In The News
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
December 31, 2021
Gallego: DOJ giving $200K to Veterans Court
The city of Glendale will receive a $197,235 grant from the Department of Justice to implement at Veterans Treatment Court, according to Rep. Ruben Gallego. Existing within the Glendale City Court, this court will support veterans involved in the justice system with evidence-based practices that will connect them to the individualized assistance they need. “I am incredibly excited to see a new Veterans Treatment Court in the city of Glendale,” said Gallego, a member of the House … Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Bipartisan Congress group calls to ship more weapons to the Ukraine to deter Russia
A bipartisan group from the United States Congress, just returned from Ukraine, are calling for the Biden administration to step up weapons shipments to Kyiv to deter a Russian invasion. ... KELEMEN: Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego echoed that, calling on the Biden administration to send Ukraine more anti-tank missiles and other weapons. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RUBEN GALLEGO: If the Ukrainians can convince Russia that an occupation would be bloody and it will be long and … Continue Reading
October 08, 2021
Rep. Gallego urges Latinos to get vaccinated during community vaccination event in Maryvale
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue underway in the Valley, Rep. Ruben Gallego urged Latinos to get vaccinated during a vaccination and health care event on Thursday at Chicanos Por La Causa's office in Maryvale. With cooler temperatures and winter soon hitting the Valley, Valle del Sol, Honest Arizona and Chicanos Por La Causa, among other organizations, put on the weekend-long event so more people can protect themselves from COVID-19 as well as from the seasonal flu. ... In … Continue Reading
September 25, 2021
‘A total lack of focus': Lawmaker on a mission to compel Pentagon to take UFOs seriously
Those who want to know if the truth is out there have a new champion in Congress. And he has an urgent message for the Pentagon: it’s time to take UFOs seriously. Arizona Democrat and Iraq War veteran Rep. Ruben Gallego this week pushed through legislation in the House requiring a permanent office under the secretary of Defense to oversee “the timely and consistent reporting” of what the military calls “unidentified aerial phenomena.” And it must share what it learns with Congress at least … Continue Reading
September 17, 2021
Phoenix family stranded in Kabul back in Arizona after help from resettlement workers, U.S. congressman
Gina Palazzo, who teaches sewing to refugees building a new life in Arizona, on the morning of Aug. 16 received a frantic text message through WhatsApp from one of her adult students. The text message was from a 30-year-old Afghan woman who had been living in Phoenix since 2016 but had returned to Afghanistan in May to visit her aging parents, along with her husband, 37, and the couple's 7-year-old daughter. The family, all U.S. permanent residents, suddenly had found themselves stranded … Continue Reading
March 09, 2021
This Salty Former Marine Corporal Now Grills Generals on Capitol Hill
Ruben Gallego is a Marine Corps veteran and a rising progressive representing a deep-blue district in the Phoenix area. And he is quickly becoming one of the most high-profile lawmakers who works on military and veterans issues on Capitol Hill. Part of what makes Gallego successful in the military policy arena is his unique background. He served as a grunt in the profane, coarse and often lewd culture of combat arms, which gives him street cred in D.C. military circles. He now serves in the … Continue Reading
February 22, 2021
‘Handier than a Ka-Bar’ — Why a Marine grunt turned congressman swears by his multitool
Welcome to The Things I Carry, a semi-regular series from Task & Purpose that examines the everyday carry of notable veterans. This installment features Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran who currently serves as the congressman for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District. Below, Gallego details his essential everyday carry both downrange and at home. Task & Purpose: What gear did you rely on most during your time in the U.S. military? Ruben Gallego: My wristwatch, my Ka-Bar, and … Continue Reading
February 04, 2021
Rep. Ruben Gallego to head panel overseeing Pentagon's intelligence, special operations
Rep. Ruben Gallego will head a new House panel with oversight of the Pentagon's special operations and military intelligence, a post with new interest after Congress belatedly learned of troops in unexpected hot spots in recent years. Gallego, D-Ariz., said he wants the House Armed Services subcommittee he will chair to examine the "use, and I would say abuse," of special operations, whose deployments are sometimes opaque even for members of Congress. "Special ops are used around the … Continue Reading
August 19, 2020
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego Speaks Out About USPS Changes
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will testify Monday before a House oversight committee about controversial changes in the U.S. Postal Service. Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego is already speaking out. Gallego is a Marine Corps veteran. He said voting by mail is especially important for members of the military. “Any delay in the ballots is disenfranchisement, and let’s be clear, one of the first groups that will get disenfranchised, unfortunately, are military veterans,” Gallego … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego seeks action after virus cases surge
PHOENIX (AP) - A Democratic congressman wants to know what Republican Gov. Doug Ducey plans to do to address a recent surge in new coronavirus cases that has pushed some hospitals to near capacity in their intensive care units. As the state becomes a hotspot, Rep. Ruben Gallego sent a letter to Ducey Wednesday criticizing him for failing to highlight the “seriousness of the growing public health emergency our state is facing.” Gallego noted that Ducey has said the rise in cases was … Continue Reading
February 13, 2020
Hacienda HealthCare patient rape case prompts federal legislation
The rape of a patient at Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix was the catalyst for a proposed federal law that is set to be introduced Thursday in Congress. The bill aims to improve transparency by giving the public easily accessible information about quality problems and substantiated complaints at facilities such as Hacienda. The bill will be introduced in the Democrat-controlled House by Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat whose 7th Congressional District includes the 60-bed … Continue Reading
January 09, 2020
Radio Atlantic: ‘He Doesn’t Understand War’
Ruben Gallego is an Iraq War veteran, a three-term congressman, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Despite all that, he’s as confused as most Americans about what’s happening with Iran. America isn’t at war, he told me in an interview Wednesday morning, but that “doesn’t mean that we’re not in conflict … and we don’t know how long it’s going to take.” As we spoke, Gallego was preparing to head to a classified briefing on the Iran situation, but he wasn’t confident about … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
House Dems offer new limit for DoD’s border wall 'slush fund’
WASHINGTON ? Key House Democrats are following through on a threat to limit the Pentagon's authority to reprogram funds in response to Pentagon leaders diverting military funding toward President Donald Trump's wall with Mexico. A group of House Armed Services Committee Democrats led by Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.; HASC Chair Adam Smith, D-Wash., and HASC Readiness Subcommittee Chair John Garamendi, D-Calif., offered a bill Wednesday to cap national emergency military construction authority at … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Vets slam Trump's defense secretary pick as 'a toady and a yes man'
Trump's chosen secretary of defense, Patrick Shanahan, is coming under fire early in the nomination process. Trump finally decided on Thursday to officially nominate Patrick Shanahan, the acting secretary of defense, to become the permanent secretary of defense — a key role that has been vacant for over 125 days, the longest period in American history since the position was created. The position has been unfilled since Jim Mattis quit in December 2018. Trump has faced sharp criticism for … Continue Reading
May 06, 2019
AZ Democrats want DHS to do more to aid in humanitarian response to migrant families
Arizona's House Democratic delegation on Monday asked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's top leader to appoint a federal crisis coordinator to support the largely non-governmental network helping migrant families released by border and immigration officials. "This humanitarian crisis requires a humanitarian response," the lawmakers wrote to Kevin McAleenan, acting DHS secretary. McAleenan also heads U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The coordinator would "lead an office … Continue Reading
April 18, 2019
President who cried wolf? Real border alarms now seem hollow
WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump insisted last year that America's southern border was in crisis, his warnings landed with a thud.Making unverified claims about "unknown Middle Easterners" and prayer rugs found by ranchers, Trump drew eye rolls from Democrats and many others, who derided his tactics as little more than an election-year stunt .Now, six months later, Trump's new cries of alarm are again being met with skepticism, though the situation at the border has indeed … Continue Reading
March 27, 2019
David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary may be one of the worst things for Arizona
Opinion: There may not be a worse person to lead Interior than acting Secretary David Bernhardt. If it wasn't for former Secretary Ryan Zinke, I wouldn't be able to think of a worse person to lead the agency in charge of protecting our nation's public lands, managing our natural resources and honoring our trust responsibilities to indigenous peoples than acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. But that is who President Trump has nominated to serve as the Secretary of the Department of … Continue Reading
March 27, 2019
Pentagon Chief Revisits Citations Given to Soldiers After Niger Ambush
WASHINGTON — The acting secretary of defense, Patrick M. Shanahan, is reviewing internal awards and punishments that were given to soldiers as a result of last year's Pentagon investigation into a deadly 2017 ambush in Niger.Earlier recommendations for the citations by Jim Mattis, the former defense secretary, were not sufficient, Mr. Shanahan told lawmakers on Tuesday."I convened my own review so I can ensure, from top to bottom, the appropriate accountability," Mr. Shanahan said in testimony … Continue Reading
March 26, 2019
Shanahan orders new review into Niger ambush that left four soldiers dead
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has ordered a new review into who should be punished for failures leading up to the Oct. 4, 2017 ambush in Niger, in which four U.S. soldiers were killed.On Tuesday, Shanahan faced pointed questions from Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) about when he will decide which service members should be reprimanded for the ambush and which troops should receive awards for their heroism during the battle."When I came into this role … [former Defense Secretary James … Continue Reading