Rep. Crane Listens to and Advocates for Rural Arizonans

Last week, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) traveled across rural Arizona to meet with constituents, key stakeholders, and industry leaders. Unfortunately, Congress is not in session to finish critical work on behalf of the American people. However, Rep. Crane is using the district work period to strengthen relationships, hear directly from Arizonans, and advance priorities across agriculture, energy, education, and public lands.

On Wednesday, Rep. Crane joined Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) for a major announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Douglas. With the New World screwworm threatening American livestock, Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a $25 million investment to construct a new sterile fly facility in Arizona, improving the nation's long-term response to the pest. This followed a letter co-signed by Rep. Crane, urging the USDA to take action on a modernized facility in Douglas.

The group also toured livestock inspection facilities at the Douglas Port of Entry, underscoring the preparedness measures ahead of the port's planned reopening to livestock trade on August 24, 2026.

Following Wednesday's engagement, Rep. Crane traveled to Show Low to visit Linden Valley Arena for an up-close look at the operation. Linden Valley is an iconic destination for the roping community, and the arena has been owned and operated by Kay and Dee Perkins since 2010.

The next morning, Rep. Crane had the honor of speaking to teachers and staff from the Show Low Unified School District ahead of the start of the school year. He shared lessons on leadership and teamwork drawn from his experience as a former Navy SEAL and small business owner. Rep. Crane thanked the district's educators for their dedication as they prepared to welcome students back to the classroom.

This visit came on the heels of a major legislative win for rural schools across the district. Last year, Rep. Crane worked to build support for a three-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, which was ultimately signed into law. It guarantees continued funding for local education and essential services in communities near national forest land, delivering real stability for every county in Arizona's Second Congressional District.

After concluding his engagements in Show Low, Rep. Crane traveled to Holbrook to visit Northland Pioneer College, where he met with staff to discuss progress on its Commercial Driver's License (CDL) program.

In Washington, the Trump administration launched the Freedom Haulers Initiative, a federal effort to expand the pipeline for veterans to enter the industry. Rep. Crane appreciated the administration's prioritization of the issue and applauded Northland Pioneer College's development of its CDL program.

Later that afternoon, Rep. Crane visited H Bar and Y Ranch in Holbrook to meet with Casey and Meggan Murph and their family. The Murphs have run cattle on Arizona State Land Department grazing leases since before statehood, yet they now face the prospect of losing those leases due to a proposed solar project by a foreign company.

Rep. Crane believes this betrays the interests of hardworking Arizonans and has worked behind the scenes to help resolve the situation. Last month, Rep. Crane joined the Murphs at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to address lawfare complaints from America's farmers, ranchers, and producers.

The agreement formalizes cooperation between the USDA Lawfare Portal and the SBA's Office of National Ombudsman to ensure complaints are routed, investigated, and resolved rather than slipping through the cracks. Over the past two years, the USDA Lawfare Portal has logged more than 400 submissions from 47 states documenting anti-agricultural legal harassment.

Afterwards, Rep. Crane toured the Cholla Power Plant, which began operating in 1962 and ceased burning coal in March 2025. Arizona Public Service is now pursuing plans to convert the facility to natural gas, a project expected to add approximately 380 megawatts of capacity and support jobs in the surrounding community. Rep. Crane appreciated the updates on this transition and its potential to sustain local employment and reliable power generation.

On Saturday, Rep. Crane headed to Williams for the Coconino County Farm Bureau and Cattle Growers Association's annual banquet. Rep. Crane gave remarks updating business leaders on several legislative priorities.

Regarding the House-passed Farm Bill, Rep. Crane detailed key wins in the legislation, including new Buy American requirements for school meals, a reporting requirement on agricultural land purchases by foreign adversaries, and strengthened farm credit and crop insurance programs. He also noted the inclusion of his amendment to expedite recovery following the White Sage Fire, as well as his support for amendments to remove pesticide liability protections and guarantee compensation for predation caused by Mexican wolves.

Furthermore, Rep. Crane updated attendees on the status of the House-passed Fix Our Forests Act and North Rim Restoration Act of 2025. The former would bolster Arizona's forest health through new technology, reduce litigation, and focus on high-risk areas. The latter would help expedite rebuilding of the Grand Canyon's North Rim following the Dragon Bravo Fire by streamlining federal contracting.

Although these measures passed the House with strong bipartisan support, the Senate has yet to give final approval. Rep. Crane remains hopeful the upper chamber will finish the job and send them to the president's desk.

On the final stop of the trip, Rep. Crane visited Camp Verde for a discussion with ranchers facing issues with the U.S. Forest Service. After updating attendees on the latest from Washington, he heard directly from constituents on challenges they face. Rep. Crane is drafting legislation geared toward helping implement fence repairs after natural disasters, as well as restricting the widespread abuses of the Equal Access to Justice Act.

In addition, the district received new federal support this week through the U.S. Department of Transportation. In total, the agency awarded more than $5 million for airport infrastructure improvements. Rep. Crane welcomed the news, which follows last month's $4 million and $6 million grants for Polacca Airport and Coolidge Municipal Airport, respectively.

"Last week, I had the privilege of visiting with constituents, industry leaders, and remarkable institutions within Arizona's Second Congressional District. While there is much work to be done in Washington, D.C., it's refreshing to get back home and meet face to face with the people I'm honored to represent. I look forward to building on these relationships and delivering principled and effective solutions for all Arizonans," said Rep. Crane.