The Week in Review

Happy Friday!

I spent most of my week in Washington D.C. as the House was back in session. It was a busy week, so I hope you’ll read below to learn about the important happenings:

House Passage of H.R. 7910 and H.R. 2377--the Democrats’ Gun Control Bills

This week, the House of Representative passed H.R. 7910, a compilation of multiple Democrat gun control bills. Each component—from raising the age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, to restricting magazine size, to micromanaging gun storage—would do little, if anything, to protect against future instances of violence, but would infringe Americans’ Second Amendment rights and add bureaucratic hurdles for law-abiding citizens to exercise those rights.  

I unequivocally condemn the recent shootings that have occurred throughout our country. But it’s inappropriate for Democrats to use the heightened emotions of a grieving nation to push through a radical, anti-Second Amendment agenda. 

Sadly, the root cause of the spates of violence we’re experiencing cannot be easily fixed by the federal government. For decades, my colleagues on the Left have pushed policies that have broken down the family, increased isolation, and driven wedges into society. 

The public will not be safer under new gun control laws—the lawlessness in Democrat-run cities is a prime example of that fallacy. What will make the public safer, especially in our schools, is repealing laws that create gun-free zones, ensuring that there are armed school resource officers in schools to protect students, and improving the physical security of schools.  

I will not stand by while Democrats infringe a God-given, constitutionally protected right by lying to the American people.

Click below to watch my comments.

The House also passed H.R. 2377—another piece of gun control legislation. I strongly oppose this legislation and voted against it. This bill allows the government to seize an individual’s firearms and ammunition without due process.

Click below to watch.

House Oversight and Reform Committee Hearing on Gun Violence

On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on gun violence. While I have no objection to holding a congressional hearing that considers crime, violence, and guns in America, I object strongly to the Democrats' exploitation of children who have been victimized so recently in Uvalde.

The child who was brought to testify before the Committee Tuesday was recently victimized and traumatized. The Chair of this committee was re-victimizing and re-traumatizing this child for political purposes.

Adults I interviewed who were inside the Uvalde school after the massacre were highly traumatized, even with their professional training and experience. They sought counseling and intervention.

A child of tender years, brought before this Committee to re-live the horror of the Uvalde murders is tantamount to child abuse and will no doubt add to the post-traumatic stress of the child going forward.

It is despicable that Chairwoman Maloney, locked in a bitter political struggle with the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, has chosen to add to the trauma of a child victim for what appears to be crass and cynical political purposes.

Because of my objection, I did not physically attend the first panel of this Committee hearing, but instead watched it via television. I attended and participated in the second panel.

Click the image below to view some of my comments during the hearing.  

Floor Speech on the Illegitimate Jan. 6 Committee

Yesterday, I gave a speech on the House floor denouncing the illegitimate January 6th Committee's primetime hearing last night. The FBI found no evidence President Trump or his allies coordinated any part of the Capitol riots. The January 6th Committee would like for you to ignore that. The Committee is quite unhappy with the facts of January 6th as they exist today. It’s why they recently hired a former ABC executive to help dramatize them. 

Resolution Condemning Leader Schumer’s Rhetoric Towards Justice Kavanaugh 

Yesterday, I introduced H.Res. 1164, a resolution condemning Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his rhetoric that may have contributed to the recent assassination attempt of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. His inflammatory statements could also endanger the lives of other Justices and government officials. 

Rhetoric that incites violence toward any elected or appointed member of the three branches of our constitutional government is dangerous and condemnable. Unfortunately, Senator Schumer does not understand how his volatile language may potentially incite violent conduct, something that is made more likely as he is the leader of his party in the Senate. 

His threats directed at Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh may have led to the assassination attempt of Justice Kavanaugh at his private Maryland home this week. A disturbed man from California showed up to Justice Kavanaugh’s home with a firearm and tactical knife and admitted to authorities he sought to kill Justice Kavanaugh.  

I will always fight to protect discourse and free speech, but Senator Schumer’s vitriol directed at these Justices—including language such as ‘…you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,’ are intolerable for a sitting member of Congress, or really, any civilized individual. 

The resolution may be read here.

Original co-sponsors include: Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-Ill.), Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.).

Demanding Answers from the VA Secretary Regarding Staff Shortages in Arizona

On Tuesday, I sent a letter along with Representatives Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (R-Ariz.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough seeking information regarding staff shortages at VA facilities in Arizona. 

Our nation has promised care for our veterans and the VA is failing to deliver that promise. Throughout the greater Phoenix area, there are dozens of vacancies for mental health providers and primary care providers. It’s unacceptable.

Secretary McDonough must provide more clarity about this situation and the steps he and the Department will take to ensure veterans receive the care and services they rightfully deserve.

The full letter may be read here. 

Letters and Legislation

Letters Led:

Letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough seeking information regarding staff shortages at VA facilities in Phoenix-metro area.

Letters Cosigned:

Letter to President Biden demanding that the Administration withdraw an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court that could jeopardize farmer’s ability to utilize glysophate in crop maintenance. This letter is supported by the Arizona Farm Bureau.

Letter to the FDA Commissioner and members of Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPC) regarding the consideration of the applications by Pfizer and Moderna to approve COVID vaccines for children ages 5 and under.

Letter to DHS Office of Inspector General requesting that he conduct a comprehensive investigation of the crisis on the southern border.

Bills Sponsored

H.Res.1164 - Condemning Charles "Chuck" Schumer, Senator of New York

Bills Cosponsored

H.R.7938 – Domestic USA Act (Lesko, R-AZ)

H.R.6415 – To amend the Federal Reserve Act to prohibit the Federal reserve banks from offering certain products or services directly to an individual, and for other purposes.

H.Res.1167 - Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 1011) to implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person (Good, R-VA)

Top Tweets

Top Media Appearances of the Week

This week, I joined Newsmax’s Jenn Pellegrino to discuss the illegitimate January 6th Committee’s first hearing and how the Committee hired a former ABC executive to promote and dramatize it. Click below to watch the full segment.

I joined One America News Network’s DC Draino to discuss the House’s passage of H.R. 7910. Each component of the bill would do little, if anything, to protect against future instances of gun violence. Click below to watch the full segment. 

I joined KTAR-AM’s (Phoenix, AZ) Mike Broomhead to discuss the House’s passage of H.R. 7910 and how it doesn’t address the nation’s mental health crisis, lack of school security, and destruction of the family unit. Click below to hear the full segment. 

Top Op-Eds of the Week 

This week, Townhall and American Greatness published two of my columns regarding the illegitimate January 6th Committee. The Committee has been a sham since Day One and I refuse to testify before them. I hope you enjoy these reads. 

Townhall: The January 6th Committee Kindly Asks You to Ignore the FBI

American Greatness: Why I Refuse to Testify Before the Illegitimate January 6 Committee

What’s the Biggs Idea? Podcast w/ Heritage Second Amendment Expert Amy Swearer 

This week, I recorded my podcast “What’s the Biggs Idea?” in its new, live video format. The episode was live-streamed on my Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube pages and garnered thousands of views in 24 hours. 

Amy Swearer, a Legal Fellow from the Heritage Foundation, served as the episode’s guest. She also testified at the House Oversight and Reform hearing on gun control this week.  We reacted to her testimony, the House passage of H.R. 7910, and the Uvalde shooting. 

We’ll be posting more episodes soon. Check out our social media pages for more updates. 

Click below to view the podcast. 

Definition of the Week 

Instead of focusing on our nation’s record inflation, historic gas prices, porous southern border, empty shelves of baby formula, and much more, Democrats and the mainstream media continue to focus their priorities on January 6th. 

The tone deafness is unacceptable, but also believable. They don’t want to discuss or be held accountable for their disastrous policies that have sent this country into a downward spiral. 

Courtesy of Michael Knowles’ Speechless, here’s what we think is the latest definition: 

January 6th Committee: an illegitimate committee, mostly composed of Democrats, who seek to distract Americans from legitimate and more pressing domestic and international issues their party has created.