In The News
U.S. Olympic athletes fight back against efforts to sell America’s public lands
Garden of the Gods, Colorado. Credit: FLICKR USER SNOWPEAK Modern pentathlete Margaux Isaksen is the latest in a string of American Olympic athletes to raise her voice to declare the importance of national public lands and to express concern about a right-wing effort to transfer them out of public ownership. "I have a deep connection with American public lands," said Isaksen in an interview with ThinkProgress. "It formed who I am as a person and instilled a sense of national pride and … Continue Reading
September 06, 2016
Gallego touts local businesses in State of the District speech
Congressman also calls for education reform, transportation infrastructure improvements U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego said Thursday that fostering local business is not only important to the economy but to the Arizona community, as well. “What people are looking for right now is attachment, an attachment to something in their city,” Gallego said in his first State of the District speech in Phoenix. “When we look at what that means is that people form attachments to local businesses and local … Continue Reading
September 02, 2016
ASU custodial staff goes on 1-day strike over benefits, working conditions
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., shakes hands with a worker on the ASU downtown campus on Thursday (Nicole Neri/DD) Arizona State University custodial staff went on a one-day strike Thursday against their contracted employer Olympus Janitorial Services for Higher Education to protest working conditions and benefits. The strike took place outside the University Center building on Central Avenue and Taylor Mall at 1:30 p.m. and lasted until 2:15 p.m. Organizers said they planned to strike … Continue Reading
August 26, 2016
The Confederate flag is about to fade from the nation's veterans cemeteries
The Confederate flag is being blocked from positions of prominence at veterans cemeteries nationwide, but it won't be banned entirely. In a letter to lawmakers made public this week, interim Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Memorial Affairs Ronald Walters said officials will no longer allow the controversial flag to be flown on flagpoles at the federally ?funded cemeteries or allow other flag imagery to be prominently displayed there. However, the department will not stop individuals … Continue Reading
August 25, 2016
Arizona Rep.-sponsored bill aims to keep high-powered guns out of young hands
Two members of Congress, including Arizona's Ruben Gallego, are sponsoring a bill to keep high-powered guns out of the hands of children. The bill was introduced after the children of Charles Vacca gained national attention in their quest to ban assault weapons from being used by kids. Vacca, a White Hills, Arizona gun range instructor at Bullets & Burgers, was shot and killed by a 9-year-old girl who lost control of an Uzi submachine gun while he was teaching her on Aug. 25, 2014. His … Continue Reading
August 25, 2016
On Centennial, Honoring the Legacy of National Parks for Veterans
This week, we celebrate 100 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed the law establishing the National Park Service, a historic moment for our country and our state. Home to the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, Prescott National Forest, and the fascinating Montezuma Castle National Monument, just north of Phoenix, we in Arizona know the value of protecting our country's iconic natural beauty and cultural and historic sites. These places contribute to our quality of life, … Continue Reading
August 04, 2016
Oficina de correo en Phoenix llevará nombre de Ed Pastor
16 La oficina de correo de Phoenix localizada en el área de la Avenida Central y Calle Fillmore, en el centro de Phoenix, llevará el nombre del ex congresista Ed Pastor. Esto, luego que el presidente Barack Obama firmara la semana pasada una iniciativa (HR 400) que fue sometida por el representante Rubén Gallego, y que fue fuertemente apoyada por la delegación congresional de Arizona. Así lo informó la oficina del representante Rubén Gallego mediante un comunicado de … Continue Reading
July 12, 2016
Democrats propose restrictions on kids' access to guns
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday to crackdown on children's access to "military-style weapons" in an effort to prevent accidental gun deaths. The proposal - from Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) - would ban people younger than 16 from having or firing a machine gun or assault weapon. "The small hands of children and big power of machine guns are a deadly combination," Markey said in a statement. "Assault weapons are weapons of war … Continue Reading
July 11, 2016
House, Senate Disagree Over Veterans’ Preference
The federal government's practices for hiring veterans have emerged as a sticking point between the House and the Senate. An amendment in the House-passed fiscal 2017 financial services spending bill would prohibit funds from being used to change the current policy on veterans' preference in federal hiring. That measure is a direct response to a provision in the Senate's fiscal 2017 Defense authorization legislation that would limit the application of veterans' preference to a vet's … Continue Reading
July 07, 2016
On federal hiring: Let’s not make things even harder for veterans
Veterans who served our nation in uniform deserve the chance to serve our nation in the federal government. Most Americans agree, and for decades, policies that encourage federal agencies to hire veterans have enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Congress. The so-called veterans preference in federal hiring is an expression of our nation's appreciation for their service as well as a reflection of the fact that the valuable skills veterans bring to the workforce don't always show up on paper. … Continue Reading
July 05, 2016
Study: Americans Think Their National Parks Are Worth $92 Billion
In a study called "the first-ever comprehensive estimate" of its total economic value, the lands and programs of the National Park Service were reckoned to be worth around $92 billion to the American people. According to Professor Linda J. Bilmes of the Harvard Kennedy School, one of the researchers who led the study, this shows that Americans value the parks system at 30 times more than the federal government spends to operate it.Researchers estimated the economic value of the parks by … Continue Reading
June 29, 2016
Gallego, advocates renew calls for stricter gun-control measures
WASHINGTON - Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, joined Arizona gun-control advocates on a conference call Wednesday to again call for stricter gun laws in the wake of the deadly mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub. “Each of us are here today to say enough is enough,” said Gallego, who was joined by gun-control advocates and victims of gun violence on the call. It came more than two weeks after a gunman pledging allegiance to ISIS walked into the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and opened fire, … Continue Reading
June 28, 2016
AZ Reps. Gallego and Kirkpatrick Convene Phoenix Forum on Restoring Voting Rights Act
Phoenix voters in line for the March 22 presidential preference election. AA Facebook - Twitter 29 More shares 0 0 Still frustrated about those long voting lines during Arizona's March 22 presidential preference vote? Concerned about the state's response to that and other polling-place fiascos? Worried about similar problems occurring in November's general election? It seems U.S. Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick and Ruben Gallego are, too. So … Continue Reading
June 27, 2016
Veteran preference in federal hiring: The ‘third rail of civil service reform,’ expert says
With an effort in Congress to scale back veteran preference in federal hiring awaiting action by a House-Senate conference committee, a former top personnel official says there's a better plan.Jeffrey Neal, who was in charge of hiring for the Department of Homeland Security until he retired in 2011, says a Senate proposal to limit veteran preference to a single use is flawed because it does not take into account former service members' high job turnover.[Senate votes to scale back hiring … Continue Reading
May 17, 2016
25 Congressional Dems to LGBT People: We're With You
To mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, 25 Democratic members of Congress are promising to stand with LGBT Americans in the face of hateful legislation and rhetoric. In a video kicking off the #WeAreWithYou campaign, members of the Congressional Equality Caucus channel U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s historic remarks last week, when she told the beleaguered transgender community, “We see you, we stand with you, and we will do everything we can to support you … Continue Reading
May 09, 2016
Coalition pushes for more diversity in national parks
WASHINGTON — A first-of-its kind coalition of more than 30 civil rights, environmental justice and conservation groups is pushing for greater efforts to promote diversity in national parks and other public lands. The group calls itself the Centennial Initiative because of this year’s 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and is hoping to increase: -- the use of national parks by minorities -- employment of minorities at parks --the number of parks and monuments that highlight the … Continue Reading
April 21, 2016
Rep. Gallego: Deported veterans served their country but they can't come home
Legislation proposed to help some of the hundreds of soldiers convicted of crimes to return to this country Sometimes, the only way a deported military veteran can get back into the United States is in a casket. U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said these former soldiers, often convicted of crimes related to their service, are stripped of all their military benefits, except one: the right to be buried in a U.S. veterans cemetery. He and other Democratic members of Congress are trying to … Continue Reading
February 29, 2016
Our Turn: Arizona loses with a Supreme Court vacancy
Congresspeople: A split Supreme Court decision would uphold a misguided immigration ruling, leaving millions of families in limbo. Graciela is a working mom in Phoenix. Her job as a caregiver for special-needs children keeps her busy and pays the bills. And at home, her youngest kids - ages 12, 13 and 14 - are like most kids that age, eager to finish their homework and spend time with friends. Jobs, school, the usual challenges of daily life. Graciela and her kids may not seem like a family … Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
We Need to Stand with Colombia On Peace Efforts
This week President Obama welcomes his Colombian counterpart, President Juan Manuel Santos, to the White House at a crucial juncture in Colombia's 215 year history. Our South American ally stands on the precipice of a landmark agreement that could bring the longest-running conflict in our hemisphere to a peaceful conclusion. For Colombian-Americans like me, this is a moment of both excitement and apprehension. While key elements of how a potential peace deal will be implemented still need to … Continue Reading
February 03, 2016
Younger Dems audition for spots on leadership bench
BALTIMORE - For years, House Democrats have battled the perception that they don't have a bench of talent that can step up when their current crop of leaders retires. But during a three-day conference retreat here last week, Democrats showcased a slew of new faces in high-profile speaking roles - many at the urging of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, both of California. The group of up-and-comers included Reps. Ruben Gallego, a freshman from … Continue Reading