Ciscomani, Schweikert need to help teachers, seniors and all Arizonans

Jason is a Tucson public school teacher. In fact, he and his wife have both taught for decades. Like a lot of teachers, sometimes he has to reach into his own pocket to pay for school supplies for his students, but he’s happy to do it because that’s what his students need.

It’s difficult for both he and his wife to balance their jobs while also raising a family, but they’re able to do okay because they both work hard and play by the rules.

Jason and his family were able to make ends meet through the pandemic when they feared the health of their kids: not just the ones who lived with them but for the ones they taught over Zoom and eventually in the classroom.

Over the past year, they have been able to get their finances in order and they’re doing well, thanks to some support they received from the federal government.

But U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani wants to see a lot of that support go away. He opposed tax relief for working families, and one of his first votes in Congress was to protect millionaires who cheat on their taxes.

Congressman Ciscomani isn’t alone: he and his Republican colleagues like U.S. Rep. David Schweikert passed a bill recently that threatens the default of the U.S. government and an economic catastrophe simply so they could pass unpopular, unnecessary, and harmful cuts that hurt Arizona families. The bill that Ciscomani and Schweikert voted for makes it harder for veterans and rural Arizonans that they represent to access health care. It would also force thousands of seniors on fixed incomes and low-income families out of their homes, and it would increase everyday costs for working families. That bill doesn’t help families like Jason’s and it doesn’t help the hundreds of thousands of Arizonans that Congressmen Ciscomani and Schweikert represent.

Honest Arizona is committed to helping out working people like Jason so they can focus on making sure our future generations can thrive. Our job is to make sure that our elected officials in Congress are actually looking out for everyday Arizonans who are living up to the promises they make.

We’re not just looking out for teachers. We’re looking out for veterans, small business owners, seniors, younger generations, and parents who all have an economic stake in what happens in Congress. That’s why we’ll be sure to call out Congressman Schweikert when he – once again – votes to cut Social Security or Medicare (he’s already done it 12 times since he’s been in office). And we’ll call out Congressman Ciscomani if he votes again to shield the wealthy and corporations from paying their fair share of taxes.

Arizona’s members of Congress not only swore an oath, but they also made promises to the people they were elected to represent. We intend to hold them accountable.

We’re doing it for families like Jason’s, and we’re doing it for you, too.

Andrea Moreno is the executive director of Honest Arizona.