by Staff Reporter | Dec 2, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Congressman Abe Hamadeh warned that Senator Mark Kelly’s advice to military members to refuse “unlawful” orders amounted to blackmail.
Hamadeh added in a statement on X that Kelly had jeopardized military readiness with this vague, alleged threat.
“By suggesting there ‘could’ be severe consequences for carrying out undefined ‘unlawful’ orders, the ‘Seditious Six’ are emotionally blackmailing our active-duty personnel,” said Hamadeh. “They want them to hesitate before protecting the American people. Reprehensible.”
Last month, Kelly and five other Democratic members of Congress with military and intelligence community backgrounds issued a call to action to the military to stand down on “illegal” orders from President Donald Trump.
This group — dubbed the “Seditious Six” by Hamadeh and other Republicans — indicated that some orders from Trump and his administration violated the laws or the Constitution and were therefore illegal.
“We want to speak directly to members of the military and the intelligence community who take risks each day to keep Americans safe. We know you are under enormous stress and pressure right now. Americans trust their military. But that trust is at risk,” said the elected officials. “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens. Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders.”
The others in the “Seditious Six” are Senators Elissa Slotkin (MI) and Representatives Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Maggie Goodlander (NH), and Jason Crow (CO). Slotkin posted the video.
Hamadeh claimed Kelly and the other elected officials were intentionally ambiguous about which orders from Trump were allegedly illegal.
“The reason Democrats refuse to name what they consider to be illegal orders by President Trump is that they want our military and intelligence community to question every order they receive from this administration,” said Hamadeh. “They want to make our active-duty personnel hesitate to execute the agenda voted for by the American people, paralyzing these men and women with the threat of future punishment.”
After the release of the video, Slotkin admitted she couldn’t name any military orders by Trump which were illegal.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware of things that are illegal but certainly there are some legal gymnastics going on with these Caribbean strikes and everything going on with Venezuela,” said Slotkin in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” segment.
Slotkin clarified later in the interview that the video was primarily meant for addressing the use of the military within American cities.
“So, it was basically a warning to say, like, if you’re asked to do something particularly against American citizens, you have the ability to go to your JAG officer and push back,” said Slotkin.
President Trump said Kelly and the Democratic members within the video had committed “seditious behavior.” He called for the six to be arrested and put on trial, and reposted another user’s commentary (since deleted) that called for hangings.
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by Ethan Faverino | Nov 28, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
In a major show of support for America’s military heroes, Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08), alongside Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), has introduced two companion bills—the Service Members Tax Relief Act and the Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025.
These bills would fully exempt all active-duty and reserve military income, as well as all service-related retirement payments and VA benefits, from federal income taxes.
The Service Member Tax Relief Act eliminates federal income tax on all pay received by active-duty and reserve members across the eight Federal Uniformed Services—including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, NOAA, and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps—as well as their Reserve and National Guard components when on federal orders. This includes base pay, enlistment and retention bonuses, education incentives, and all special and incentive pay.
The companion bill, Tax Cuts for Veterans Act of 2025, amends Section 122 of the Internal Revenue Code to permanently exclude all military retirement pay, retainer pay (Titles 10 and 14), and VA compensation, disability, and survivor benefits (Titles 37 and 38) from federal taxation.
“These bills are in keeping with my commitment to America First principles and advances President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda by alleviating the burdens on our service members in some small measure,” said Congressman Hamadeh, a former Army Reserve intelligence officer. “Our service members face high operational demands and cost-of-living pressures that outpace pay tables. So, anything we can cost-effectively do to ease those pressures should be done.”
Senator Pete Ricketts added, “Our servicemembers and veterans sacrifice for the country. We owe them more than we can ever repay. That’s why I’m working to ensure these brave women and men keep all the benefits they earn during military service. We also need to make sure that service members are set up for success when they transition back to civilian life. These bills strengthen our support for Nebraska servicemembers, veterans, and their families.”
Congressman Hamadeh has quickly emerged as a leading voice for America’s veterans and active-duty troops. In September, the House unanimously passed two of his bipartisan bills: the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act and the Health Professional Scholarship Program Improvement Act of 2025.
Congressman Hamadeh and Ricketts’ new bills are now pending in their respective chambers, already earning strong support from veteran advocacy organizations around the country.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Warren Petersen | Nov 11, 2025 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
America is a country founded on the principle that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For almost 250 years, these rights, freedoms, and values have shaped our nation into the world’s foremost superpower, a beacon of light and liberty to millions of onlookers, and extremely prosperous and generous.
None of these rights could have been sustained, passed down, or protected without the men and women who have served in the branches of our military for more than two centuries.
This week, we again honor the service and sacrifice of all those who have answered the call of duty to defend and preserve the United States of America for future generations. Since 1775, when the Continental Army was formed in our nation’s war for independence against England, over 40 million individuals are believed to have served in our military. Currently, there are more than two million men and women who serve either on active duty or in the reserve components. Each one of these people understood the gravity of their decision, and many have—and continue to say—they would serve again if given the opportunity.
While the vast majority of jobs in this country require a ‘clock in and clock out’ mindset, service to America in uniform requires an incredible degree of love, devotion, and a recognition of sacrifice. People serving in the military love this country and her citizens, and they will do anything to defend the Constitution and ideals that have made her the greatest in world history. They are devoted to country above self, understanding they are engaged in a higher purpose they may not comprehend in this life. And they recognize they will be called to sacrifice for the good of the nation. This sacrifice is observed in several ways, including lengthy deployments, injuries and psychological issues, and even death. When a man or woman volunteers for service to the United States military, they do so knowing they may be called upon to give their lives for the cause of freedom.
The level of love, devotion, and willingness to sacrifice from members of the military is very unique to the United States. Many countries around the world coerce individuals to serve and die in war. Other nations do not have the luxury of established militaries, inviting unrest within their borders. However, the American military is the most powerful in the world, keeping countless threats at bay, and comprised of individuals who voluntarily choose to serve in the defense of their country. Even during periods of our nation’s history when there was a military draft, those who stepped forward had a superior understanding of the nature of the dangers facing the world and the United States and were willing to do whatever it took to eradicate the evils around them. This is why the history books call those who fought in World War Two, “The Greatest Generation.” Perhaps Claudia Pemberton, an author and member of the Military Writers Society of America, put it best, when she said, “America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels.”
It’s easy to live in a country such as ours and take what we have for granted because we enjoy so much around us. But these freedoms and values did not simply appear, and they are not guaranteed to last. There is definitely a complacency that has crept in our communities and exponentially grown throughout the years and generations. Our children are not being raised in a country that appreciates or values our veterans and their service as it once has or ought.
We must, however, recognize that these liberties and our way of life did not appear out of nowhere, and that it has not been easy to retain our freedoms. Millions have fought and served under our flag to ensure that American liberty is passed from generation to generation. They do so without expectation of thanks or praise, but these reactions to their service cannot become secondhand or muted. On the contrary, we should redouble our efforts to honor and celebrate our veterans and what they have done to defend our great nation.
Thus, the importance of Veterans Day cannot be overstated. It is not just another special date on the calendar we can take for granted. It is a day when our nation must rally together in unity to help kindle appreciation for our military veterans in the next generation. President Abraham Lincoln correctly noted, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” If we are to keep the flame of the United States of America burning for another 250 years, Veterans Day must be cherished by all Americans. Thank you to all the men and women who have served in the United States military. Your service and heroism is greatly appreciated.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 19, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Last week, Congressman Abe Hamadeh joined his fellow Republicans in passing the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a bipartisan vote of 231-196 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The landmark legislation delivers critical support for Arizona’s military communities, service members, and defense industry. Hamadeh’s vote reflects his commitment to strengthening national security and prioritizing the needs of his constituents in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.
“I am proud of the work we have done on the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act to support military families through a pay raise, restore America’s fighting forces, and secure our border,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “This legislation will get our service members what they need, when they need it, while supporting America’s manufacturers and workers.”
In a post to X, Hamadeh’s office wrote, “Congressman Hamadeh understands that Border Security is National Security, which is why he supports the FY26 NDAA to secure America’s borders. This means it fully funds the deployment of troops to the border and authorizes nearly $1 billion to combat drug traffickers.”
The FY26 NDAA, shaped through bipartisan collaboration, streamlines military procurement processes, delivering over $20 billion in savings while ensuring critical investments in Arizona’s military installations and defense innovation. Congressman Hamadeh’s leadership secured several key provisions that directly benefit Arizona’s service members, military bases, and defense industry.
Hamadeh’s office emphasized the key wins for Arizona in the FY26 NDAA. They highlighted two provisions impacting Luke Air Force Base in particular. The first is a provision requiring the Secretary of the Air Force to produce a detailed report on the operational impacts, workforce demands, and costs before any downgrade of leadership at major bases like Luke Air Force Base. This will ensure the base, a critical hub for training and operations, retains its one-star general leadership. The second provision addresses HVAC issues at the West Valley Air Force Base.
In broader moves for his district, Hamadeh worked with Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) to secure a provision eliminating burdensome regulations that required license holders to “babysit” machine guns during fitment and testing. This change will save Arizona’s defense industry, particularly in Congressional District 8, significant costs while boosting efficiency.
Hamadeh added additional provisions as well to invest in cutting-edge gyroscopes produced in Congressional District 8, enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellite imagery, fast-tracking the customization of jet engine production in Phoenix for use in collaborative combat aircraft, and increasing the acquisition of dump trucks for the Arizona Army National Guard.
Working in bipartisan cooperation alongside Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), Hamadeh also secured an order for three additional conversions of AH-64D to AH-64E Apache helicopters, saving jobs at Mesa’s remanufactured Apache production line, which had been at risk of shutting down. In collaboration with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Hamadeh included a provision requiring the Secretary of Defense to report on suicide prevention resources under The Brandon Act, named after Congressional District 8 service member Brandon Caserta, who tragically died by suicide.
Hamadeh emphasized the collaborative nature of the NDAA, stating, “I am grateful to my colleagues for their bipartisan support of Arizona’s military installations and innovators.”
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 | Sep 1, 2025 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is under criticism from parents and community members over a BrainPOP lesson taught to elementary students that compares the struggles of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviators, to those of LGBTQ+ service members.
The lesson, part of BrainPOP’s supplemental curriculum, has sparked significant backlash due to its inclusion of a call to action and a cartoon depiction of a newspaper headline reading “LGBT Welcome in the Military,” showing protestors with a rainbow banner outside the White House.
In the video, it states, “Thanks to pioneers like the Red Tails, the armed services integrated shortly after the war. It was an early victory for the budding Civil Rights movement. In the decades to come, the federal government would expand its role in protecting the rights of African Americans and the rights of other marginalized groups. Injustice never ends overnight. It takes brave people to challenge it and show everyone else that there’s another way.”
People in the community have raised an alarm about SUSD’s approval of hundreds of supplemental resources, like BrainPOP, without any committee review or community input.
The online nature of these platforms allows publishers to update content at any time, limiting transparency. For example, in a course given to 2nd graders, a search for “gender” on BrainPOP yields topics such as Pride Month, personal pronouns, sex determination, women’s suffrage, and feminism, which push ideological agendas over academic focus.
BrainPOP, hosting over 1,000 animated films for K-8 students, has been controversial since introducing LGBTQ+ content in 2017 following the Pulse nightclub shooting.
Additional concerns stem from lessons like “Black Lives Matter Protests,” which discuss racism and cite the deaths of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown, ignoring essential facts, such as the reality that each of the men acted as the main aggressor in the events leading to their deaths. The character in this lesson speaks on the Black Lives Matter Movement, saying, “The protests we’re seeing today aren’t really about that sort of thing. They are about structural racism in our society. A built-in system of bias that makes life easier for white people and more difficult for black people and other people of color. It puts them at greater risk for poverty, unemployment, and disease.”
The growing dissatisfaction with these lessons taught to K-8 students has led to the creation of the Empower Hotline, a platform for reporting lessons that deviate from academic standards by focusing on race, ethnicity, gender ideology, social-emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content.
The hotline’s goal is to empower parents to ensure education prioritizes individual merit and academic rigor.
Arizona law prohibits sex education before fifth grade, and the 2025 Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor mandates parental notifications for materials addressing gender identity or sexual orientation.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
