by Matthew Holloway | Apr 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
“End Apartheid” and “Abolish Israel,” were scrawled in crudely drawn letters beneath the Star of David adorning the oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Tucson earlier this week. The synagogue was founded in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement under Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The rabbi himself had fled Germany during the rise of the Nazi Third Reich in 1933. The Chabad’s website states that it is “the Southern Arizona headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today.”
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) expressed his disgust in a post to X on Tuesday sharing news that the Chabad Tucson-Young Israel Synagogue was vandalized with anti-semitic, anti-Israel graffiti.
In his post, Ciscomani wrote, “I am disgusted by this antisemitic act against the Chabad Tucson-Young Israel Synagogue. Jewish residents in Tucson deserve to feel safe in their own communities and places of worship. I strongly and unequivocally condemn this despicable act.”
Democrat State Rep. Alma Hernandez also condemned the act in a post to X writing, “Outraged to hear from my good friend Rabbi @YehudaCeitlin who showed up to his shul this morning at Chabad of Tucson to see this hateful vandalism on his wall. Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism, period and this hate is NOT welcomed in Tucson! I will continue to stand with my Jewish community. This is a synagogue NOT a political office. Shameful that its 2025 and we keep seeing this vile targeting of the Jewish community.”
According to KGUN, Monday’s incident represents the second time that the Chabad Center in Tucson has been vandalized in the past four years with a 2021 incident finding a Nazi Swastika and an anti-semitic slur painted on the building’s entrance. Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin of Chabad Tucson confirmed this in a post to X writing, “This is the second time in 3 years that a Chabad Jewish center in Tucson is being vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. This hate must stop!”
Reporting from KVOA stated that the Tucson Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime. Speaking to KVOA reporters Rabbi Ceitlin said, “It just shows the person who has done this, or people who have done this we don’t know who is responsible, wants to intimidate the Jewish people and we will not be intimidated,” he added, “[Hate], It’s part of the Jewish story, Jewish history.”
The incident has drawn notice internationally as well with Member of the Israeli Knesset Michal Cotler-Wunsh commenting online, “Below the Jewish Star of David – a call to abolish the Jewish nation state. A graphic demonstration of the normalization of a ‘modern’ lethal strain of an ancient ever-mutating hate, unleashed in response to the worst attack of Jews since the Holocaust, ‘justified’ by decades of peddled ‘modern-day’ blood libel of hijacked & weaponized institutions & terms like racism, apartheid, genocide…entrusted & coined to ensure that ‘Never Again.’ The writing is on the wall…of Chabad Tucson too.”
In a post responding to the incident, the Anti-Defamation League of Arizona issued a statement from Deputy Regional Director Sarah Kader who said, “Seeing news of yet another incident of vile anti-Semitic vandalism on a place of worship for Jews, on the same day as the release of ADL’s annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents, which showed a 23% increase of anti-Semitic vandalism in Arizona, is truly heartbreaking. We will never stop fighting against such hateful acts.”
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 4, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani (CD-06) was named the most effective lawmaker from Arizona in the 118th Congress by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) on Thursday. This ranking places Ciscomani among the top-performing lawmakers in the nation. The Tucson Republican stands with the accolades of the 15th most effective legislator overall in the House of Representatives, the third most effective among freshmen Congressmen, and the highest ranking in the Arizona Caucus, followed by Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), rounding out the top three.
“It’s about getting the job done,” said Ciscomani in a statement. “I was sent to Congress by my constituents to deliver common sense, lasting results for the people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and that is exactly what I’m doing. Being recognized as one of the most effective lawmakers in the House during my freshman term is an honor and a reflection of that mission.”
Ciscomani serves on the House Appropriations and House Veterans’ Affairs committees. He was ranked by the joint partnership between the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, with Vanderbilt announcing with the report that Ciscomani and the other leading members “were able to find ways to get their initiatives passed into law despite deep political disruptions in 2023 and 2024, and despite widespread public perception of gridlock in the nation’s Capitol.”
“Whether it’s pushing legislation to secure the border, support our veterans, safeguard Arizona’s water, or protecting our seniors, I don’t take no for an answer,” the Congressman added. “I am proud of what my office and I were able to accomplish for our constituents in my first term, and I am keeping my foot on the pedal to do even more for our district in my second term.”
The CEL cited Ciscomani’s record during the 118th Congress stating that he introduced 24 pieces of substantive legislation with six of these passing and two getting signed into law.
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 | Mar 11, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Congressman Abraham Hamadeh introduced the Veterans Readiness & Employment Transparency Act last week in bipartisan collaboration with Rep. Juan Ciscomani along with Reps. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA).
According to Hamadeh, the bill is designed to increase the access and the responsiveness of the Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program.
At present the VR&E program, which assists veterans with job training, education, employment accommodation, resume development, and job-seeking skills coaching, lacks a hotline for veterans and there is no accessible contact information provided by the regional offices where average wait times by regional office ranges from 2 weeks to 158 days.
At the Phoenix regional office, the average wait time for a veteran in need of assistance currently stands at 68 days to see a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for an initial evaluation. Congressman Hamadeh said in a statement, “Many say VR&E program is the Department of Veterans Affairs’ best-kept secret, but many veterans and campus administrators can’t get the Department’s help with the onerous application process—or even know where to begin. Veterans are often ignored by their VR&E counselors – with no recourse, adding to often extreme wait times.”
In a post to X the Congressman wrote, “Our veterans did not delay when heeding the call of our nation, & our nation cannot delay when our veterans call for assistance Congressman Hamadeh’s Veterans Readiness & Employment Transparency Act is common-sense legislation that has bipartisan support.”
The new bill will require the establishment of a hotline, that all regional offices “must display a name, email, and number online for vets with VR&E questions,” and that regional offices hold Q&A sessions on the VR&E program at every school in their area of responsibility. The new bill will also require an annual report on vocational training extension waivers and requires that they be approved or denied within 30 days.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who joined Hamadeh on the bill, wrote “When our veterans return home, they deserve to be able to easily access the support and benefits their service earned.”
“Unfortunately, due to unnecessary bureaucracy, many veterans have difficulty accessing VR&E programs that help with job training, education, and employment accommodations, especially for those who were injured in the line of duty. I am proud to join my fellow Arizona colleague Rep. Hamadeh in a bipartisan effort to make VR&E programs more accessible to veterans in my district, and across 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 Matthew Holloway | Feb 18, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The passage of the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act (H.R. 35) in the U.S. House of Representatives last week was met with drastically opposite reactions from Republicans and Democrats. While Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ6), who introduced the bill, hailed it as a safeguard for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents and law enforcement officers, Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR5) decried the bill as “fear-mongering dressed up as officer safety.” She also compared it to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
In a press release, Ciscomani’s office explained that the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act was so named for an agent of the Border Patrol who was tragically killed during a high-speed pursuit of an illegal immigrant. The bill was drafted in response, making failure to yield a federal offense, and intensifying if the illegal immigrant’s flight from authorities leads to a fatality. Should a person be killed during pursuit, the assailant could serve life in prison.
At the bill’s introduction, Ciscomani said, “Every day, communities across my district experience high-speed car chases that endanger the lives of residents and frontline law enforcement officers and agents. Far too often, these chases end in tragedy, as it did for Agent Raul Gonzalez and countless others. My legislation, fittingly named after Agent Gonzalez, would impose federal penalties on human smugglers and other bad actors that are involved in high-speech chases with federal and local law enforcement. We must send a clear message to anyone seeking to harm our communities that they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Specifically, the bill establishes that a person fleeing from Border Patrol in a vehicle within 100 miles of the U.S. border would be “imprisoned for a term of not more than 2 years,” and adds that in the event that an officer suffers bodily injury or death resulting from the flight of an assailant from immigration enforcement, the penalties escalate. A bodily injury increases the sentence from five to twenty years. The death of an officer could result in life in prison.
The bill passed the House in a largely bipartisan vote of 264 – 155.
Despite the votes of her fellow Democrats, Congresswoman Bynum held a distinctly different and ahistorical view, comparing the bill to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Essentailly, she compared illegal immigrants living and working in the United States by choice, to Africans subjected to the horrors of chattel slavery in the 19th century.
Bynum told the House, “I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 35. Let’s call this bill what it is: fear mongering dressed up as officer safety. This bill echoes one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.”
She claimed, “Just like that shameful law, H.R. 35 forces authorities and encourages the deputizing of ‘randos’ to do the federal government’s work, punishing them if they refuse. Back then it was hunting down people who dared to seek freedom. Today, it’s forcing local police to become federal enforcers.”
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Ben Petersen rejected Bynum’s statement, telling reporters that the Oregon Democrat is “hellbent on pursuing a dangerous anti-police officer crusade in Congress,” according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Petersen continued, “Bynum’s extremist vote siding with cartel terrorists over Border Patrol puts Oregonians in danger.”
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.
