Arizona Representative Paul Gosar released his weekly newsletter addressing several ongoing political issues, including the federal government shutdown, border security, water policy in Arizona, and allegations of political discrimination by FEMA.
Gosar criticized Senate Democrats, specifically Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, for voting against reopening the federal government and for opposing a bill to pay active-duty military members and essential federal employees during the shutdown. He referenced comments made by Massachusetts Representative Katherine Clark: “shutdowns are terrible, and of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.” Gosar argued that Democratic opposition is motivated by political interests rather than principle.
The newsletter noted that over 34,000 federal employees in Arizona are not receiving pay or have been furloughed due to the shutdown. Gosar encouraged affected workers to contact their senators and stated that House Republicans passed a continuing resolution on September 19 aimed at keeping the government open.
Gosar also addressed claims about the COVID-19 expansion of Obamacare being a reason for the shutdown. He stated that “the COVID-19 pandemic is long over. Well, for one reason, Joe Biden signed into law my legislation ending the COVID-19 national emergency more than two years ago!” He argued that expanded subsidies were intended as temporary measures during the pandemic and accused Democrats of seeking to make them permanent due to lobbying from health insurance companies.
He cited reports from federal investigators estimating $35 billion in fraudulent enrollments related to these subsidies and referenced Americans for Prosperity’s assessment: “temporary COVID subsidies reward insurance companies, encourage fraud, and waste billions of dollars while failing to care for families and people who need it.”
Regarding travel disruptions around Thanksgiving, Gosar relayed warnings from the White House about potential flight delays if the shutdown continues. He noted that 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay during what is expected to be one of the busiest travel periods.
On immigration issues, Gosar highlighted a case where an individual charged with murder entered the United States using President Biden’s CBP One app. He reiterated previous criticisms of this application as facilitating illegal entry into the country. The newsletter also mentioned Department of Homeland Security statistics announced by Kristi Noem indicating more than 500,000 arrests and two million deportations since President Trump took office in January 2025. According to Gosar’s summary, border security has increased with resumed wall construction and a reported decrease in fentanyl seizures along the border.
Turning to water policy in Arizona—a longstanding concern—Gosar discussed recent changes after a moratorium on new home building was partially lifted by state authorities. This allows development plans for up to 60,000 new homes with renewable water supplies identified by developers. While Governor Hobbs emphasized conservation efforts as her top priority for water management in Arizona, Gosar advocated technical solutions such as desalination plants and water pipelines: “The answer is new water, not endless talks about conservation.”
He proposed exploring international agreements involving desalination plants in Mexico as part of broader strategies to secure additional water resources for Arizona.
The newsletter further alleged political bias within FEMA disaster relief operations under President Biden’s administration. Referring to a Department of Homeland Security report released this week confirming earlier claims: “Joe Biden’s administration instructed FEMA hurricane relief workers to skip homes with Trump signs following the devastating 2024 hurricanes.” At a congressional hearing last November on this issue—where Deanne Criswell denied such practices—Gosar questioned her regarding internal reports about discriminatory guidance given to FEMA staff.
Gosar concluded his newsletter with references to recent media coverage on topics including Obamacare fraud allegations (The Blaze), FEMA conduct (Headline USA), DHS enforcement statistics (Breitbart), gas prices (Fox News), and border security incidents (The National Pulse).
In recent elections relevant to his tenure:
– In 2024 Paul Gosar won reelection against Quacy Smith with approximately 65% of votes.
– In 2022 he defeated Richard Grayson with nearly 98% support.
