| ARIZONA – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) took his fight against Republican-led cuts to Medicaid, the Trump Administration’s cuts to the VA, and the impacts of Trump’s ongoing trade war home to Arizona. Over the last two weeks, Senator Gallego embarked on a statewide town hall tour to address the real-world consequences of this administration. He visited Flagstaff, the Yavapai Apache Nation, and Phoenix, where he heard directly from Arizonans on how the chaotic and detrimental decisions from the Trump Administration are impacting their daily lives. While in state, the Senator also participated in a bipartisan panel discussion hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, visited small businesses impacted by Trump’s tariffs, and underscored his commitment to fighting for legislation that prioritizes Arizona. See coverage below On the AirwavesKTVW (Phoenix, AZ): Senator Gallego on the effects of Trump’s trade war: “La economía en este tiempo va a estar en una recesión. La comida va a costar más, viajar a México va a costar más, y yo creo que va a haber más desempleo.” Senator Gallego on immigration reform: “Personas inocentes, personas que no tienen una historia de crimen, para separar familias y para mandar hombres inocentes a cárceles en El Salvador — eso es la cosa que yo creo que los votantes de los Estados Unidos no quieren […] Lo que yo estoy tratando de hacer es traer nuevas leyes al Senado para traer la reforma migratoria.” Senator Gallego on Republican-led cuts to Medicaid: “[Trump] quiere quitar millones de personas de de la seguridad de salud, aquí en Arizona se llama AHCCCS. Casi 30% de todos latinos en este estado están en Medicaid, AHCCCS.” KTAR (Phoenix, AZ): Senator Gallego on the effects of Trump’s trade war: “We’ve kind of established a um a pattern and a reputation with these countries that um they’re not going to be very trusting of us. There’s going to be a lot of […] foreign companies are going to start looking for new domestic partners because they feel that at any point this president could just have a conviction and just change tariff laws.” Senator Gallego on immigration reform: “We need to reform the asylum system. There’s just no way anybody could look at what happened in the last four years that we could look at it. And this is for more of a message to the left. The asylum system was abused. […] And so, we need to change that.” KAET (Pheonix, AZ): Senator Gallego on the Republican-led cuts to Medicaid: “I’ve been traveling the state specifically actually having town halls in rural Arizona, in what people would call red Arizona. Rural Arizona is more dependent on Medicaid than urban Arizona, than Maricopa County and Pima County. […] “We have to make sure that we are doing everything we can to get the message out that this is a real humanitarian crisis that you will be kicking off hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. Hospitals will be shutting down, people losing their jobs. All these things are going to happen. And more importantly, this is an option. The president and Republicans can extend the tax cuts further without cutting Medicaid.” Senator Gallego on the Trump Administration’s massive cuts VA cuts: “Doing this is only going to turn that clock backwards. It’s going to make it harder for us to actually recruit people going into the future. […] All because this administration is more hellbent on these cuts but not necessarily on figuring out how to make good quality improvements.” KTAZ (Phoenix, AZ): Senator Gallego on the Trump Administration’s Cuts: “Pues yo creo que hay muchos recortes que están ocurriendo, que está haciendo esta administración, pero no están pensando que son las consecuencias de eso. […] Van a haber menos doctores, menos nurses [enfermeras], servicios para para los veteranos. Pero también es otras cosas – las cosas, por ejemplo, otros empleados de gobierno federal que son importantes para servicio a los ciudadanos.” KTVK (Phoenix, AZ): Al Graham, town hall attendee: “My family military veterans that go back to the Revolutionary War. […] A big or reorganization has come in with a lot of calls for layoffs and things. So we’re finally starting to feel the effects.” Reporter: “Senator Gallego heard similar stories from other veterans Friday morning. He also shared his concerns about VA cuts, especially in rural Arizona.” Senator Gallego: “It’s going to be harder to go to a doctor. It’s harder to find a specialist. Uh you’re going to have increased wait times. Wait times means people are health is going to deteriorate.” KTVK (Phoenix, AZ): Reporter: “Arizona lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took center stage at the Arizona Biltmore yesterday to take part in a panel discussion on issues a lot of people are talking about: the economy, tariffs, healthcare, immigration, border security […]” Gallego: “Stop getting in stupid trade wars.” Reporter: “The panel discussion was very different when Arizona senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego took the stage. They do not support the way the Trump Administration is slashing federal agencies and laying off thousands of employees without any clear reason. The senators also worry about Trump ignoring the Supreme Court and deporting people without due process. Both Kelly and Gallego believe the tariffs the president has put in place is hurting hardworking families by driving up costs of everyday items.” In Print KJZZ: Sen. Ruben Gallego says proposed Medicaid cuts will leave families uninsured [Camryn Sanchez, 4/23/25] Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego says proposed Medicaid cuts will negatively impact reproductive health care for Arizona families. […] “There is no going back. We will be kicking off vulnerable women in one of the most difficult times and make them basically take a crapshoot about the birth and health of their babies and of course just their own self,” Gallego said. Alicia Jefferson attended the townhall with her baby son. She said without Medicaid, caring for her children — including a son with asthma — would destroy her family. “My biggest fear is that if this is to be passed, what fail-safes do we have so that I don’t go bankrupt just trying to make sure that he has vaccines, my middle child has vaccines, my oldest, my oldest doesn’t die because he can’t breathe?” Jefferson asked. Gallego told her there is no fail-safe. He called for people to reach out to their Republican representatives and ask them to block the proposed cuts. If a handful of Republicans vote with Democrats, they’ll be able to stop the proposed cuts. Sedona Red Rock News: US Sen. Ruben Gallego warns of cuts to Medicare and Medicaid by DOGE at Y-AN Town Hall[Julio Mora Rodriguez, 4/24/25] U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego [D] held a town hall at the Yavapai-Apache Nation on April 17, introduced by Yavapai-Apache Nation Tribal Council Chairwoman Tanya Lewis. […] “We really need you to interact with those Republican senators and get them on board with the American people,” Camp Verde resident Elizabeth Briggs said after the meeting. “They need to get out and be in with the people. They need to really listen.” Verde Independent: Sen. Gallego warns of Medicaid cuts impacting rural Arizona[Tony Capobianco, 4/22/25] “Medicaid is important to rural Arizona,” Gallego said. “If you cut rural Arizona, there’s going to be consequences.” The main concern Gallego raised during the town hall is cutting Medicaid is going to cause “disproportionately big harm to our citizens, especially in rural Arizona.” “And it wasn’t necessary, either, to do those cuts,” Gallego said, “because a lot of it is designed to give some very, very, very, very rich people more tax cuts off the back of Medicaid recipients.” Worse so, he said, is while Medicaid can be funded again with new legislation, the effects of these cuts will not only be “detrimental” but “irreversible” to rural Arizona. “If any of these places, the hospital, for example, for the FQHC has to fire a doctor or send a doctor away because they can’t afford them, that doctor is not coming back,” Gallego said. “Once the money comes back, it is hard enough to find doctors. It’s hard enough to find specialists. Now imagine what these doctors and nurses are going to say once we lay them off, and it’s hard to recruit them to come back, especially when you have to compete against some big areas.” KNAU: Gallego highlights tariff impacts to northern Arizona economy[Adrian Skabelund, 4/23/25] Last week, Senator Ruben Gallego highlighted the economic impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs, including on local businesses in northern Arizona. The Democrat toured the east Flagstaff coffee shop, Mayan Winds, as part of a two-day visit to the region. He says he believes the tariffs are leading the country into a recession. “And the worst of it all is that this is absolutely self-inflicted. There was no reason that we had to go about it in the manner that we did. It’s chaotic, it is haphazard and it is destroying our economy,” Gallego told KNAU. Gallego added that Trump’s policies discourage international travelers from visiting the country, damaging Arizona’s tourist economy. Owner of Mayan Winds Jeronimo Vasquez, who also serves on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, says he has seen a drop in the number of tourists coming in. Vasquez says it’s a significant portion of their business, adding the price of coffee has also risen significantly. KAFF: Senator Gallego Addresses Veterans in Downtown Flagstaff[Tony Bracha 4/18/25] Senator Ruben Gallego hosted a town hall meeting at the American Legion in downtown Flagstaff this morning. Sen. Gallego, a veteran himself who has required assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) before, addressed issues such as the Trump Administration’s current attempt to cut 83,000 jobs from the Arizona VA, veterans of color’s accomplishments being buried due to the DEI purge, service officer training and current understaffing issues with the VA and telehealth services. White Mountain Independent: Gallego visits St. Johns, pledges support for SMRs and rural economic growth[Jenn Moreira, 4/27/25] “The main reason people are more excited about SMRs is that it creates ongoing, good-paying jobs, not just a one-time build,” he said. “With wind, there’s very little long-term economic return for the communities that host them.” That distinction between short-term construction jobs and long-term employment has become a defining issue in Northeastern Arizona, where aging coal-fired power plants like Coronado are facing shutdown. Gallego emphasized that SMRs could offer not only energy generation, but also economic stability. “You can scale SMRs up. You can add modular components, build more substations and create jobs here,” he said. “It’s not just about generating power. It’s about keeping rural Arizona alive and thriving.” […] Gallego said he is working to secure federal loan guarantees for companies developing SMR technology, a key incentive, especially since no SMRs are yet operational in the United States. These guarantees could reduce investment risk and speed up deployment. Read more about Senator Gallego’s time in Arizona: AZ Family: Arizona veterans fear impact of VA job cuts on crucial services[Mason Carroll, 4/19/25] KAFF: Senator Ruben Gallego Visits Local Coffee Shop To Talk About Tariffs [Tony Bracha, 4/17/25] KTAR: Sen. Ruben Gallego calls for sweeping immigration changes [David Veenstra, 4/23/25] KTAR: Sen. Ruben Gallego thinks Trump policies are weakening US leverage over China [Kevin Stone, 4/24/25] Axios Phoenix: Tariffs, Medicaid divide Arizona lawmakers [Jeremy Duda, 4/23/25] Copyright (C) 2025 Sen. Gallego Press. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Sen. 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Sen. Gallego Visits Northern Arizona, Phoenix, to Address Medicaid Cuts, Tariffs, VA Layoffs, and More
