In The News
'Despair and extreme anger': At roundtable, Rep. Ruben Gallego hears impact of high drug costs
Americans are struggling to make ends meet as they bear the brunt of high inflation. Adding to the burden is the soaring cost of a basic item rising even higher than inflation, that can have catastrophic consequences if forgone: prescription drugs. While other countries around the world also are dealing with inflation, the United States is unique in the sense that it is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee health care and pays approximately double the cost of prescription … Continue Reading
June 08, 2023
'It's a crisis': New Mexicans return from Arizona with trauma as trust is broken by sober living fraud
‘These are the horror stories we’re hearing’ Back in March, Rep. Ruben Gallego ... held a roundtable with concerned Indigenous leaders. Gallego, who represents Arizona's third congressional district, is well aware of the sober living scheme plaguing the Indigenous community. "I think the state is to be blamed for not providing the oversight and regulation. I don’t blame them for trying to get these services. These services are very important," he said. ... "I’ve heard stories … Continue Reading
May 22, 2023
'Smart water' tech in the West to get investments under new bill
ARIZONA, USA — A new bill is trying to put more money toward 'smart water' technology and infrastructure in an increasingly parched Southwest. The bill, introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Rep. John Duarte, R-Cali., looks to provide $50 million in EPA funding and grants for community water systems that can identify leaks, evaluate pipe integrity and provide more innovative water storage. “We need to attack our Western water crisis on multiple fronts," Gallego said. “Our … Continue Reading
May 17, 2023
Rep. Gallego introduces bill targeting funds linked to fentanyl smugglers
U.S. Treasury officials could begin targeting foreign bank accounts used to support fentanyl smuggling if a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego last week makes it way through Congress. On May 11, Gallego introduced the Buck Stops Here Act, which requires U.S. banks to begin tracking financial transactions likely linked to the illicit trafficking of fentanyl. The bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to designate financial … Continue Reading
May 08, 2023
Democratic Rep. Gallego says White House is unprepared for migrant surge when Title 42 ends
WASHINGTON — The latest criticism against the Biden administration’s policies at the southern border isn’t coming from a conservative — it’s being levied by progressive Rep. Ruben Gallego. The Arizona Democrat argues that border communities in his state “are simply unequipped to handle the surge of migrants” when Covid restrictions on immigration, known as Title 42, expire on May 11. In four letters addressed to President Joe Biden, … Continue Reading
April 27, 2023
Rep. Gallego secures more assurance on Davis-Monthan future
WASHINGTON, DC (KGUN) — There’s more good news about a mission to sustain Davis-Monthan after the Air Force retires the A-10. Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego says he got further assurance from the top General in the Air Force about the base’s future. Representative Gallego questioned Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown about plans for the base during a hearing by the House Armed Services Committee. The Air Force plans to bring to DM new aircraft and new missions, including … Continue Reading
April 05, 2023
'Junk fees' on tickets, bookings targeted by Biden, congressional Democrats
So-called "junk fees" added to event tickets and hotel bookings, along with other surplus charges assessed to consumers, are targeted by new legislation backed by congressional Democrats. The Junk Fee Protection Act, sponsored by Reps. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., would require all costs to be shown to consumers in the beginning of the transaction, as opposed to tacked on at … Continue Reading
March 03, 2023
Bill would combat epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people by supporting tribal policing
A bipartisan bill in Congress aims to bolster tribal law enforcement and combat the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The BADGES Act makes resources available, assists with officer recruitment and retention and increases tribal access to a national missing persons database. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius spoke with the bill’s cosponsor, Arizona Representative Ruben Gallego, about the challenges of policing in Indian Country. Ryan Heinsius: A lack of communication and coordination … Continue Reading
March 01, 2023
Arizona gets more than $90M for housing programs, community development
Arizona is getting $93.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for affordable housing, community development and homeless assistance, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., announced Tuesday. "Solving Arizona’s housing crisis will require an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Gallego said in a statement. "That’s only possible with robust funding from our federal partners and what makes this funding by HUD so important." The grant dollars coming to Arizona are a slice of $5.6 … Continue Reading
January 11, 2023
Congressman Gallego calls Arizona egg prices unsustainable
The Congressman wrote a letter to the US Department of Agriculture today … Continue Reading
November 11, 2022
52 years later, Phoenix Vietnam veteran receives the honorable discharge he deserved
Sylvestre Primous, a Phoenix-area Vietnam War veteran decorated with a Purple Heart, was wrongfully dishonorably discharged from the army because of racism. After a 52-year fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the help of Arizona members of Congress, Primous, an Army vet, is getting the discharge status he deserved. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Thursday gave Primous a honorable discharge certificate. Gallego, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq War, … Continue Reading
October 19, 2022
Rep. Ruben Gallego aims to deter foreign governments from using Arizona water
Rep. Ruben Gallego introduced legislation Wednesday that would impose a burdensome tax on foreign governments on the sale and export of water-intensive crops in states experiencing dryer conditions as Arizona farmlands continue to battle prolonged drought conditions. The move to protect water resources and land leases from foreign companies comes during a time when Arizona is experiencing its most severe drought and lawmakers are scrambling to find ways to mitigate the state’s water … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
Bill would allow ‘Dreamers’ to join the military, become citizens
Rep. Ruben Gallego unveiled legislation Thursday that would allow participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enlist in the military and ultimately obtain a pathway to citizenship. There is currently no way to join the military for the roughly 600,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children who receive protection through the Obama-era DACA program. The bill from the Arizona Democrat and Marine veteran would allow those recipients to join … Continue Reading
September 06, 2022
Rep. Ruben Gallego hosts student debt roundtable in Phoenix
Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego hosted a roundtable at Phoenix College on Tuesday. He joined students and education leaders to discuss President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Nearly 900,000 Arizonans could benefit from Biden’s plan, which cancels up to $10,000 in student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers, and up to $20,000 for those who were Pell Grant recipients. Les Braswell was one of the panelists at the roundtable. He said he graduated college in 2009 when the … Continue Reading
September 06, 2022
Rep. Ruben Gallego hosts student debt roundtable in Phoenix
Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego hosted a roundtable at Phoenix College on Tuesday. He joined students and education leaders to discuss President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Nearly 900,000 Arizonans could benefit from Biden’s plan, which cancels up to $10,000 in student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers, and up to $20,000 for those who were Pell Grant recipients. Les Braswell was one of the panelists at the roundtable. He said he graduated college in 2009 when the country … Continue Reading
August 11, 2022
Buttigieg touts bridge across Rio Salado, millions in federal infrastructure spending
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was in Phoenix to promote $75.3 million allocated by the Biden administration to support four major construction projects in Arizona. In Phoenix, the Biden administration is awarding $25 million toward the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across the Rio Salado River. Once completed, the Third Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Project will connect south Phoenix residents to the city's downtown … Continue Reading
April 21, 2022
Proposal would create a $30 million fund to plant trees in areas suffering from heat
Two rows of new shade trees along Phoenix’s Baseline Road offer the kind of life-changing and life-saving infrastructure that the nation should emulate, U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego said while visiting the site in the city's Laveen Village on Wednesday. ... On Monday, Gallego and Democratic New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman introduced a bill that would create a $30 million annual grant fund for mitigating urban heat through 2030. It could help communities and nonprofits plant and water … Continue Reading
April 11, 2022
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March 07, 2022
Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona: ‘In the end, Ukraine will be free’
PHOENIX - U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Monday he thinks the Russian invasion of Ukraine is destined to fail, but it won’t end anytime soon. “I think this will go on for months, unfortunately,” the Phoenix Democrat told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News. Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said external or internal protests aren’t likely to deter Russia. “I don’t think you can really shame Russia. … Of course there are tens of thousands of … Continue Reading
January 06, 2022
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego shared his memory of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol
As we mentioned, it’s been one year since the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego was among the many members of congress inside the capitol building when the insurrection took place. We spoke with Gallego about the attack. “Sometimes it feels like it happened forever ago and then every time I walk through congress, sometimes I get triggered remembering something I saw or did that day,” Gallego said. Gallego reflected on what he did that day while inside the … Continue Reading