Issue Position: The Most Effective Member of Congress

Issue Position

During his relatively short tenure in Congress, Dr. Gosar has been extremely effective at delivering on the priorities of the people of Arizona without compromising his conservative principles. Paul has had 9 bills signed into law, 20 other legislative priorities signed into law and passed 79 amendments through the House.

Dr. Gosar was the most effective member of the 113th Congress, passing more bills, amendments and legislative initiatives than any other federal legislator in either body of the Legislative Branch. Specifically, Paul passed six bills and 12 other legislative initiatives into law and passed 24 amendments through the House. In the last three years alone, Dr. Gosar's amendments that have passed the House have cut or prevented more than $1.6 billion in wasteful government spending. Some of these successful efforts include cutting the IRS budget by $345.6 million, blocking $500 million from being spent on a wasteful new bus program, blocking $440 million from going to terrorist organizations like ISIS and Hamas, blocking $29 million for a duplicative climate change model program and blocking bonuses for IRS bureaucrats.

Dr. Gosar's Intermountain West Corridor Development Act of 2015, H.R. 1612, was signed into law in December 2015 after being included in H.R. 22, the major transportation bill passed by Congress in the 114th Congress. Paul's bill will allow I-11 to become the main transportation corridor, creating jobs and providing a major boost to Arizona's economy in the process. The November 2014 Corridor Concept Report stated that I-11 and the Intermountain West Corridor will generate $22 billion for our economy and create at least 240,000 permanent jobs.

Dr. Gosar's Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act was signed into law in December of 2014. This critical legislation facilitates a land exchange that will allow for the development of the largest copper mine in North America. The bill will create approximately 4,000 new jobs, generate $60 billion for Arizona's economy and provide 25% of the United States' copper supply. This important jobs legislation is also a conservation bill as it allows for the exchange of recreational and conservation areas that are greatly desired.

Dr. Gosar's Grand Canyon Tourism Jobs Protection Act was included in H.R.4348 and signed into law in the 112th Congress. Tourism at the Grand Canyon helps sustain more than 300,000 jobs and the air tour industry alone supports more than 1,200 good-paying jobs in Arizona and Nevada. Paul's bill has helped create jobs and in February of 2014 the FAA announced that this legislation will allow for 1,721 additional Grand Canyon flights per year utilizing quiet technology.

In November 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) over-inflated the costs of repairing a broken water supply line by millions of dollars so it could arbitrarily terminate the rainbow trout stocking program at the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery and focus on raising chubs and suckers. This misguided bureaucratic decision threatened 1,700 jobs and nearly $75 million in associated economic output in Mohave County alone. In response, Dr. Gosar introduced the Fish Hatchery Protection Act, H.R. 5026, which he successfully passed through the House Natural Resources Committee. This bill and his berating of the Service's Deputy Director saved the program and repairs were completed August 5, 2016.

In February of 2014, Dr. Gosar's Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act was signed into law. This important bill authorized stewardship contracting, good neighbor authority and other proactive management programs in order to allow for more wildfire prevention projects to move forward in a timelier manner. Failure to utilize a forward-thinking, active management strategy that combats dangerous wildfires before they get started has resulted in the five largest fires in Arizona's history occurring between 2002 and 2011.

Dr. Gosar spearheaded the effort to prevent the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) from enacting new boating restrictions on Lake Havasu and closing more areas to tubing, wake-boarding and water skiing activities. He also passed an amendment through the House instructing the Service to reopen the area the agency shutdown in May 2015 through an unlawful press release two days before Memorial Day weekend. According to a July 2016 economic impact study, boaters on Lake Havasu support more than 2,000 jobs, spend more than $150 million annually and generate more than $63 million for the city's economy.

Dr. Gosar's bill, H.R. 489, was signed into law. This commonsense legislation cut red tape and allowed the Salt River Project (SRP) to maintain the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir Project and provide essential water to Gila County and the City of Phoenix.

Overview
-9 bills signed into law.
-20 other legislative priorities signed into law.
-79 amendments passed through the House.

Bills Signed into Law
1. H.R. 1612--The I-11 Intermountain West Corridor Development Act: I-11 and the Intermountain West Corridor will create 240,000 permanent jobs and generate $22 billion for Arizona's economy (Included in H.R. 22).
2. H.R. 4198--Grand Canyon Tourism Jobs Protection Act: Supports 1,250 jobs in Arizona and Nevada and allowed 1,721 additional Grand Canyon flights/year utilizing quiet technology (Included in H.R. 4348).
3. H.R. 1345--Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention: Has prevented dangerous wildfires by reauthorizing stewardship contracting, Good Neighbor Authority and insect and disease treatment (Included in H.R. 2642).
4. H.R. 687--Southeast Arizona Land Exchange Act: Will create 3,700 new jobs, generate $60 billion for our economy and provide 25% of U.S. copper supply (Included in H.R. 3979).
5. H.R. 4924--Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act: Sustains nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs while providing certainty for the Bagdad Mine which has an annual economic impact of $339.1 million to the state of Arizona.
6. H.R. 489--C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir Act. Allows water to be delivered to Gila County and Phoenix by providing a clear approval process for maintaining the Cragin Dam project
7. H.R. 3027--Designating the Post Office in Prescott for Sen. Barry Goldwater. Community requested bill for conservative icon who began his presidential campaign in Prescott.
8. H.R. 1216--Designating the Prescott Vet Center for Dr. Cam McKinley. Community requested bill for a veteran and doctor whose life work was spent treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
9. H.R. 862--Coconino National Forest Land Conveyance Act. Benefits private property owners by providing right of title in a longstanding dispute. A Gosar-Kirkpatrick bill. Gosar first introduced this legislation in the 112th Congress.

Other Major Victories
-Blocked new boating restrictions on Lake Havasu and passed amendment to reopen the lake.
-Stopped the Bureau of Land Management from closing its Arizona field office.
-Cut the IRS budget by $353 million.
-Blocked Obama's $500 million raid of the Highway Trust Fund, preserving those funds for roads and bridges.
-Saved the Willow Beach Rainbow Trout Stocking Program and preserved 1,700 jobs and $75 million in economic output.
-Stopped the Ice Detention Facility in Florence from releasing an illegal immigrant with drug resistant tuberculous into the Pinal County Community.
-Got 42 Secret Service agents suspended or fired when they broke the law and leaked information about Congressman Jason Chaffetz.
-Passed an amendment into public law in multiple years to protect our Fourth Amendment rights and defund an unconstitutional roadside survey.
-Passed amendment with a bipartisan vote of 236-182 that blocked funds for "Sanctuary City" policies.
-Passed amendment prohibiting $440 million from going to terrorist organizations including ISIS.
-Passed appropriations provision through the House that blocks the unilateral creation of the proposed Grand Canyon Watershed and Sedona Monuments.
-Passed two amendments through the House that cut $130 million from EPA bureaucrats.
-Passed H.R. 1443, the Grand Canyon Bison Management Act, through the House (Included in H.R. 2406).
-Passed 13 appropriations amendments through the House to improve care for veterans.
-Inserted rider into House Appropriations bill that ensures no funding for Obama's executive amnesty.
-Inserted rider into House Appropriations bill that ensures veterans receive an immediate response when calling the Veterans Crisis Line.
-Passed amendment that prevented the EPA and USGS from using unlawful guidance to expand jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
-Passed amendment to prevent wasteful bonuses for IRS and other federal agency bureaucrats.

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