In The News
U.S. Surgeon General visits Phoenix for Affordable Care Act
A total of 190,000 people in Phoenix alone are eligible for health care coverage through exchanges but still don’t have insurance. The U.S. Surgeon General was in town at an event hosted by the office of U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-7th) that allowed people to come in and get help in signing up for health care coverage. “We have to do everything we can to get people covered,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said. “For me this is personal because of what I’ve seen in the clinic and the … Continue Reading
December 07, 2015
Gallego, McSally reflect as freshman year closes
WASHINGTON — Arizona Reps. Martha McSally and Ruben Gallego knew when they were sworn in to their seats in Congress in January that there were problems with partisanship and productivity in Washington. And Washington, for the most part, did not disappoint. But as they near the end of their freshman year in Congress, which veered from gridlock to a history-making papal address, both lawmakers said they have seen successes and they are hopeful for more. Both said that navigating politics in … Continue Reading
December 01, 2015
Scapegoating refugees is not the answer
In the last two months, terrorists have blown up a Russian jet and massacred hundreds of civilians in Beirut, Paris and Mali. Americans are rightfully concerned about whether our government is doing enough to prevent an attack on our homeland. Scapegoating refugees through legislation such as the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act or riders in a government funding bill, however, is the wrong solution to the wrong problem. As veterans who served on active duty prior to … Continue Reading
November 11, 2015
Arizona Representatives discuss FAA legislation and lawsuit with community members
Arizona Representatives laid out their plan to take legislative and legal action to deal with the increased airplane noise that has affected downtowners for more than a year at a community meeting on Tuesday.Downtown Phoenix communities have been locked in a battle with the FAA over airplane noise in residential areas ever since the FAA implemented flight path changes at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as a part of their NextGen programs in 2014.On Nov. 5, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., … Continue Reading
October 21, 2015
Congressional Minority Representatives to DOJ: Gun Control in Our Communities Matters Too
A group of nearly 40 representatives, from the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses, wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch Wednesday morning, requesting that the Department of Justice do more to address gun violence in minority communities across the country. "We believe the administration, working with its state and local partners, should examine new policies to reduce gun violence that can be implemented without the need for legislative action," the group … Continue Reading
October 12, 2015
Proceso de paz: 'Nuestros hijos no merecen como herencia una guerra'
Aunque fue criado a punta de empanadas y maneja un español decente, el congresista estadounidense de origen colombiano Rubén Gallego nunca ha visitado el país. Esa anomalía acabará esta semana, cuando Gallego encabece una delegación de la Cámara de Representantes de EE. UU. cuyo fin, entre otras cosas, es expresar su apoyo a las negociaciones de paz con las Farc. A sus 35 años, este exmarine con récord de servicio en Irak, es uno de los miembros más jóvenes del Congreso estadounidense. En … Continue Reading
September 18, 2015
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego to introduce 'Good Neighbor Gun Dealer Act' in Washington DC
Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, along with other members of congress in DC, introduced the "Good Neighbor Gun Dealer Act" on Friday. Rep. Gallego worked with Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly and Rep. Mike Quigley, and DC Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton to start this bill in response to increase in gun crimes in the country. This legislation would require the Department of Justice to establish a code of conduct for licensed gun dealers and create a national "Good Neighbor" certificate for those who abide by … Continue Reading
September 14, 2015
Rep. Ruben Gallego: A game changer and difference maker in Arizona
KTAR News is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have influenced and enriched our community in a positive way. This week KTAR News presents profiles of five Arizonans who have become difference-makers in our state. This is part 1 of a 5 part series. Arizonans are familiar with Ruben Gallego, the Assistant Minority Leader in the Arizona House of Representatives until his Congressional run. He's a Marine who served in Iraq and has … Continue Reading
August 19, 2015
Dems petition Obama to remove Trump's name from DC hotel
Two Democratic congressmen are demanding that Obama Administration officials bar Donald Trump from displaying his last name on the exterior his new Washington, D.C. hotel, citing concerns that the billionaire's surname represents "exclusion" and "intolerance."Reps. Ruben Gallego, Ariz., and Tony Cárdenas, Calif., have submitted a formal petition to the Department of the Interior with the goal of blocking Trump from having his name "prominently displayed" on the Old Post Office building … Continue Reading
August 19, 2015
Two Congressmen Don't Want Donald Trump's Name On D.C. Hotel
Ever since Donald Trump announced his campaign to run for President—and subsequently opened his mouth—the backlash against his hotel at the Old Post Office in D.C. has intensified. First, celebrity chef José Andrés pulled out of a deal to open a new restaurant in the under-construction hotel after Trump's controversial remarks on immigrants, and now an Arizona congressman wants to keep the Republican presidential candidate's name off of the hotel. The Washington Times reports that Rep. Ruben … Continue Reading
August 19, 2015
Arizona congressman looks to keep Donald Trump’s name off Washington hotel
An Arizona congressman wants to keep Donald Trump's name off a new hotel in Washington.U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has sent a letter to U.S. Interior SecretarySally Jewell asking to keep the Trump name off a new hotel the business mogul is building at the Old Post Office Building in Washington D.C.Gallego and U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif., are upset with Trump's bombastic rhetoric related to undocumented immigrants and controversial comments related to women.They cite Obama … Continue Reading
August 19, 2015
Crack down on 'bad apple' gun dealers
Charleston, South Carolina. Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lafayette, Louisiana. What do they have in common? Deaths of innocent people from guns. For many Americans, the profound sadness of mass killings this summer in these cities is compounded by the frustrating sense that these events are being met with nothing more than hand-wringing and empty rhetoric. This kind of bloodshed has become an accepted fact of American life, facilitated by an irresponsible corporate gun lobby and too many … Continue Reading
August 03, 2015
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego will discuss issues regarding his district, including his efforts to fight the Phoenix Sky Harbor flight paths that have upset city residents.
July 10, 2015
Bill would ban Confederate flag from VA cemeteries
Two House Democrats are proposing legislation that would ban the Confederate flag from cemeteries operated by the Veterans Affairs Department. The bill was introduced by Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) just hours after House GOP leadership pulled an Interior Department spending bill off the floor because of a fight over allowing graves in federal cemeteries to be decorated with the Confederate flag. "The confederate flag is a symbol of hate and intolerance, and it … Continue Reading
July 10, 2015
AZ Congressman Introduces Bill to Ban Confederate Flags from VA Cemeteries
Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, along with Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay, introduced a bill today in the House of Representatives banning the Confederate battle flag at cemeteries operated by the Department of Veteran Affairs."The confederate flag is a symbol of hate and intolerance, and it will forever be associated with the injustices of slavery and Jim Crow," Gallego said in a press release. "It's time for the Department of Veteran Affairs to change their policy allowing the Confederate … Continue Reading
July 10, 2015
Ruben Gallego introduces bill to ban Confederate flag at VA cementeries
WASHINGTON - Congressman Ruben Gallego (D - Arizona) helped co-introduce a bill Thursday to ban the Confederate Battle Flag at Department of Veterans Affairs cemeteries, which display the flag on Memorial Day and on Confederate Memorial Day, according to Gallego's office.The flag appears on both dates in 131 VA facilities around the country.The flag has been hotly debated both locally and nationally since the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston, S.C. that left nine … Continue Reading
June 23, 2015
Two Democratic Iraq veterans urge Obama to limit ground troops
Two House Democrats want their colleagues to sign a letter to President Obama urging him to resist calls to escalate U.S. military involvement in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a former Marine, and Rep. Mark Takai (D-Hawaii), an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel — both members of the Armed Services Committee — say the U.S. should not fight the Iraqi military's battles for them. "We fought in the Iraq War. We recognize the … Continue Reading
June 23, 2015
Focus Shifts to McCain and Flake to Help Solve Phoenix Airplane Noise Problem
Congressman Ruben Gallego stood in front of a packed audience of Phoenix residents Monday night and told them that the extent to which he can help force the FAA to reconsider the changes it made to Sky Harbor's flight paths last fall is limited. "What we need now is to shift the focus to [Senator John] McCain and [Senator Jeff] Flake," he said. "If we want a quick and dynamic fight, McCain and Flake have to get involved."Gallego, who consistently has been a staunch advocate for the thousands … Continue Reading
June 16, 2015
Affordable Care Act: White House Touts Health Insurance Gains in Arizona Under Obamacare
WASHINGTON -- Arizonans without health insurance fell from 20.4 percent of state residents in 2013 to 17.5 percent in 2014, further proof that Obamacare is working, the White House said last Tuesday. The administration released new health care numbers for every state and the nation on the same day that President Barack Obama told a Washington meeting that the five-year-old law has "now been woven into the fabric of America." "Five years in, what we are talking about it is no longer just a … Continue Reading
June 16, 2015
Report: State, national economies could surge under deportation-deferral plans
WASHINGTON - Granting deportation deferral to an estimated 137,000 Arizona residents would add hundreds of jobs annually and billions of dollars over a decade to the state economy, according to a new state-by-state analysis. The Center for American Progress report, released Monday, claimed that immigrants who are in this country illegally could contribute $230 billion to the gross domestic product over the next 10 years if currently stalled deportation actions are allowed to take effect. The … Continue Reading