This Week With Gosar

Weekly Newsletter

May 17, 2026

Biden's Federal Land Grab Finally Reversed

This week delivered a major victory for Arizona, western states, ranchers, miners, sportsmen, energy producers, and every American who depends on responsible access to our public lands. The Bureau of Land Management officially rescinded the Biden Administration's disastrous "Conservation and Landscape Health Rule," a radical regulation that attempted to place preservationist ideology above the long-standing multiple-use mission required under federal law.

The Biden rule would have empowered unelected federal bureaucrats and outside activist groups to lock up vast stretches of public land under so-called "conservation leasing" schemes that threatened grazing, mining, recreation, and energy development across the West. In reality, this policy was nothing more than a federal land grab disguised as environmental stewardship. Rural communities throughout Arizona and the West rightly feared the rule would devastate local economies, destroy jobs, weaken domestic energy production, and undermine the livelihoods of families who have responsibly used these lands for generations.

By overturning this deeply flawed rule, the Trump Administration and BLM restored common sense and reaffirmed that public lands must be managed under the principle of multiple use and sustained yield - balancing conservation with grazing, recreation, mineral development, energy production, and other productive uses. The rescission also removes burdensome regulations and litigation traps that slowed land management decisions and empowered radical environmental activists to obstruct nearly every project on federal lands.

Arizona communities rely heavily on access to public lands for economic opportunity, recreation, ranching, and energy security. I applaud the Administration for standing up to extremist environmental agendas and putting the interests of the American people, rural communities, and western states first.

This matters for Arizona because very little land in our state is available for private ownership or development. Some estimates show that between 82% and 87% of Arizona land is controlled by government entities when including federal land, tribal land, state trust land, state parks, and local government property. Once you see how much land is controlled by the federal government, it becomes clear why eliminating the BLM rule and other restrictive land-use policies is so important for Arizona's future.

Gosar Questions Secretary Burgum on LASSO Act and Energy Dominance

This week, I had the opportunity to question Interior Secretary Doug Burgum during a House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing on the Department of the Interior's Fiscal Year 2027 budget and the future of American energy production.

During the hearing, I discussed my legislation, the Land and Social Security Optimization (LASSO) Act, H.R. 34, which directs a portion of revenues generated from responsible public land use into the Social Security Trust Fund. My bill ensures that activities already taking place on federal lands - including energy production, livestock grazing, and timber harvesting - help strengthen Social Security for retirees, surviving spouses, and working Americans who have paid into the system their entire lives.

I also thanked Secretary Burgum for rescinding the Biden Administration's disastrous BLM Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which attempted to lock up millions of acres of public land from productive use. As I noted above, public lands belong to the American people and should be managed under the longstanding multiple-use doctrine, not controlled by radical environmental ideologues seeking to block domestic energy development and economic growth.

The LASSO Act is a commonsense, win-win solution that supports American energy dominance, strengthens Social Security, and restores responsible management of our nation's public lands without expanding development or increasing fees on existing activities.

Click here to watch my interaction with Secretary Burgum.

Honoring America's Fallen Heroes During National Police Week

This week, during National Police Week, I took to the House floor to honor the brave law enforcement officers across our nation who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. These heroes put on the badge each day knowing the risks, yet continued serving their communities with courage, honor, and selflessness.

I was especially proud to recognize two fallen Arizona heroes: Officer Gabriel M. Facio of the Apache Junction Police Department and Deputy Shawn A. Braaten of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. Their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all fallen officers, will never be forgotten.

During my remarks, I also spoke out against the dangerous anti-police rhetoric and soft-on-crime policies being pushed by Democrat politicians and radical voices on the Left that have emboldened criminals and undermined public safety. America is safer because of the brave men and women in law enforcement, including our Border Patrol agents who work tirelessly to defend our sovereignty and keep dangerous criminals, drugs, and human traffickers out of our country. Congress must ensure these brave agents and officers have the funding, resources, and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.

I will always unapologetically stand with the men and women who protect and serve our communities.

Click here to watch a video of my remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives honoring our fallen law enforcement officials during National Police Week.

Gosar Recognized as a 2025 "Taxpayers' Friend"

I was honored this week to receive the 2025 "Taxpayers' Friend Award" from the National Taxpayers Union for my voting record in Congress defending taxpayers, supporting lower taxes, and fighting for limited government.

At a time when Washington continues piling trillions onto our national debt and wasting taxpayer dollars, I remain committed to standing up for hardworking American families who expect fiscal responsibility from their elected officials. Every dollar the federal government spends first comes from the pockets of the American people, and I believe Congress has a duty to spend wisely, cut waste, and protect economic freedom.

The National Taxpayers Union reviews every congressional vote related to taxes, spending, trade, and regulation as part of its annual "Rates Congress" scorecard. I am proud to once again be recognized for consistently voting to rein in government spending, oppose reckless deficits, and put taxpayers first.

Click here to view my voting record.



Fauci's Web of Deception Betrayed the American People

For years, Anthony Fauci wrapped himself in the language of "science" while intimidating critics, silencing dissent, and misleading the American people about the origins of COVID-19. Now, explosive sworn testimony before a Senate committee this week from inside the CIA suggests what millions of Americans long feared was true: Fauci was not merely wrong - he was actively involved in steering intelligence assessments away from the lab-leak theory in order to protect himself, his allies, and the reckless gain-of-function research enterprise he helped finance.

As both a Member of Congress and a practicing dentist for more than 25 years, I understand the immense responsibility medical professionals carry when communicating with the public during a health crisis. Patients place their trust in doctors because truthful medical information can calm fears, save lives, and help families make informed decisions. Fauci shattered that trust. Instead of transparency, Americans got manipulation. Instead of honesty, they got carefully orchestrated propaganda from unelected bureaucrats desperate to protect their reputations.

CIA operations officer James Erdman testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that Fauci intentionally interfered with intelligence community deliberations regarding COVID-19's origins. According to Erdman, Fauci used the weight of his office to pressure analysts and stack the deck with hand-selected "experts" who were already committed to the politically convenient natural-origin narrative. This was not objective science. It was narrative control masquerading as public health.

Even more alarming, Erdman testified that CIA leadership allegedly overruled experienced analysts and conducted a secretive "middle-of-the-night" rewrite of an internal lab-leak assessment. Analysts who resisted the pressure campaign were reportedly marginalized and retaliated against. If true, this was not simply bureaucratic misconduct - it was a calculated deception carried out during one of the deadliest global crises in modern history.

The American people endured lockdowns, censorship, ruined businesses, shuttered churches, forced masking, coerced vaccinations, and years of fear while Fauci stood at podiums pretending to be the embodiment of scientific integrity. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, he and his allies were allegedly manipulating intelligence findings to conceal the possibility that the virus originated from the very Wuhan lab connected to U.S.-funded research.

This scandal reaches far beyond one man's ego. It represents a catastrophic collapse of public trust in our medical, scientific, and intelligence institutions. Americans were mocked as conspiracy theorists simply for asking questions that now appear entirely justified. Big Tech companies censored dissenting voices. Corporate media outlets acted like public relations firms for Fauci and the federal bureaucracy. Careers were destroyed for daring to challenge the approved narrative.

And now, after years of obfuscation, Fauci may escape accountability entirely. The statute of limitations tied to his alleged false statements to Congress has reportedly expired, while Joe Biden's sweeping pardon operation insulated Fauci from additional criminal exposure tied to gain-of-function testimony. Washington protects its own.

The fact that every Democrat on the committee boycotted the hearing speaks volumes. Rather than confront the testimony head-on, the CIA dismissed the proceedings as "political theater," a tired deflection from agencies more interested in self-preservation than truth.

The American people deserve a full accounting of who knew what, when they knew it, and how far federal agencies went to suppress the truth. Senator Rand Paul and Senator Ron Johnson are right to demand a sweeping investigation into the corruption, collusion, and abuse that infected both the intelligence apparatus and the public health establishment during the pandemic.

Anthony Fauci spent years lecturing Americans about "following the science." If these allegations are true, he was really following one thing above all else: protecting himself.

Fauci lied. People died.

ICE Findings Expose Massive Fraud in the OPT Program

Also this week, alarming new reports revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uncovered nearly 10,000 foreign students participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program who were tied to suspicious or potentially fraudulent employers. These findings confirm what I have warned about for years: OPT has become a deeply flawed program filled with loopholes that allows corporations to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor while operating with little oversight or accountability.

The OPT program was originally intended to provide temporary work experience for foreign students studying in the United States. Instead, it has evolved into a shadow guest-worker pipeline that incentivizes abuse and undercuts American graduates trying to enter the workforce. Companies benefit because OPT workers are exempt from certain payroll taxes, making foreign labor cheaper than hiring American citizens. At the same time, weak enforcement and lax verification standards have created enormous opportunities for fraud, as evidenced by ICE uncovering thousands of participants connected to questionable or fake employers.

This is not just an economic issue - it is also a serious matter of immigration enforcement and national security. The American people deserve to know that individuals participating in visa programs are tied to legitimate employers and are complying with the law. When thousands of participants cannot even be connected to credible workplaces, it demonstrates that the program has spiraled out of control.

That is why I introduced legislation to completely rescind the OPT program. America's immigration system should prioritize American workers, American wages, and American graduates-not multinational corporations looking for cheaper labor through visa loopholes. These latest findings make it clear that Congress must act immediately to end this broken program and put American jobs first.

Gosar Offers Support to Wickenburg Following Jones Fire

This week, the Wickenburg community faced a dangerous brush fire that forced evacuations, damaged property, and temporarily shut down portions of U.S. 60 as first responders worked tirelessly to contain the rapidly spreading Jones Fire.

As the Congressman representing Wickenburg, I have remained in close contact with local officials throughout this emergency. I personally spoke with Mayor Bratcher to offer my prayers and support for the families impacted by the fire, especially those who have lost homes or been forced to evacuate. Wickenburg is a strong community, and I stand with every resident during this difficult time.

I also want to thank the firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, utility crews, and volunteers working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and dedication are deeply appreciated.

Importantly, my District Director, Penny Pew, has also been in constant contact with the mayor's office, and my staff and I will continue coordinating closely with local leaders throughout the response and recovery effort. My office stands ready to assist however possible, including helping coordinate with federal agencies and ensuring Wickenburg receives the support and resources the community needs moving forward.

Fortunately, recovery and containment efforts surrounding the Jones Fire have now reached a successful conclusion. As of 3:00 PM on Friday, May 15, the fire was 100% contained at 84 acres. The cause of the Jones Fire remains under investigation.

Residents are still encouraged to follow all updates to help keep families, communities, and first responders safe.

Casework Spotlight: Helping a Kingman Veteran Overcome VA Debt

After years of trying to resolve a mounting issue with the Department of Veterans Affairs and feeling increasingly hopeless, Kingman veteran Richard Mickle turned to my office for help. Richard had been facing more than $63,000 in VA debt that threatened his financial stability despite living on limited means and dedicating much of his time to helping fellow veterans in his community.

My office worked directly with the VA to review the case and request a waiver on Richard's behalf. As a result, the waiver was approved and the debt was successfully resolved, bringing long-overdue relief to a deserving veteran.

If you or your family are experiencing problems with a federal agency, my office may be able to help. Constituents needing assistance are encouraged to contact my district office at 623-707-0530 for support navigating federal agencies and services.

Tweet of the Week:

Photo of the Week:

Bob Arp from Bullhead City, AZ shares this sunset photo he recently snapped while camping at Cattail Cove State Park on Lake Havasu. Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing, Bob!

Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our "Picture of the Week?" If so, send your best shots along with a brief description to [email protected]. Remember to include your name and where you live.

Gosar in the News and Other Must-Read Stories:

Congressional Western Caucus: Western Caucus Members Celebrate: Public Lands Back to the People

KAWC: Rep. Gosar proposes land withdrawal expansion for Yuma Proving Ground

EPOCH Times: ICE Alleges Widespread Fraud with OPT Program

NextGov: Gosar proposes to establish AI guardrails for VA in FY27 funding

Yuma Sun: Gosar introduces bill to expand YPG's safety buffer, support military testing

⚠ Warning!! The Gosar Weekly Newsletter is meant for discerning readers with above-average intelligence. We link to interesting stories. We get stories a couple different ways: Google alerts, a third-party aggregator and sometimes readers send stuff. We don't vouch for every publication or every author. If we link to a story, it is because of that story. The views expressed in any of the publications do not represent any promotion, endorsement or reflection of Congressman Gosar's views. While we try our best, we cannot guarantee every news organization spouting hatred, animosity or divisiveness will be filtered from appearing in the Gosar Weekly Newsletter. We will endeavor to prevent that from happening by never linking to Fake News organizations including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Rolling Stone, the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Mirror, Media Matters or the New Republic.