Issue Position: Challenging the Status Quo

Issue Position

Dr. Gosar is an active member and leader in the House Freedom Caucus. This extremely conservative organization is comprised of approximately 40 members dedicated to defending our Constitution, stopping business as usual and holding Congressional leadership accountable to the American people.

Conservative icon Jim DeMint recently stated, "This small band of conservative House members had the audacity to challenge the status quo in Congress, and in the eyes of Washington's comfortable elites, that's a serious offense. For years, Washington's chattering class has guarded the status quo on behalf of the Establishment. But despite the howls of media outrage, the Freedom Caucus persevered and succeeded in making changes that brought in a new speaker of the House."

Breitbart News reported, "Gosar has been one of the few members of Congress who has fought for conservative values in Washington. With the help of other conservative leaders, Gosar worked to oust former House Speaker John Boehner. He has also been a vocal critic of President Obama's immigration policies and the Obama administration's botched Fast and Furious operation."

Dr. Gosar has refused to go along with the status quo in Washington and has done his part to change the flawed culture that exists in our nation's capital.

Paul has been leading the charge to block Obama's takeover of the local zoning process through a new regulation that attempts to reengineer the makeup of our neighborhoods. Essentially, the Obama Administration is extorting local communities by forcing them to adhere to the administration's utopian housing mandates or risk loosing out on millions of dollars in grant money. Rep. Gosar has introduced the Local Zoning and Property Rights Protection Act and passed two amendments through the House to block this overreach.

Dr. Gosar sponsored an amendment to prevent the Obama Administration from operating a backdoor amnesty program that allows illegal aliens to enlist in the military. As Breitbart News reports, the administration "is accelerating its program to recruit younger illegals and put them on a fast-track to citizenship." Prior to a memo from the Obama Administration in 2014, DACA aliens and other unlawful illegal immigrants were not allowed to enlist in the military. Unfortunately, we need still more conservatives in the House as this amendment failed by a single vote. Following this appropriations vote, Dr. Gosar introduced the Military Amnesty Prevention Act in order to prevent Obama's violation of Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of our Constitution.

Paul has been leading the charge to prevent Members of Congress from flying first-class at taxpayer expense. In March of 2015, he introduced the Coach-Only Airfare for Capitol Hill Act, H.R. 2210. Paul believes that if members of our military can't fly first-class at taxpayer expense, then members of Congress shouldn't either.

Dr. Gosar and 18 other members of the House have also introduced legislation to initiate articles of impeachment against John Koskinen, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The House has held hearings on this matter and this effort is moving forward. Koskinen should have held people accountable and cleaned house after this rogue agency targeted conservative organizations for their beliefs. Instead he lied under oath before Congress, allowed for the destruction of nearly 24,000 emails from Lois Lerner and has been a key conspirator in attempting to cover Ms. Lerner's tracks.

In October of 2015, Dr. Gosar led a bipartisan effort supported by 30 members of the House demanding that corrective action be taken against Secret Service employees that broke the law and leaked private information about House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz. As a result of Paul's leadership, the Service announced in November 2015 that 42 employees would be fired or suspended.

Dr. Gosar has been leading the charge to hold the EPA accountable for the agency's continued overreach and has introduced legislation to initiate impeachment proceedings against EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. On multiple occasions EPA Administration McCarthy lied to members of Congress and committed perjury. Under her failed leadership, the EPA continues to break the law in order to expand agency control and force job-killing regulations down our throats. Paul has introduced legislation and inserted funding riders to block the EPA's new Waters of the United States (WOTUS), Clean Power Plan, and Ozone rules.

Dr. Gosar has had significant victories in the fight against government overreach. He spearheaded a successful effort to prevent arbitrary new boating restrictions on Lake Havasu that threatened $200 million in tourism spending and nearly 4,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Paul led a successful effort that stopped the Bureau of Land Management from closing its Arizona field office and moving all those employees to New Mexico. Paul passed an amendment that successfully prevented President Obama's proposed $500 million raid of the Highway Trust Fund, preserving important federal funding for roads and bridges. Dr. Gosar has successfully passed amendments and inserted appropriations riders to defund Sanctuary Cities and block Obama's executive amnesty policies. Paul successfully passed an amendment that prevented $440 million from going to terrorist organizations, including ISIS.

When the IRS targeted conservative groups, Dr. Gosar passed an amendment that cut the agency's budget by $350 million. When the ICE Detention facility in Florence was considering releasing an illegal immigrant with drug resistant tuberculosis into the Pinal County Community, Dr. Gosar led the effort to prevent this occurrence. After an Inspector General report revealed that more than 5,000 transactions and more $1 million had been squandered, Dr. Gosar passed an amendment into public law that prohibited Government Travel Charge Cards from being used at strip clubs and for gambling. After it was revealed that veterans were being forwarded to voicemail and not receiving an adequate response when contacting a suicide hotline, Dr. Gosar passed a bipartisan provision through the House that will ensure veterans receive an immediate response from a trained professional when calling the Veterans Crisis Line.

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