WATCH: Sen. McCain Moves To Saddle Obama With Iraq, Afghanistan Outcomes

Arizona Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today made a stronger case than ever that President Barack Obama will receive all responsibility for any future problems in either Iraq or Afghanistan.  Or, Pakistan or anywhere else, for that matter.

McCain was the first guest on CBS' Face the Nation program, and he noted that the President's most recent decision to accelerate the reduction of combat troops in Afghanistan is "one of a series of decisions the president has made basically overruling his military advisers. So whether it be in Iraq, which is now unraveling very significantly, or whether it be the decisions about a surge and how many and how soon they leave. There's a series of decisions, all of which the president and the vice president have overruled our military leaders and their advice and counsel, which is the president's right to do. But each time I believe that it has ensured the risk of failure."

The full transcript of McCain's 8 1/2 minute interview is below the jump.


Here is the President's weekly address on his agreement with Afghanistan's President Karzai:

Rep. Gosar Voted "Nay" On Hurricane Sandy Aid Package, Now Proposes Suspension Of Davis-Bacon To Reduce Costs

(UPDATE, 1/12/13 10:45AM: updating to reflect spokesperson's response that Rep. Gosar is "looking into" proposing an amendment)

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD4) voted against the first Hurricane Sandy relief package last week (as did Arizona's other three GOP Congressmen, although AZ's two GOP Senators voted for it), and in advance of next week's second relief package, he is "looking into" proposing language to suspend the federal Davis-Bacon Act requiring the government's contractors to pay their employees a prevailing wage.

The Hill reported this afternoon that Gosar "has proposed language suspending the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements from all spending associated with the main bill and the Frelinghuysen amendment.  However, the Representative's spokesperson, Apryl Marie Fogel, tells Arizona's Politics that Gosar is "looking into" such an amendment.

The last time the 1931 law was suspended was by President George W. Bush in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.  Democrats complained that it was designed to permit contractors to import immigrant workers who would work for less than the prevailing wage.  However, the law is also criticized by some as being obsolete.

Arizona's Politics has requested a statement from Rep. Gosar on his amendment, and will update this post as warranted.  (It may be complicated by jet lag - Gosar is just returning from his trip to the Mideast.
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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THIS ARIZONA OFFICEHOLDER, PART 2: Rep. Gosar Turns Up In Mideast, Inspecting EmbassiesC

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD4) swore in for his 2nd Congressional term last week, then took off for the Mideast with six GOP colleagues to inspect U.S. embassies and consulates.

The seven members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (Democrats need not apply) are checking the security situation in the wake of the attack in Benghazi which left four Americans - including Ambassador Chris Stevens - dead in September.

The Congresspeople - led by Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA) - have visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv in Israel, and facilities in Turkey and Lebanon.  Three more unspecified stops were planned before heading back to Washington.  The House reconvenes on Monday.

The other committee members are Reps. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Raul Labrador (R-ID), John Mica (R-FL) and Tim Walberg (R-MI).

Gosar and his office has maintained radio silence since he left the country.  The Tennessean was the first to report the Committee trip, yesterday.  Seven of the 22 Republicans on the Committee are on the trip.

It was one month ago that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) received a lot of national attention for her unannounced overseas trip, to Afghanistan.

Arizona's Politics has contacted the Congressman's office to inquire about his observations to date.


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WATCH: Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon Agrees GOP Should Be Prepared To Shut Government Down

Arizona had two representatives on Sunday news show "Face the Nation" today, new Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Matt Salmon (R-CD5).  Salmon was the only one of the Republicans on the program to endorse Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) op-ed piece that the GOP should be willing to let the government shut down if they cannot get enough spending cuts.





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DOUBLE UP: Arizona Sen. Flake, Rep. Salmon Both "Face The Nation"

CBS' "Face the Nation" this Sunday will feature not just one Arizonan, but two.  Newly-elected Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) will appear with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy (CT), and newly-returned Rep. Matt Salmon (R-CD5) will then be on with three other House members, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA).

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Arizona Rep. Gosar Cautiously Praises Obama Administration For New Plan For Navajo Generating Station

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD4) cautiously praised the Obama Administration's new Joint Agency Statement regarding the Navajo Generating Station.

Because it is a large coal-fired power plant that emits large amounts of nitrogen dioxide gas that is partly responsible for visibility issues at the Grand Canyon and other parks in the West.  The three agencies that issued the statement today are the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy.

Gosar issued a statement explaining that the statement "seems to imply that the Obama Administration is abandoning a previous proposal that would have done little to improve haze while imposing catastrophic costs on the Arizona economy."

Here is the full Gosar statement, and the Administration's Joint Statement can be found at the above link.

Representative Gosar: Navajo Generating Station Working Group Is A Good Start

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar (R - AZ) released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's formation of a Navajo Generating Station Working Group to develop recommendations on the important Northern Arizona power plant:  

"After years of mixed messages and uncertainty, today’s joint statement seems to imply that the Obama Administration is abandoning a previous proposal that would have done little to improve haze while imposing catastrophic costs on the Arizona economy.  While there are many unanswered questions pertaining to this working group, I hope it signals that the federal government will work with, and not continue to dictate to, Arizona and tribal stakeholders. 

Protecting the affordability and security of our state’s water and power supply has been one of my top    priorities in Congress.  Rest assured, I will continue to fight for Arizona’s interests and ensure the NGS does not become a victim of the Obama Administration's regulatory ‘war on the west.’"

The Navajo Generating Station and the associated coal mine directly employs over 1,000 northern Arizonans with more than 80 percent being Native American. The plant powers the Central Arizona Project, the country’s largest aqueduct system, which delivers more than 500 billion gallons of Colorado River water to cities, towns, industries, Native American communities, and irrigation districts that serve more than 80 percent of Arizona’s population.   Additionally, the plant is critical to the federal government’s ability to meet federal trust responsibilities under Arizona Indian water rights settlements.

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WATCH: Rep. Grijalva On Codifying DREAM Act and "Going Further"

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD3) was on cable network MSNBC earlier today discussing "gun safety" and codifying the DREAM Act and "going further".



Here is what the Congressman wrote on his Facebook page this afternoon:

"I did an interview earlier today on the prospects for immigration reform and gun safety legislation in the 113th Congress. We simply have to codify the DREAM Act and go further, because we're facing a moral cliff that this country can't afford to go over. At the same time, we can't keep letting 40 percent of gun sales go through without a background check. It's terrible public policy."



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Arizona House Republicans Vote As Block Against Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill

Arizona's four Republican House members joined a minority of GOP Representatives in voting against the emergency Hurricane Sandy relief bill today.  The $9.7B borrowing package passed 354-67.

Representatives Paul Gosar, Matt Salmon, Davd Schweikert, and Trent Franks all cast their votes against the bill.  The overall GOP count was 161-67 (4 no votes). No Democrats voted against it.  (Arizona's five Democratic Representatives included.)

The bill (short text here) permits FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to borrow $9.7 Billion to help pay claims related to the October hurricane/superstorm. The Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent, and it is headed to the Presdient's desk for signature.  A second bill is expected to be voted upon on January 15.


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