by Staff Reporter | Jan 16, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The divide among Republicans in Congress became apparent on Wednesday during key budget votes.
Two key Republican-led amendments to the appropriations bill failed for lack of lockstep party voting: one to end funding to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the other to slash funding to the D.C. District and Appeals court and its chief judge.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) introduced the failed amendment to defund NED, alleging the nonprofit has acted in hostility to U.S. interests for years.
NED issues thousands of grants annually to foreign nongovernmental groups. For the 2025 fiscal year, NED received $315 million in new appropriations and had spending power of $316 million from a balance carried over. The Trump administration failed to defund NED earlier this year.
“We’ve learned that this organization has engaged in global censorship, domestic propaganda, and regime-change politics. It has worked to crush populist movements, fuel color revolutions, and run off-the-books operations with plausible deniability,” said Crane.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) accused NED of Democratic “ideological capture” undermining elected leadership, citing the 2022 incident in which NED demanded the removal of Rep. Elise Stefanik from their board for defending President Donald Trump following the 2020 election.
“If this was such a doggone great program, then why has it been unauthorized by this body for more than 20 years?” asked Biggs. “The reason is, it’s lost its moorings, it’s wandering around, it hasn’t complied with transparency requirements, it more closely resembles covert political operations designed to entangle the United States in foreign disputes and undermine diplomatic efforts than support them.”
Republican representatives on behalf of Missouri, Florida, and Pennsylvania also spoke in favor of Crane’s amendment to defund NED.
Crane challenged the Republicanism of his fellow Republicans who voted to continue NED funding.
“81 ‘Republicans’ voted with Democrats to fund this rogue organization that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda,” said Crane.
He pledged to “keep fighting” to end funding to NED.
“The swamp is real,” said Crane. “But we did pass the Shower Act this week. I could use one after spending so much time in this awful place.”
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) was the sole Arizona Republican to join Arizona’s Democratic representatives and the majority of the House in voting down Crane’s amendment.
The Republican-led effort to end funding to the D.C. court and its chief judge, James Boasberg, were the latest attempt to exact punishment over rulings that have undermined Trump administration policies. Texas Rep. Chip Roy led on that amendment.
Crane called his fellow representatives “weak” for voting to continue funds for Boasberg.
The amendment would have slashed the court’s funding by 20 percent and struck the salary and expense funding for Boasberg and his staff.
Last week, the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action & Federal Rights convened a hearing on accountability for “rogue judges” through impeachment. Boasberg and another judge with the Maryland District Court, Deborah Boardman were named.
Last summer, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a misconduct complaint against Boasberg which accused him of “undermin[ing] the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary” by attempting to influence Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and about two dozen other federal judges against President Donald Trump.
Ciscomani did join his fellow Arizona Republicans in supporting Roy’s amendment.
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by Matthew Holloway | Jan 7, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Two Democratic candidates have withdrawn from the 2026 race for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, leaving a single Democrat, JoAnna Mendoza, seeking to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
According to Gila Valley Central, Samantha Severson officially withdrew from the race on Dec. 30, reducing the Democratic primary field to one active candidate in the southeastern Arizona district.
Severson’s departure followed the earlier withdrawal of Johnathan Buma, who announced that he was ending his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District on Dec. 19.
In a statement to Gila Valley Central, Buma said his decision was not made “in retreat,” but after concluding that his efforts would be better directed outside electoral politics. He said he plans to focus on humanitarian and grassroots initiatives through his work with Project Lost & Found – Voices of Gratitude.
Buma, a former FBI agent, was arrested and charged in March 2025, according to federal court records cited by ABC News. Prosecutors allege Buma printed approximately 130 files from the FBI’s internal network, some of which were marked with warnings indicating the information was protected.
According to the Arizona Republic, Buma publicly criticized the FBI for political bias before leaving the agency and subsequently filed paperwork to run for Congress in May 2025.
The withdrawals by Severson and Buma follow several earlier Democratic exits from the race. Gila Valley Central previously reported that Aiden Swallow dropped out of the congressional contest to pursue a run for the Arizona Legislature. The outlet has also reported that Mo Goldman and Chris Donat withdrew earlier in the cycle.
With the departures of Severson and Buma, JoAnna Mendoza, who ran unsuccessfully for the Arizona Senate in 2020, now remains the only Democrat actively seeking the party’s nomination in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
Campaign finance filings indicate that Ciscomani has maintained a fundraising advantage as the race has developed. According to reporting by Arizona Public Media (AZPM), Ciscomani reported a larger cash-on-hand balance than Mendoza in recent Federal Election Commission filings, reflecting the advantages of incumbency.
AZPM noted that Mendoza outraised Ciscomani in the third quarter of 2025, with Mendoza’s campaign reporting roughly $669,000 raised from July through September compared with Ciscomani’s reported period haul of about $458,000, citing Federal Election Commission filings. However, Ciscomani maintained a larger overall campaign reserve due to prior fundraising and transfers from allied political committees.
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District includes Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, along with portions of eastern Pima County, and has drawn national attention due to its narrow margins. The Cook Political Report currently rates the district as a toss-up for the 2026 election.
In the 2024 general election, Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel by approximately 2.5 percentage points, winning by nearly 11,000 votes, roughly doubling his 2022 margin over Engel.
As of publication, no outlets have reported additional Democratic candidates entering the race following the withdrawals of Severson and Buma.
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 | Jan 6, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s elected officials are sharply divided following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and their transfer to the United States to face federal criminal charges.
The dramatic action, announced by President Donald Trump, involved a precision military operation in Caracas and the extraction of Maduro to New York, where he is expected to appear in federal court on drug and narco-terrorism charges.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) condemned the raid in a statement posted to X, saying that while Maduro is a “brutal, illegitimate dictator” who deserves justice, the decision to overthrow a foreign ruler without broader planning undermines U.S. security and lacks a clear strategy for what comes next. Kelly said the operation doesn’t “make Americans any safer today than they were yesterday” and warned against repeating past foreign policy mistakes.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) also criticized the operation in a statement posted to X, as “reckless, unconstitutional, and deeply destabilizing,” arguing that bypassing Congress for military action erodes democratic accountability and sets a dangerous precedent.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) argued that while Maduro’s regime “shattered Venezuela,” the U.S. Constitution requires congressional authorization for acts of war — a threshold he argued was not met.
Support for the raid among Arizona Republicans centered on holding Maduro accountable for years of alleged narcotic trafficking and violence.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) framed the action as a decisive strike against a “narco-terror regime” responsible for drug flows into the United States. He praised U.S. military personnel for executing the mission “with courage and precision” and said the operation sends a clear signal that the U.S. will confront threats in its hemisphere.
In a similar supporting statement, Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) wrote, “I support President Donald Trump’s decisive actions to hold Nicolás Maduro accountable, a brutal oppressor who has led a drug cartel masquerading as a government and terrorized his own people. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler who lost at the ballot box and now clings to power through violence, corruption, and the narcotics trade that has poisoned American communities. This is peace through strength in action, defending our own backyard and stopping threats before they reach our borders. Reports that Chinese officials met with Maduro just yesterday and were still on the ground during the operation only underscore how urgent and necessary strong American leadership is. Peace through strength!”
Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) characterized the raid as consistent with “America First” leadership and defended the legal grounding of the operation, noting that the indictments against Maduro formed the basis for a law-enforcement action with military support.
Sen. Warren Petersen (R-LD14) also praised the operation, highlighting Maduro’s status as an indicted narco-terrorist and emphasizing that Trump’s actions were necessary where previous administrations had failed.
He wrote, “Maduro murdered thousands, indicted twice on narco-terrorism charges, and has a $50M bounty on his head. Yet our classless Democrat Senators are sympathizing with him and crying over his arrest. Unreal. Prioritizing a brutal thug over justice and the Venezuelan people. The DOJ arrested him with assistance of the US Military. 100 percent constitutional under Article 2 powers. Biden said he would take care of Maduro but did not. Biden talked, Trump acted.”
Karrin Taylor Robson, also a Republican gubernatorial contender, thanked U.S. troops for the successful mission and described Trump’s action as protecting American communities from drug-related harm.
The split in Arizona reflects a broader national debate over executive authority, constitutional war powers, and U.S. foreign intervention, and, more broadly, familiar partisan divisions over President Donald Trump. Democrats argue the military action lacked legal authorization and risks long-term entanglement abroad, while Republicans applaud the decisive removal of a hostile regime accused of narcotics trafficking and oppression.
As Maduro’s legal proceedings unfold in U.S. federal court, the divergent Arizona reactions illustrate how foreign policy flashpoints continue to break sharply along partisan lines.
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 22, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation to enhance one of the nation’s most effective and unique border security programs, the Shadow Wolves
The Shadow Wolves are an elite, all Native-American unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactical agents who specialize in tracking and interdicting drug smuggling and human trafficking across tribal lands along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Operating primarily on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona since the 1970s, the unit’s members use ancestral tracking techniques combined with modern law enforcement training to patrol some of the most remote and challenging terrain on the southern border.
“For decades, the Shadow Wolves have played an essential role in supporting border security and strengthening relationships between DHS and tribal communities,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “Arizona has led the way on this program since the beginning, and this bill helps ensure the Shadow Wolves can continue their mission for years to come.”
A 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted chronic staffing shortages within the program due to retirements and recruiting challenges under the current “expected service” hiring structure. The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act directly addresses these issues by authorizing ICE to convert Shadow Wolves positions to the “competitive service,” a change recommended by both GAO and ICE leadership.
This reform will open broader recruitment pools, improve retention through enhanced benefits and promotion opportunities, and enable expansion of the program to additional border-adjacent tribal nations experiencing high levels of illicit cross-border activity.
The legislation has gotten strong support from tribal leaders and Native American law enforcement organizations:
- Jaime Azure, Chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, said, “Public Safety, particularly drug and human trafficking, continues to plague Indian Country. These issues are uniquely difficult for tribal communities, like the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, who are located along the U.S. northern border. The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act is an additional tool within the law enforcement toolbox that will help. The Tribe appreciates U.S. Representatives Juan Ciscomani and Tom Suozzi for introducing this important legislation and urges its swift passage in the House of Representatives.”
- Gary Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association, said, “The National Native American Law Enforcement Association (NNALEA) strongly supports the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act. Native Americans play a key role in protecting the U.S. borders and National Security. This bill is a positive step forward in giving Indian Country Law Enforcement the recognition and support they deserve.”
- Verlon Jose, Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, said, “The Shadow Wolves, an all-Native American tracking and investigative unit, have decades of experience protecting the Tohono O’odham Nation and our border. Their unique skill set and deep knowledge of the land are invaluable to law enforcement efforts to interdict drugs and human smuggling on our reservation. The Tohono O’odham Nation strongly supports the Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, which will improve retention and recruitment of Shadow Wolves agents, and support the Nation’s vital role in protecting our land.”
A companion bill in the Senate (S.572), led by Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), has already advanced through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with strong bipartisan backing.
“Working in a bipartisan way, we’re giving ICE the tools it needs to hire and retain these highly specialized agents, expand the program to additional tribal lands, and bolster efforts to combat drug trafficking along our southern border. This is common-sense legislation that strengthens security and honors the history and contributions of the Shadow Wolves,” concluded Ciscomani.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
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.
