WASHINGTON – Earlier this week, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced he will place a blanket hold on all nominations to the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) following news of the Trump Administration’s plans to eliminate over 83,000 jobs from the Department with no explanation on how these firings will specifically occur. These cuts must be reversed, and until the Department does so, as well as commits to abandon it’s plans to unilaterally layoff over 83,000 VA employees, Senator Gallego will keep his hold on nominees in place.   See coverage below.  On the Airwaves CNN: Senator Gallego: “I came into this administration with a belief that we should

The entire staff of HHS’s Region 9 Office, which oversees Arizona, was abruptly laid off this week as part of the department’s mass cuts nationwide WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), alongside 37 Senate Democrats, is demanding answers from the Trump Administration about the mass layoffs of federal health workers and the devastating impact these cuts will have on Arizona families. In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy, the senators urged the administration to reverse course before these reckless firings cause lasting harm to the country’s public health. “Your actions continue to show a reckless disregard for the health and well-being of

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced legislation to establish an Inspector General (IG) at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR is responsible for developing and negotiating the U.S.’s trade policy, including tariffs, and is one of the few cabinet-level agencies without an IG. “Our tariff and trade policy should bring manufacturing back to the U.S., support the working class, and hold countries accountable for unfair trade practices – not enrich billionaires at the expense of hardworking Americans,” said Senator Gallego. “The Trump Administration has a history of setting up a tariff exemption process that gives preference to donors and millionaires who can hire lobbyists over