Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06)
As prepared for delivery.
“Thank you to the witnesses for being here today to discuss a crucial issue before us, Modernizing American Health Care: Creating Healthy Options and Better Incentives.
“Chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are skyrocketing. Six in ten Americans have at least one chronic disease.
“According to the Partnership To Fight Chronic Disease, the projected total cost of chronic disease from 2016-2030 in Florida is $3 trillion dollars.
“These statistics are baffling and troubling, and I am committed to helping lower these deadly rates.
“This nation’s chronic disease epidemic is out of control. I for one am excited that Mr. Kennedy has put this issue at the forefront of this administration, and I look forward to seeing him confirmed.
…
“We have another growing crisis on our hands: the skyrocketing diabetes and obesity epidemic. Over 45 percent of our nation’s adults are obese and over 20 percent of our nation’s children are obese.
“The Joint Economic Committee, led by Congressman Schweikert, is taking the obesity epidemic seriously.
“In a recent report, the committee found that Obesity will result in up to $9.1 trillion in excess medical expenditures and cause the Federal government to spend $4.1 trillion over the next 10 years.
“To bring awareness to these issues, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and I launched the Congressional Preventive Health and Wellness Caucus.
“Our bipartisan group focuses on prevention, Food as Medicine, exercise, stigma, obesity’s effect on military readiness and physical fitness.
“I’d like to thank Congresswoman Moore for joining me in this critical initiative, and I urge my fellow members of this subcommittee to join the caucus.
“Congressman Smucker also recently launched the MAHA Caucus to focus on supporting Americans in living long and healthy lives through access to affordable, high-quality foods while improving access to care.
“These are just some of the many examples of great work that members of this Committee are working on to combat these issues, and I applaud their efforts.
“We are about to hear from a great group of folks who are on the front lines of tackling these chronic conditions and ensuring prevention and early detection is a main priority in the medical field.
“I look forward to working with all of my colleagues this Congress to tackle this epidemic.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Arizona Congressman David Schweikert delivered his weekly House Floor speech highlighting the urgent fiscal crisis facing the United States, with a focus on the nation’s skyrocketing debt, unsustainable spending patterns, and demographic challenges. The potential of debt exceeding 155 percent of GDP by 2035, with annual interest payments alone surpassing $2 trillion, should petrify every American. The risk posed by rising interest rates could result in 45 percent of all U.S. tax revenues going just toward interest payments. Let’s not forget the additional $5.5 trillion in debt plus $1.3 trillion in interest from extending the 2017 tax cuts without an offset by spending cuts. Rep. Schweikert framed fiscal responsibility as a moral obligation to future generations, warning that without immediate action, the U.S. faces a potential economic collapse driven by debt, interest burdens, and demographic decline. Click the video to view the full speech or see below for some of Rep. Schweikert’s remarks.
On unsustainable growth of the U.S. national debt and its alarming impact on the economy:
[Beginning at 01:21] “September 30– the end of this budget year– United States debt, [according to the] Congressional Budget Office, is projected to be $37.2 trillion. Ok. They’re projecting over the next ten years, we add another $20 trillion. If you then, on top of that, work [in] these provisions of the 2017 tax reform that are expiring at the end of this year, if you go take it to 2035– because that’s sort of the 10-year window, nine budget years– it’s another $5.5 trillion. Then, you add on to that, the interest. It turns out if you were to finance it– not pay for any of it– that’s another $1.3 trillion on top of that. Then, if you were to come in here and then take the president’s requests– because we have a couple of members here [saying], “Just do everything! Make everyone happy.” Screw my retirement, the next generation. America will be fine. You add it all up, by 2035, you have over $74 trillion in debt. You’re somewhere in the 155 percent or so range of the entire economy [being] borrowed. Today, we’re a little less than 100 percent.”
On looming insolvency of Social Security due to the unwillingness to confront harsh fiscal realities:
[Beginning at 14:26] “In 2033– because what was done in this body in lame-duck, where we took another couple billion dollars out of Social Security and paid it out without replacing the money, looks like the number is mid-2033– the Social Security trust fund is empty. Now the law for Social Security says you cut seniors’ benefits; the math is about 20 percent. So, we will double senior poverty the following year, but that’s not how CBO is forced, under the law, to do the math. There’s an actual law that says you are not allowed to show a zero balance. That means in 2034, there is $600 billion dollars of borrowing that is shoved in to make up [for] the shortfall in Social Security. If you add up 2023, 2024, and 2025, that’s another $1.7 trillion because the Social Security [trust fund] is empty. And you don’t want to double senior poverty, but we are also far too fearful to actually tell the voters the truth. And every time one of us idiots– AKA, me– tries to stabilize the Social Security trust fund, that side starts running attack ads on you because they care more about winning the next election than they do doubling senior poverty in America. It is absolutely immoral.“
On the insignificance of small budget cuts in addressing the massive scale of the national debt:
[Beginning at 18:18] “Wall Street Journal said yesterday there are 40,000 federal employees who have said they’ll take a retirement package. Ok– if they took the package today and would get paid through the rest of the year– just ignoring that math right now. What if 40,000 federal employees, times an average salary– we used $106,000, which we got from one of the reports, and you just multiply that– and understand, this is the conservative number, we are borrowing $6 billion a day. Those 40,000 employees leaving [amounts to savings equal to] a single day of borrowing. For an entire year, all of those folks leaving [saves] a single day of borrowing. You got 24 hours of borrowing by 40,000 federal employees leaving. Yet, I watched someone on television last night saying, “Well, look, we are going to make a huge dent in the U.S. deficit with the 40,000 taking early retirement.” It’s one day of borrowing. That is not spending, that’s borrowing. Remember, by the end of the decade, that borrowing is up dramatically. Take this in. This is one of the “grand” solutions. The point I want to make is you probably have to do it, but you have to do all of them. It’s going to be dozens and dozens and dozens of things all stacked up just to provide stability. Can we, as a country, get back to just borrowing three percent of our economy a year, instead of seven percent, God forbid– over a decade from now– nine percent? You have to stop lying to each other. Our staff has to stop lying to us. The press has to stop making crap up and have to help get the public to understand the scale of what’s going on. 40,000 employees taking early retirement; the salary savings is one day of borrowing.“
Congressman David Schweikert serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is the current Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. He is also the Chairman on the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, Chairman of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, and is the Republican Co-Chair of the Blockchain Caucus, Telehealth Caucus, Singapore Caucus, and the Caucus on Access to Capital and Credit.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative David Schweikert (AZ-01) penned an op-ed for USA Today to explain that America’s declining health, particularly obesity, is not only shortening lives but also placing a massive financial strain on the nation, with projected health care costs reaching up to $9.1 trillion over the next decade. Schweikert criticizes government policies that incentivize unhealthy living and economic inactivity, further exacerbating the crisis. Schweikert endorses Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services, believing he has the vision and mathematical understanding to reform the system and prioritize public health. He concludes that improving Americans’ health is crucial for reducing national debt and ensuring a better future for coming generations.
We wrote a detailed report that included the effects obesity can have on our national debt and how we can make America healthier and reduce health care costs. We spent months analyzing the data, ultimately concluding that Americans’ deteriorating health, which is a major driver of federal spending, points to the way many industries work to maintain the misery of Americans.
But why are we dying? You hear talk about the opioid epidemic − which, of course, remains a major contributing factor − but obesity is the primary contributor to premature deaths, and the costs to America are immense.
Obesity is killing Americans and driving up health care costs
The Joint Economic Committee’s report estimated the excess health care costs of obesity to this country will range from $8.2 trillion to $9.1 trillion over the next 10 years.Something incredibly immoral is happening in our country, and we must face the hard truth that it is being driven, in part, by our own government policies. We have incentivized leaving the workforce. We finance unhealthy living.
Shockingly, America does a number of things that have devalued the importance of being alive and being healthy.
But there is hope.
As our next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can restructure the way we operate our health care system in America.
I would argue that Congress has essentially become a protection racket; we protect incumbent bureaucracies. We protect incumbent business models.
RFK Jr. has a rare quality among public officials today – he embraces math.
RFK Jr. understands improving Americans’ health is essential
And most of all, he wants to make America healthy again.
Maybe the most powerful thing we can do to keep from burying our grandchildren and great-grandchildren in piles of debt would be to work on policies that will make us a healthier country.
Under the leadership of RFK Jr., we have a real chance to accomplish that.
It’s time to change the standard in this country from “maintaining America’s misery” to “keeping America healthy.”
RFK Jr. deserves both our support and encouragement to lead the charge.
###
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., is the chairman-designate of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For his House Floor speech this week, Arizona Congressman David Schweikert expanded upon the demographic crisis of declining birth rates and aging populations, with more deaths than births in many states. While stressing the urgent need for economic growth and productivity to sustain prosperity, Schweikert argues for capital investments, technological advancements, a talent-based immigration system to address labor shortages, and embracing the benefits of artificial intelligence. The U.S. debt crisis is underscored, and rising interest payments and mandatory spending on Social Security and Medicare are consuming tax revenues, ultimately leaving discretionary spending to be reliant on borrowing. Schweikert calls for honest discussions, modernization of government services, and fiscal discipline to avoid economic decline.
Excerpts from Rep. Schweikert’s floor speech can be found below:
Click here or on the image above to view Rep. Schweikert’s remarks. On what world bond traders have to say about the U.S.’s rapidly accumulating, unsustainable debt:
[Beginning at 09:22] “Japan has almost 300 percent debt to GDP, but it’s a unique society because their corporations, their individuals actually finance almost their entire debt, where the United States, we are chewing up our capital stock now. We are borrowing somewhere between $70,000 to– if you take this fiscal year– as high as $80,000 every second; every second of every day, we borrow $6 [billion], $7 billion every single day. I have done a chart before but think about this: we click off an additional trillion dollars of borrowing about every 125 days. You think it’s going to go on forever? I am going to show you in the second part of this, the number of the biggest bond traders in the world. When Larry fink, when Ray Dalio are basically saying, “You guys have got a problem and it’s coming fast,” and taking billions of dollars and starting to hedge– even the U.S. Bonds– saying, “We think you are going to five, 6 percent.” Understand if the United States ever went back to what was normal before the Great Recession of 2008, you get back to a 6 percent handle on U.S. debt. In nine years, 45 percent of all tax collections are interest. When does it scare the crap out of people?”
On higher productivity directly driving wage growth and combating effects of inflation:
[Beginning at 12:00] “How many can afford a car loan? Understand, we just went through functionally three, four years of inflation, where, in my communities, if you don’t make 27 percent more, you are poorer today. Isn’t the employment rate great? It is, but it’s wage growth, and it goes up by two things: inflation– which means you are not getting ahead, you’re just treading water, or productivity. When you are lacking population growth, ok, how do you get productivity? Regulatory policy; good trade policy; great tax policy that makes it so you are investing in plant and equipment and research and development to do it better, faster, [and] cheaper. That’s how you make people less poor. This one is a little tricky, but fascinating if you dig into the article. If you are out of your mind, or you’re geeky, or don’t have a Netflix subscription… but you dig into what level of productivity growth you actually need just to sustain your lifestyle for all sorts of countries. For the United States, you need almost about a 2 percent– and looking at the different years– but you see the pink line? We calculate that if you’re not having at least a 1.8 percent productivity gain– which is a lot– you are functionally poorer. You become poorer, and for all the people that complain about, “Don’t do tax cuts for business! Don’t do regulatory change for business! Okay… go read the literature; we know that in 2017– what we did [for] change in corporate tax rates and getting companies to move their monies back here, getting them to invest in productivity and all those other things– we calculate from 60 percent to 70 percent of every dime they got went into wages because once again, the primary way people make more money is productivity.“
On protecting American people by offsetting interest and financing costs:
[Beginning at 19:19] “I challenge my brothers and sisters on the Left and the Right: know your math and start telling the truth. You look at charts like this, where this right here is break even. This is where the dollar [lands]. Even this year, every dime of discretionary and a little sliver of mandatory are on borrowed money once again. The only reason I threw up this chart in the way it is, that is with CBO’s calculations saying the law says, next year, we only get to take in $100 billion-some additional taxes because Americans’ taxes go up. We don’t want that to happen! We want to protect hard-working people! The very last point I’m going to show here: the way you protect the American people is you offset as much of that as you can because you give it to hard-working folks, and then you take it away from them in higher interest costs and higher financing costs. You smile at them, hand them a dollar in their face, while grabbing their wallet from behind and stealing it from them. That moment of telling the truth about math is really important.“
### Congressman David Schweikert serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and is the current Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. He is also the Chairman on the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, Chairman of the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, and is the Republican Co-Chair of the Blockchain Caucus, Telehealth Caucus, Singapore Caucus, and the Caucus on Access to Capital and Credit.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
Rep. Jimmy Gomez Statement on Trump Admin. Weaponizing the IRS for Immigration Enforcement
Washington, March 24, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) — a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax policy — released the following statement in response to reporting that the Trump administration’s Internal Revenue Service is nearing an agreement to share taxpayer information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target immigrants.
“Weaponizing the IRS for immigration enforcement is bad policy and terrible economics,” said Rep. Gomez. “Using taxpayer data to target immigrants may violate federal privacy law. It also erodes trust in our tax system, drives billions of dollars in tax revenue underground, and does nothing to secure our border. The IRS must reject these attempts to abuse confidential and legally protected tax records—our economy and public services depend on it.”
As the son of immigrants, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) has been a strong advocate for immigrant families. He’s a proud supporter of the Dream and Promise Act of 2025, which would provide a clear path to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients. He is also leading the effort demanding answers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after the agency abruptly froze funding for the Citizenship and Assimilation (C&A) Grant Program, jeopardizing critical services that help lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) delivered House floor remarks honoring the newly named Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Courthouse in Los Angeles. Rep. Gomez officially entered his remarks into the Congressional Record to preserve the legacy of the Mendez, Guzman, Palomino, Estrada, and Ramirez families’ historic fight against school segregation in California, which paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education.
Rep. Gomez’s bill to rename the Los Angeles federal courthouse after Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez was signed into law earlier this year, making it the first federal courthouse named after a Latina.
Below are Rep. Gomez’s remarks as delivered:
“Federal courthouses are usually named after judges, but history and the law are not just shaped by those who make decisions—they are molded by the people who have the courage to challenge unjust laws.
“In 1946, Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez joined with the Guzman, Palomino, and Estrada families to challenge segregation in California public schools—and won, leading California to officially ban school segregation.
“My bill was signed earlier this year into law to name the Los Angeles Federal Courthouse in downtown LA in honor of Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez—the first to be named after a Latina, which will stand as a monument to the bravery of these families, and as a reminder that separate is never equal.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
Rep. Jimmy Gomez Votes Against House Republicans’ Spending Bill That Hurts Working Families
Washington, March 11, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) released the following statement after voting against House Republicans’ partisan continuing resolution:
“House Republicans’ resolution holds our economy hostage as Trump drags us into a recession. Their spending bill hurts veterans, working families, and kids—all while giving Elon Musk and Trump unchecked power to steal Americans’ personal information and impose dumb tariffs raising prices for everyone.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)—a member of the Ways & Means Committee—and Reps. John B. Larson (CT-01), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Ranking Member Richie Neal (MA-01) introduced legislation protecting Americans from the Trump-Musk plan to dismantle the Social Security Administration (SSA).
“Elon Musk and DOGE gutting Social Security isn’t about efficiency—it’s a direct attack on the benefits American seniors rely on,” said Rep. Gomez. “Trump and Musk are coming for your Social Security information, aiming to privatize SSA, and firing 7,000 workers in the process. Our bills will stop them from closing our Social Security field offices, protect your Social Security information, and strengthen penalties for those who violate the law, including unelected billionaires like Elon Musk and his tech bros.”
The Trump administration is moving to shut down Social Security field and hearing offices, slash staff, and give Elon Musk’s team access to sensitive Social Security data. On Friday, 24 SSA senior staff resigned as Acting Commissioner Lee Dudek announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs and consolidate 10 regional offices down to four—a move that would severely impact service to millions of Americans. In response, Rep. Gomez and his colleagues introduced three critical bills:
The Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act – Puts a moratorium on closing Social Security field offices for the rest of the Trump administration.
The Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act – Blocks Elon Musk and his allies from accessing Social Security beneficiary data and strengthens penalties for privacy violations.
A Resolution of Inquiry – Demands Trump disclose any SSA office closures, staffing cuts, and Musk’s involvement at SSA.
“More than 73 million Americans rely on the benefits they receive from the Social Security Administration and the services provided by the 42,000 SSA employees we represent across 1,500 offices nationwide. These benefits and services are now in jeopardy as the Trump administration looks to massively gut SSA offices and workers. The legislation being introduced will help safeguard the benefits and services Americans expect and deserve,” said Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
In addition to Gomez, Larson, and Horsford, original cosponsors of these bills include: Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), André Carson (IN-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Betty McCollum (MN-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), and Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).
Rep. Gomez has long been a leader in protecting Americans from corporate and government overreach into their personal data. He is a cosponsor of the Taxpayer Data Protection Act of 2025, which strengthens protections for private taxpayer information.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) is leading 35 of his colleagues in demanding answers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after the agency abruptly froze funding for the Citizenship and Assimilation (C&A) Grant Program, jeopardizing critical services that help lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens. Since 2009, the C&A Grant Program, previously known as the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, has funded organizations that assist immigrants with citizenship applications, English language instruction, and civics education. The freeze—ordered by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memorandum on January 28—has left grant recipients without resources and no clear timeline for reinstatement. A list of grant recipients impacted by the funding freeze is available—click HERE for FY23 recipients and HERE for FY24 recipients.
“We write to express our deep concern regarding the recent freeze of funding to grantees under the Citizenship and Assimilation (C&A) Grant Program, and to request further information about your actions. Since 2009, this program has been instrumental in supporting eligible lawful permanent residents on their path to U.S. citizenship,” wrote Gomez and his colleagues.
“Additionally, the services funded by this program help applicants submit correctly completed forms, reducing errors and delays, and preventing unnecessary burdens on USCIS staff,” they continued. “By equipping eligible applicants with the tools to navigate the naturalization process more effectively, the C&A Grant Program improves efficiency within the system, saving USCIS valuable time and resources otherwise spent resolving errors, issuing requests for evidence, or reprocessing applications. Cutting funding for this program will only increase administrative inefficiencies and add to existing case backlogs.”
Rep. Gomez was joined in demanding answers by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), André Carson (IN-07), Ed Case (HI-01), Danny Davis (IL-07), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Lou Correa (CA-46), Dave Min (CA-47), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), and Dina Titus (NV-01).
Rep. Gomez and his colleagues have formally requested USCIS provide clarity on the rationale behind the funding freeze, the legal authority for the decision, and an immediate plan to mitigate its impact.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California
San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on the government funding bill under consideration in the Senate:
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America. Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable. I salute Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his courageous rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their overwhelming vote against this bill.
“Democratic senators should listen to the women. Appropriations leaders Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray have eloquently presented the case that we must have a better choice: a four-week funding extension to keep government open and negotiate a bipartisan agreement. America has experienced a Trump shutdown before – but this damaging legislation only makes matters worse. Democrats must not buy into this false choice. We must fight back for a better way. Listen to the women, For The People.”