This Week With Gosar

Weekly Newsletter

March 15, 2026

Democrats Vote Again to Shut Government Down, Threaten National Security, Ruin Family Vacations, Force TSA Employees to Work Without Pay

Once again this week, Senate Democrats voted to block funding for portions of the federal government.The Department of Homeland Security - the agency responsible for protecting Americans from terrorism, securing our borders, and safeguarding our airports - is being held hostage because Democrats refuse to pass a clean funding bill. They would rather shut down critical security operations than give up leverage for their open-border, soft-on-crime agenda.

At some point, this stops being politics and becomes outright irresponsibility. That point is now.

The consequences are already being felt. TSA officers are working without pay with no end in sight,and some have already walked off the job. Security lines at airports are growing longer as fewer screeners are left to handle millions of travelers. Americans are being told to arrive hours early just to make their flights.

Here in Arizona, families are feeling it firsthand. Spring break is underway, and Easter travel is approaching. Parents planning trips with their children and grandparents hoping to spend the holiday with family are now being warned to expect major delays at airport security. Vacations families saved for all year are being disrupted before they even begin because Democrats in Washington can't keep the government open.

Meanwhile, the TSA officers standing at those checkpoints aren't getting paid - while the Democrats responsible for the shutdown continue collecting their salaries on schedule.

In fact, the situation has become so severe that some TSA officers working without pay have reportedly begun accepting grocery store gift cards just to feed their families.Think about that: the men and women responsible for keeping explosives off airplanes are relying on gift cards to buy groceries while Washington Democrats continue drawing full taxpayer-funded salaries.

But the danger goes far beyond airport delays. The United States faces a heightened national security threat environment. We are in the middle of an escalating conflict involving Iran, and intelligence officials have warned about the possibility of retaliatory attacks and radicalized actors being called to action.

In recent weeks, we have already seen a disturbing rise in terrorist-related incidents here at home. An armed terrorist rammed a vehicleinto a Detroit-area Jewish synagogue. A suspect accused of a killing spree in Virginia had previously been convicted of supporting ISIS.Two ISIS-trained suspectswere arrested in New York attempting to detonate homemade bombs. In Texas, a gunman wearing a "Property of Allah" shirtopened fire in a bar, killing at least three people.

Nearly 20 million illegal aliens crossed our border during the previous administration's disastrous open-border policies. Many were released into the interior with little to no vetting.

Among them were illegals from countries hostile to the United States - including Iran. According to federal officials, more than 1,600 Iranian illegals crossed the southern border during the Biden administration. That should alarm every American concerned about national security. The Iranian regime actively sponsors terrorism worldwide. Allowing thousands of its citizens to enter illegally with limited vetting is not just reckless - it is a massive intelligence failure.

And now we are beginning to see why it matters.

As I noted in last week's newsletter, ICE officials recently arrested an illegal alien from Iran convicted of first-degree murder and drug trafficking right here in Pima County, Arizona. Authorities are still working to determine his intentions. That alone should be chilling. When someone from a hostile regime slips into the country illegally and is later apprehended inside the United States, the obvious question becomes: Why was he here?

Sleeper cells do not announce themselves. They wait. They blend in. They stay quiet. And when tensions escalate abroad - as they are now with Iran - those individuals can be called to action.

Here's my point: at the very moment the United States faces that kind of threat environment, Democrats in Washington have decided this is the time to shut down the department responsible for protecting the homeland. That is beyond reckless.

Instead of strengthening border enforcement, Democrats spent years fighting deportations, expanding asylum loopholes, and attacking the agents tasked with keeping dangerous individuals out of this country. Now they are willing to leave DHS shuttered - weakening airport security, straining counterterrorism resources, and leaving frontline personnel unpaid.

It is a stunning inversion of priorities.

While American families stand in endless TSA lines and federal security officers work without paychecks, Washington Democrats are digging in to protect policies that allowed millions of illegal crossings in the first place - including criminals and potential national security threats.

Arizonans trying to take their kids on spring break shouldn't have to wonder whether airport security is understaffed because Democrats in Washington are playing political games. Families flying home for Easter shouldn't spend half their day stuck in security lines while DHS is caught in a partisan standoff.

And Americans certainly shouldn't be forced to accept a weakened homeland security posture at the exact moment terrorist threats are rising.

The first duty of government is to protect its citizens. Right now, Democrats in Washington are failing that test.

Stop the Obstruction. Pass the SAVE America Act - Even if It Means Nuking the Filibuster

The House has already done its job. Last month, we passed the SAVE America Act- a simple, commonsense bill requiring proof of citizenship and voter ID for federal elections. The American people overwhelmingly support it - 85% according to a recent poll - because they understand a basic truth: only American citizens should vote in American elections.

Now the Senate plans to take up the bill next week. But everyone in Washington already knows how that vote will end. Unless the filibuster is eliminated, the SAVE America Act is doomed before debate even begins. Senate Democrats will use the 60-vote rule to block it - just as they have used the filibuster to obstruct nearly every serious attempt to secure our elections and restore confidence in the system.

President Trump understands exactly what is at stake. Over the weekend, he announcedhe will refuse to sign new legislation until Congress sends the SAVE America Act to his desk, declaring the bill the top legislative priority and saying it "supersedes everything else." That is the kind of leadership the American people elected him to provide.

The House passed this legislation months ago because protecting election integrity is not a partisan issue - it is a national obligation. But in the Senate, Democrats have deliberately stalled the bill because they would rather block basic election safeguards than allow a fair up-or-down vote.

Why? For one simple reason: voter ID and citizenship verification stand in the way of how they…ahem…"win" elections.

Let's be clear about what is happening. Democrats spent years trying to eliminate the filibusterwhen it stood in the way of their own agenda. Now they are hiding behind it to stop commonsense election integrity legislation supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans.

But Democrats are only half the problem. The other half is a handful of RINOs in the Senate who continue to treat the filibuster like a sacred tradition while Democrats use it as a political weapon. While the left blocks everything from election integrity to border security, some Republicans seem more concerned with protecting Senate "norms" than delivering results.

Americans didn't send us to Washington to preserve Senate customs. They sent us to defend their elections.

If Senate Democrats plan to kill the SAVE America Act next week using the filibuster, Senate Republicans need to stop acting like spectators and change the rules.

The House has spoken. President Trump has made this a top priority. And the American people overwhelmingly support ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections. Pass the SAVE America Act. And if the filibuster stands in the way, it's time to nuke it.

Gosar Meets with Arizona American Legion Delegation

I recently had the honor of meeting with representatives of the Arizona American Legion during their annual Washington, D.C. Conference and I appreciate them taking the time to visit Capitol Hill. As the largest veterans service organization in the state-representing more than 33,000 Arizona veterans and over 75,000 members including family organizations-the Arizona American Legion plays a vital role in advocating for those who served our nation. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from them and remain committed to supporting Arizona's veterans and the issues important to the more than 18 million veterans across the United States.

District Highlight: Honoring Those Who Served in Bullhead City

My amazing District Director, Penny Pew, had the honor to recently attend the Bullhead City Veterans Stand Down and spend time with the brave men and women who have served our country. Events like this provide critical support to veterans by connecting them with essential services, resources, and a community that cares deeply about their well-being. I'm grateful to the organizers, volunteers, and local partners who make this event possible and who work tirelessly to ensure our veterans receive the respect, assistance, and gratitude they have earned through their service to our nation.

Deadline Approaching for Congressional Art Competition Submissions

The 2026 Congressional Art Competition is underway, and I invite creative high school students from Arizona's 9th Congressional District-grades 8 through 12, including homeschool, online, and alternative programs-to show off their artistic talents. My office is still accepting submissions through Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

Each spring, the Congressional Institute hosts this nationwide visual art competition to celebrate and inspire young artists across the country. Since it began in 1982, more than 650,000 students have participated. The winning artwork from our district will be proudly displayed for an entire year in the United States Capitol-a truly unique honor. This competition is a fantastic opportunity to highlight the creativity, passion, and talent of Arizona's next generation of artists, and I encourage every student with a love for art to participate. See the above flyer for more information and details about this year's art competition!

Tweet of the Week:

Photo of the Week:

CW Kyle from Surprise, AZ sent in the amazing picture of the Colorado River just north of Lake Havasu. Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, CW.

Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our "Picture of the Week?" If so, send your best shots along with a brief description to [email protected]. Remember to include your name and where you live.

Gosar in the News and Other Must-Read Stories:

The Truth About Guns: Federal Legislators Introduce Measure To Safeguard Against Firearm Registration

The Hill: Democrats block bill to reopen Homeland Security amid 27-day shutdown

Fox News: DHS shutdown forces airports to tell travelers to arrive 4 hours early amid massive delays

New York Post: Denver International Airport pleads for gift card donations to cover TSA agents pay during government shutdown

The Post Millennial: Antifa activist accidentally sets himself on fire while burning American flag outside Portland ICE facility

⚠ Warning!! The Gosar Weekly Newsletter is meant for discerning readers with above-average intelligence. We link to interesting stories. We get stories a couple different ways: Google alerts, a third-party aggregator and sometimes readers send stuff. We don't vouch for every publication or every author. If we link to a story, it is because of that story. The views expressed in any of the publications do not represent any promotion, endorsement or reflection of Congressman Gosar's views. While we try our best, we cannot guarantee every news organization spouting hatred, animosity or divisiveness will be filtered from appearing in the Gosar Weekly Newsletter. We will endeavor to prevent that from happening by never linking to Fake News organizations including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Rolling Stone, the Arizona Republic, the Arizona Mirror, Media Matters or the New Republic.