Conrad Tolson
Arizona Congressional District 5 Representative and 2026 candidate for Governor Andy Biggs was our guest in November, during the government shutdown.
The Government Shutdown: There are 12 separate Bills that Congress must pass by Oct. 1 each year to make a complete fiscal year budget. The last time a budget was passed was 1976. Since that time Congress has been passing Continuing Resolutions (CRs) to keep the government running. Congress passed a Reconciliation Bill (AKA One Big Beautiful Bill or OBBB) in July, which cut about $1.5 trillion in spending, mostly related to “temporary” Covid-19 assistance that was added in 2020. The OBBB also stopped funding for PBS, NPR, and questionable foreign spending. The OBBB had bipartisan support with Democrats joining Republicans to pass the Bill, but some Democrat members got a lot of blowback from their base for doing that. The October shutdown was because Republicans wanted a “clean CR” that would maintain those cuts, and Democrats filibustered to bring them back. Senate Rules require 60 votes to invoke “cloture” to end a filibuster and bring the CR to a vote. Republicans had about 53 votes to invoke cloture, but they needed eight more votes to end the filibuster and reopen the government. Finally, after 43 days, enough Democrats crossed the aisle to bring an end to the shutdown.
Both parties have historically used the filibuster to get concessions. There has been discussion about ending the filibuster, but this move would not be without political risks (for both parties). With only a simple majority the Supreme Court could be packed, and the city of Washington, D.C., could be admitted as a state, gaining two Senators, which could give the District disproportionate influence in our government.
The Border: Arizona is the No. 1 corridor for human trafficking and drugs coming across the border. Sixty-two miles of our border are in the Tohono O’odham Nation, and the Indians do not want a wall on their land. Gov. Hobbs also took down barriers set up by the previous administration and eliminated the Border Security Task Force when she took office.
Energy: All of our oil and gas comes from Texas and California. Construction of another pipeline from the eastern U.S. has been hindered by federal rules and California is cutting back on their refinery production.
Housing costs: Regulations are driving up the cost of new housing, restricting supply and pricing first-time homebuyers out of the market. The average age of first-time homebuyers is now around 40. (Back in the ’80s the average age of first-time homebuyers was in their late 20s). High housing costs adversely affect family formations, which will have bad consequences in years to come.
The Robson Ranch (RR) Republican Club meets monthly, usually at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month. If you would like to visit our club to learn more about what’s going on in our community and state, contact the Republican Club at RRAZRC@gmail.com or watch the Mid-Week Scoop for meeting times and locations.