“Especially in Western states that have patchworks of federal and private land, improving building opportunities on some federal land could be a creative solution to housing shortages in some communities.” PHOENIX – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is voicing his interest in collaborating on the newly announced federal initiative to explore housing development on public lands. In a letter to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum, Senator Gallego applauds the creation of the Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing while urging transparency and community engagement.   “As the Task Force develops its initiatives

PHOENIX – Yesterday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Reproductive Freedom for All hosted a town hall in Phoenix to highlight the devastating consequences of Republican-led efforts to cut Medicaid, known as AHCCCS in Arizona, and the impacts it will have on essential reproductive healthcare for millions of Arizonans.  “Women in Arizona deserve to have control over their own bodies. But Republicans in Congress want to strip access to reproductive care from poor women in order to give tax cuts to the rich. I’m doing these town halls across the state to hear from people who will be impacted from these cuts and to make clear that Arizonans

The Trump Administration to end Direct File, which allows 1.7 million Arizona taxpayers to file their taxes for free WASHINGTON – In response to recent reporting that the Trump administration plans to end the Direct File program, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined over 175 Congressional Democrats demanding the administration reverse course and commit to preserving and expanding the program.   Direct File is a free, easy-to-use tax filing program that has already delivered significant benefits to taxpayers. In 2024, during the program’s pilot phase, Direct File saved the average user $160 in tax return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Despite its popularity, the tax prep industry has fought Direct