies, and centralized control, which they say have driven up premiums while limiting consumer choice, particularly for self-employed individuals and those in the gig economy.
The plan also includes provisions to codify restrictions on taxpayer funding for abortion and reinforce conscience protections for healthcare providers, aligning with longstanding conservative policy priorities.
For Arizona, the debate carries direct implications for large numbers of independent contractors, small-business owners, and self-employed workers who often face high ACA marketplace premiums and limited plan options. Expanded HSAs and portable insurance plans could offer greater flexibility for those groups.
“This is a clear blueprint,” Biggs added in his letter to Speaker Johnson, “Americans should be able to take cost-sharing reduction payments and underlying Obamacare subsidies straight into their pockets, giving them control instead of funneling money through insurers.”
At the same time, thousands of Arizonans currently rely on ACA subsidies to offset insurance costs. If Congress allows those enhanced credits to expire without a complete replacement, some households could see premiums rise sharply in the short term.
The framework is not a single bill, but a coordinated package of existing legislative proposals intended to serve as the backbone of a broader GOP healthcare overhaul. With subsidies set to sunset in 2025, and 2026 midterm elections looming, Republican lawmakers face growing pressure to either replace the current system or risk widespread premium increases ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Fellow Arizona Congressman Eli Crane, who co-signed the letter, amplified the effort on X, writing, “Let’s get it done.”
Biggs concluded his call-to-action writing, “The House must act with clarity and conviction. These reforms should be brought to the floor without delay. If we plant our flag now, we can rebuild a healthcare system that reflects true conservative principles and puts power back where it belongs, in the hands of patients, not bureaucrats or insurance companies.”
Biggs’ push effectively forces the debate into the open. It will compel Congressional Republicans to publicly choose between pursuing a complete market-based reset of federal healthcare policy or seeking a more limited adjustment to the existing ACA structure.
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 | Dec 8, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) has signed onto Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s (R-FL) discharge petition to force a floor vote on H.R. 1908, the Restore Trust in Congress Act, legislation that would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from trading or owning individual stocks and other covered investments while in office.
The move comes amid growing bipartisan frustration over potential insider trading and conflicts of interest in Congress, with public polls showing overwhelming support for ending the practice. Rep. Crane, who has never traded stocks during his time in office, has long championed the reform as essential to restoring public trust.
“The American people overwhelmingly agree that Members of Congress should not be allowed to trade stocks while in office. Lawmakers who are privy to sensitive and non-public information should not have the ability to profit from their access,” said Rep. Crane. “I applaud Rep. Luna for taking initiative and leading the charge to end this corrupt practice in our nation’s capital. Republicans and Democrats alike should join forces and get this reform across the finish line.”
Introduced by Rep. Luna, H.R. 1908, would amend federal ethics law to bar covered individuals from purchasing, owning, or trading stocks, commodities, and similar investments, with limited exceptions for diversified mutual funds, U.S. Treasury securities, and certain occupational or inherited assets.
The bill imposes a 180-day divestment period for current lawmakers and 90 days for new ones, with penalties including a 10% fee on prohibited holdings and forfeiture of profits from violations.
“A discharge petition is the strongest tool we have to guarantee a vote on behalf of the American people, and it exists for moments exactly like this,” said Rep. Luna.
“This is one of the most popular, most supported issues in the entire country. Americans deserve a Congress that works for them, not for special interests or personal portfolios,” she added. “I look forward to working with every faction, every caucus, and every Member, Republican and Democrat, to finally get this over the finish line.”
The discharge petition, if successful, would bypass committee delays and bring the bill directly to the House floor under H. Res. 725, which waives procedural hurdles and limits debates to one hour.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Dec 6, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) led a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, joined by seven Republican colleagues, demanding the immediate denial of federal security clearance to New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani.
The lawmakers cite a documented, years-long pattern of extremist affiliations, anti-American rhetoric, and hostility toward law enforcement that they argue renders Mamdani unfit to access classified national security information.
“Mamdani has a well-established pattern of siding with extremists, undermining U.S. counterterrorism efforts, demonizing law enforcement, and legitimizing violent movements,” said Congressman Biggs. “He has spent years defending extremists, attacking American law enforcement, and aligning himself with individuals who praise terrorists. Putting classified material in his hands would be a direct threat to NYPD officers, federal agents, and the security of this country.”
The letter highlights a series of alarming actions and statements by Mamdani, including:
- Co-founding Students for Justice in Palestine, an organization that celebrated the October 7 Hamas massacre as a “historic win” and called for “armed confrontation.”
- Endorsing violent unrest, attending rallies promoting “resistance by any means necessary,” and defending the slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” widely interpreted as a call for global violent uprisings.
- Undermining counterterrorism efforts by blaming the FBI for radicalizing al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki—a narrative often used by anti-American propagandists.
- Appearing alongside clerics who prayed for the annihilation of Israel’s supporters and praised Hamas fighters.
- Demonizing the NYPD, repeatedly labeling the department “racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety,” while being arrested for disorderly conduct during a 2021 protest.
- Advocating to defund the NYPD, despite the mayoral role requiring close coordination with the department and federal law enforcement partners.
The lawmakers warn that granting clearance to Mamdani would jeopardize sensitive operations, expose classified information, and endanger frontline personnel. They noted an 8,000 percent surge in violence against ICE agents, arguing that Mamdani’s hostility toward immigration enforcement would further empower agitators and escalate risks to federal personnel.
“Security clearances are reserved for individuals who can be trusted with the nation’s most sensitive materials—a standard Mamdani doesn’t come close to meeting,” added Biggs. “His record is a bold red warning flag. DHS must reject his request without hesitation.”
The cosigners of the letter include Representatives Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Eli Crane (R-AZ), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Mary Miller (R-IL), Keith Self (R-TX), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN).
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
