ARIZONA – After hosting town halls in Globe and Apache Junction on Monday and meeting with the family of detained restaurant owner Kelly Yu on Tuesday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) continued his week in Arizona speaking directly with small business owners, veterans, and veterans’ healthcare providers to hear about the challenges they’re facing due to the Trump administration’s reckless tariffs and chaotic cuts to the VA.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Senator Gallego joined small business leaders for three fireside discussions hosted by the Chandler-Gilbert-Queen Creek Chambers of Commerce, the Greater Phoenix Chamber, and the West Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. At the events, he spoke about key federal issues shaping Arizona’s economy and affecting small businesses—like Trump’s reckless, unpredictable tariff policies that are raising prices and creating economic uncertainty for businesses.
“Because of the craziness about whether someone has a tariff, doesn’t have a tariff, it makes it totally unstable for our business market,” said Senator Gallego.
Senator Gallego speaks at events hosted by the West Valley and Chandler-Gilbert-Queen Creek Chambers of Commerce
Between events, Senator Gallego visited Valley small businesses reeling from Trump’s unpredictable tariffs, which are raising costs for small businesses and consumers.
Senator Gallego meets with small business owners in the Valley
Senator Gallego also visited the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Administration Medical Center in Phoenix, where he met with patients and heard directly from VA staff on how the Trump administration’s ongoing cuts are impacting veterans’ care.
Senator Gallego meets with patients at the Carl T. Hayden Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Phoenix
Earlier in the week, Senator Gallego also toured the Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center in Globe, a rural hospital at risk of losing Medicaid funding a result of Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’
On Monday, Senator Gallego also visited the Florence Detention Center to meet with constituents currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and to receive a tour of the facility from ICE personnel.
See coverage of Senator Gallego in Arizona below:
On the Airwaves
Arizona’s Family (Phoenix, AZ):
On arrests of immigrants living in the U.S. for decades with no criminal record: “This is the type of enforcement that is not needed, does not make us any safer. We should be allowing these people to be continuing their life. […] They’re contributors to society, and this administration are targeting these types of people just so they can hit these arbitrary quotas.”
On VA Cuts: “What I am hearing is this, 40% of the doctors that were offered a position the VA have rejected their position at the VA. You’re seeing about 1,500 nurses that also have rejected offers from the VA. So that’s telling me right now that we’re not meeting the demand [for] more doctors, more nurses. I just, as you said, was at the Phoenix VA talking to them. They’re seeing that problem. They’re having a problem recruiting the people they need […] because of the instability that was caused by some of these announcements.”
On Kelly Yu: “My big question is, how are we safer by getting rid of the Kelly Yu’s of this world? We’re not. It’s a waste of time and resources and money that we’re keeping somebody like her in jail versus using this time, money and effort to go after some real criminals that are here in this country illegally.”
See more:
In Print
- Arizona Republic: Back from Iowa, Sen. Ruben Gallego focuses on health care, meets with Arizona veterans[Ron Hansen, 8/12/25]
- Copper Courier: At Arizona town halls, veterans, tribal leaders, and immigrants share fears with Gallego over Trump policies [Robert Gundran, 8/15/25]
- KJZZ: Gallego calls on Congress to show ‘courage’ in tariff power struggle with Trump [Wayne Schutsky, 8/13/25]
- The Goodyear Independent: Gallego discusses economy, housing and energy at West Valley event [Mary Goldmeer, 8/15/25]
- ABC15: Family of Valley business owner facing deportation meets with Senator Gallego [Ben Brown, 8/12/25]
- KTAR: US Sen. Ruben Gallego meets with family of Valley mother detained by ICE[Jeff Vinton, 8/12/25]
8/15/25