This Week With Gosar

Weekly Newsletter

October 11, 2026

Gosar Introduces LANDs Act to Restore Oversight of Federal Lands

This week, I introduced the Legislative Approval for National Designations (LANDs) Act to restore Congress's role in major federal land-use decisions and stop presidents from unilaterally locking up millions of acres of public land.

For more than a century, the Antiquities Act has allowed presidents to designate national monuments with a stroke of a pen. Federal law requires these designations to cover the "smallest area compatible" with protecting the historic or natural features involved. Yet since the Carter administration, presidents have designated millions of acres at a time, restricting public access and limiting opportunities for mining, energy development, ranching, recreation and other traditional multiple uses-all without congressional approval or meaningful public input.

According to the Congressional Research Service, as of 2017, more than 800 million acres of federally controlled land were under federal management with vast areas subject to restrictions imposed without a congressional vote, public hearings, or economic impact studies. These sweeping designations go far beyond what the law was intended to allow.

That is not how representative government should work. Decisions affecting millions of acres, local economies and access to America's natural resources should not rest solely with one person in the White House. The LANDs Act would help end this abuse of executive authority and give the American people, through their elected representatives, a meaningful voice in how their public lands are managed.

The legislation would require congressional approval for federal land withdrawals exceeding 5,000 acres, establish limits on national monument designations, protect private property rights and preserve state authority over water rights.

Public lands belong to the American people. We can protect our nation's historic treasures while maintaining public access, supporting American energy and mineral independence, and preserving responsible multiple-use management. The LANDs Act restores accountability and puts the people's elected representatives back in the driver's seat.

Click here to read more about the LANDs Act.

District Highlights: Arizona Antimony Can Help Break China's Grip

This week, I traveled throughout the district and toured an Arizona antimony mine and a related mineral refinery to see firsthand how this critical mineral is mined right here in Arizona and refined to nearly 100% purity.

Antimony is essential to ammunition, weapons systems, night-vision equipment and other defense technologies. Yet the United States remains heavily dependent on foreign supplies. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that America relied on imports for 91% of its antimony metal and oxide consumption in 2025, with China among our leading sources.

Think about that: We depend on China for a mineral essential to our national defense. Beijing has used export restrictions on antimony, demonstrating the danger of relying on a foreign adversary for materials vital to our security.

Arizona has the resources. American workers can mine them, and we have the ability to refine them here at home. We should develop our own critical minerals, create American jobs and end our dependence on foreign adversaries for the materials that keep our country strong.

We have the resources. We have the workers. We need to get out of our own way and put America first.American minerals. American workers. American security.

Why Can't Maricopa County Get Elections Right?

This week, Maricopa County was once again in the headlines over an election-administration mishap. With just weeks remaining before the midterm elections, the Maricopa County Recorder's Office announced that 3,126 early ballots had been prematurely mailed six days ahead of schedule. Officials claim the ballots went to the correct voters and remain valid, but another preventable error raises legitimate questions about the safeguards and accountability Arizona voters deserve.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Maricopa County has faced repeated election-administration problems in recent years, including printer and tabulation issues at vote centers, prolonged delays in counting ballots, and disputes over the handling of ballot scanners and provisional ballots. These recurring problems create uncertainty, fuel public distrust and raise serious questions about whether election procedures are being administered with the accuracy and accountability voters expect.

In related news, the Justice Department announced charges involving 16 noncitizens in cases alleging illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration and related election crimes nationwide. These allegations underscore the importance of enforcing election laws and protecting the integrity of our elections. American elections must be decided by eligible American citizens, and violations of election law must be investigated and prosecuted.

Arizonans deserve better. Election officials and their vendors must be held accountable, election laws must be enforced, and every lawful vote must be protected. Election integrity is fundamental to our republic. Americans deserve elections they can trust, results they can have confidence in, and a system that puts lawful voters first.

American Workers Must Come First

If news reports this week about Arizona State University are true, serious questions must be answered. The Trump administration is investigating allegations that ASU and eight other universities may be abusing visa programs to hire foreign researchers at lower wages than qualified Americans. Federal officials report that J-1 visa holders account for roughly 61% of researchers on federally funded grants at the schools under scrutiny, compared with a national average of 38%.

No university should be above accountability. American taxpayers should never subsidize a system that puts American students and researchers at a disadvantage. Our universities should be opening doors for American talent, not using taxpayer-funded research to undercut American wages.

America's research dollars should strengthen American workers, protect our national interests, and put American talent first.

Biden's DOJ Targeted Parents Who Dared to Speak Up

A damning new 273-page Justice Department report issued this week exposes how the Biden administration worked with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to target parents who challenged school policies involving transgender issues, critical race theory and COVID restrictions. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland's 2021 memo followed pressure from the NSBA, which urged the federal government to consider treating certain parents' protests as domestic terrorism. The DOJ's review found that the FBI opened 25 assessments involving parents, despite serious constitutional concerns raised by department personnel.

Let that sink in: Moms and dads speaking up for their children were labelled as terrorists and treated as potential threats by their own government.

This is a disgraceful abuse of government power. Once again, the Biden administration had its priorities backward: instead of respecting concerned parents, it helped turn their voices into targets.

Parents should never have to fear federal scrutiny for questioning what their children are being taught or demanding accountability from school officials. The First Amendment protects the right to speak out, and parents-not bureaucrats in Washington-have the fundamental right to direct their children's upbringing.

And Finally…Rocky Road is Arizona's Favorite!

A new map released this week of America's ice cream preferences puts vanilla on top in 19 states, but Arizona is among five Western states that prefer Rocky Road. Apparently, Arizonans like their ice cream with a few bumps along the way! With Americans eating about 19 pounds of ice cream per person each year, that's a lot of sweet relief from the Arizona heat.

Tweet of the Week:

Photo of the Week:

Yvonne Gerard from Fort Mohave, AZ shared this spectacular photo from her recent trip to Alaska. Incredible Autumn colors! Thanks for sharing, Yvonne.

Do you want the chance for your photograph to be featured as our "Photo 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:

American Stewards of Liberty: Gosar's LANDs Act Would Rein in Presidential Monument Designations

Washington Examiner: Let Congress, not presidents, decide the future of public lands

Arizona's Family: Arizona State among 9 universities targeted in new federal visa fraud investigation

12 News: Florence Copper begins commercial production, the first new US copper source in nearly two decades

⚠ 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.