- On September 25, 2020, Sen. McSally and Rep. O’Halleran led members of the Arizona delegation in a letter to the U.S. Forest Service highlighting the need for action on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative in Northern Arizona to help reduce wildfire risk.
- On September 16, 2020, McSally called out the U.S. Forest Service for delaying 4FRI.
- On June 13, 2019, McSally introduced a bill to streamline 4FRI. Many of the proposals in her bill were adopted by the Forest Service.
- On April 9, 2019, McSally pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about the timeline of Arizona’s Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).
- On March 22, 2019, McSally visited Coconino County during her 15-county tour and heard from community leaders about the state of the forests.
- On February 12, 2019, McSally helped pass the Bipartisan Natural Resources Management Act, which included important provisions to modernize wildfire technology.
Martha McSally
Tribal Leaders Praise Sen. McSally’s Leadership on Tribal Gaming Enterprises Fix
U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) announced yesterday that small tribal gaming enterprises under 500 employees can now apply for financial relief through the Payment Protection Program (PPP). Her leadership on this issue is receiving widespread support from tribal leaders across the country.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez: “We would like to thank Senator McSally for her continuous advocacy on behalf of the Navajo Nation and Indian Country to ensure Indian gaming enterprises are eligible for the safeguards that the Payroll Paycheck Program provides to small businesses. With the revised SBA Rule released today, all four of our gaming facilities located across Arizona and New Mexico are now fully supported to keep employees on the payroll. Our gaming facilities closed in Mid-March and have remained closed so we appreciate the changes we have been advocating for to ensure the safety and general welfare of the Navajo Nation.”
Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer: “As a member representative to the National Indian Gaming Association, I am pleased with the revised rule. This will greatly help gaming facilities across Indian Country by allowing them to participate in PPP. Tribal gaming enterprises are economic generators for our tribal communities and, they too, are suffering. I thank Senator McSally and all of our federal partners for their strong advocacy on behalf of Indian Country.
Navajo Nation Speaker Seth Damon: “The Navajo Nation thanks Senator McSally for listening to the concerns of the Navajo Nation Council. Her direct advocacy on behalf of the Navajo people has been a crucial element in the Council’s ongoing efforts to protect the employees of our tribal enterprises. This is a positive step forward for our nation at this very critical moment.”
Chairman Jon Huey of the Yavapai Apache Nation: “On behalf of the Tribal Members of the Yavapai-Apache Nation and the employees of the Cliff Castle Casino and Hotel, I would like to thank Senator McSally and the Arizona Delegation for their stalwart leadership in ensuring that Tribal enterprises are eligible to participate in the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program. Since the Nation closed its enterprises to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community and the state, we have done everything possible to keep our employees paid and their healthcare covered as long as possible. This decision of the Small Business Administration, which comes after the tireless advocacy of Senator McSally and the Arizona Delegation, will provide a lifeline to the Yavapai-Apache Nation and, more importantly, to our employees, our families and our friends throughout the Verde Valley.”
Chairwoman Lee-Gatewood of White Mountain Apache Tribe: “We greatly appreciate Senator McSally’s efforts in working with the Administration to clarify that small tribal gaming enterprises such as Hon-Dah Casino-Resort, which employs hundreds of tribal members, are eligible to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program.”
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community: “I want to commend Senator McSally for her hard-hitting advocacy on this issue, which is of great importance to many tribes in Arizona. There remain many similar issues that remain unresolved, and we are heartened that her strong commitment and advocacy can help educate the Administration to do the right thing when it comes to helping tribes through this crisis.”
McSally Calls on Big Companies to Return Relief Loans Intended for Small Businesses
U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) joined Fox and Friends this morning and called on large businesses with access to capital to return their relief loans so small businesses and mom-and-pop shops can access vital funding. She also spoke about U.S. posture toward Iran.
Watch her interview HERE.
See excerpts below:
STEVE DOOCY: Right and that’s why it’s so frustrating, senator, that they already ran out of money early and then it comes to light that places like Shake Shack which has got a lot of locations and a lot of money and Harvard wound up with close to $8-9 million bucks. The president made it very clear, Harvard has to give that money back.
You know and the frustrating thing about this, senator, is for the small businesses looking in and they thought this is going to help me make up my payroll for those people we’ve had to ask not to come into work, but then I’ve got family members who have been dealing with a really big bank for many, many years and they were told that you know what you would be better of going to a smaller bank because we’re only going to do business with really big companies because we can make more money on the big companies with one deal than 30 of the little deals.
SEN. MARTHA MCSALLY: Well, that’s disgusting. I got a masters from Harvard, but they need to give that money back. It came from another pot of money but still they have a $40 billion dollar endowment. They should help struggling students with that, and look when we passed this legislation, we said what’s the fastest way to get the money out to these small businesses and really the words of the day were speed, also grace, good faith, and selflessness, right? We are all in this together as Americans. We decided to use the financial institutions to more quickly get this money out. I tweeted out yesterday: Dear big banks, the PPP money is not yours. It’s the taxpayers’ money and it needs to go to mom and pop shops. They’re just passing through, they’re just processing it, this isn’t about their relationships with others who have plenty of access to capital. So you big companies out there: give the money back, support your workers. You big banks out there: you get that money out to those mom and pop shops, those one-person businesses. That’s why we chose to do it this way. Do the right thing.
BRIAN KILMEADE: I want to move to another area of your expertise because of your military background as a fighter pilot. The president made it clear that it’s not ok for these smaller to attack our warships and he’s given instructions out. He just tweeted this out, I want to share with you: I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea. And we’ll show you the video, you’ve probably seen this already. I mean we could just these boats, but now they try it again, do you believe that if you’re the Navy captain, admiral you will blow them out of the water because of that tweet?
SEN. MCSALLY: Well, we’ve seen in the past when we show weakness around the world if you remember they were doing this recklessly and with no limitations. They were even taking our crews hostage and embarrassing them, and we’re now showing strength using a maximum pressure campaign with Iran that includes ensuring that our military can defend themselves and protect themselves and the rules of engagement need to be clear having been in the military about what you need to do to ensure you can protect your ships, so I appreciate a commander in chief who is showing strength there. We need to make sure that our Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines can protect ourselves and we need to continue to show strength.
Background:
Earlier today, Sen. McSally tweeted that Harvard should give all of its relief money back.
On April 21, Sen. McSally supported the latest coronavirus relief package that will provide an additional $484 billion dollars in relief to support small businesses, hospitals, and increased testing in Arizona.
On April 21, Sen. McSally called for funds to focus on small businesses, after reports of publicly traded companies with access to capital and bank relationships receiving money quickly while many mom and pop shops have struggled to access PPP funding.
McSally Calls for Financial Security for Rural Communities
U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) and a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter calling for the Senate to finally provide much-needed financial certainty during the COVID-19 crisis for rural communities to ensure long-term funding needed for essential services.
In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the senators pushed for, “a long-term solution for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs at the next possible opportunity.”
“The stop and start authorizations and payments under SRS and PILT have wreaked havoc on rural America for decades, and now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the budgets of these rural counties are decimated. These two programs fund roads, schools, law enforcement, and essential county services, such as public health programs,” the senators wrote. “With inadequate funding and now additional demands on their resources, rural communities and counties are at the breaking point.”
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) was enacted in 2000 to financially assist counties with public, tax-exempt forestlands. In November 2019, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a legislative hearing on PILT and SRS, and received testimony on legislation that would permanently extend SRS and build on the historic link between timber receipts and county payments.
In addition to McSally, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., James Risch, R-Idaho, Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., John Boozman, R-Ark., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Dan Sullivan, R-Ark., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Patty Murray, D-Wash.
McSally, Brnovich Update Arizonans on COVID-19 Scams, Resources
U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich spoke with over 16,000 Arizonans this afternoon about how to identify and report coronavirus scams during McSally’s fifth telephone town hall since the coronavirus outbreak.
During the over hour-long call, Brnovich shared scams Arizonans should avoid including people selling “miracle cures and treatments,” people posing as government agents asking for personal information regarding relief checks, and unknown people soliciting COVID-19 donations.
“Make sure that you’re vigilant and you’re suspicious of anyone that contacts you unsolicited,” Brnovich said. “So whether it’s by the phone or it’s by the computer, if someone contacts you unsolicited you should be very careful about what their motives are.”
He told Arizonans to report any suspected scams to his office’s website: azag.gov
McSally answered questions pertaining to the availability of coronavirus testing, securing additional funding for the Payment Protection Program and the status of relief checks.
“It’s so important for Arizonans to remain vigilant of frauds and scams, especially during this crisis,” McSally said. “The federal government is not going to contact you unsolicited and ask for your personal financial information in return for your relief check or other financial support. There are secure ways to share your personal information on IRS.gov, but do not trust unknown persons, callers, or emailers. I’m grateful to Attorney General Mark Brnovich for joining me on my telephone town hall today to share about the scams his office has seen reported. Please report all suspected scams to the Attorney General’s office. If you were unable to join our call today, visit my website at mcsally.senate.gov for the latest updates on COVID-19.”
During the call, McSally asked participants to respond to two poll question about if they had been the target of a coronavirus scam, and if they had received their relief check.
POLL RESULTS:
Have you been targeted by a COVID scam? Nine percent of the people said they had been targeted.
If you are eligible, have you received your relief check? Over half of the people polled said they had not.
BY THE NUMBERS
-16,398 Arizonans participated in the event
-130 Arizonans spoke to a member of Sen. McSally’s team.
-11 people spoke live on the call with Sen. McSally.
-121,323 Arizonans received a voicemail from Sen. McSally inviting them to participate.