by 
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., finished 2014 strong as two more of her bipartisan bills were signed into law at the end of the year: legislation authorizing a land exchange for a Superior copper mine projected to bring nearly 4,000 mining and mining-related jobs, and a bill that posthumously honors military hero SSgt. Manuel Mendoza, “The Arizona Kid.”
About the two bills:
CREATING JOBS: The Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act transfers about 2,400 acres of Forest Service land to the Resolution Copper Mine, and in exchange, it places about 5,000 acres of privately held, environmentally sensitive land into federal protection from mining or development. The Superior mine has been one of Kirkpatrick’s top priorities since she first took office in 2009. She introduced the legislation during the 111th Congress and is the original cosponsor of the version introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar in the 113th Congress that was signed into law by the president in December. Kirkpatrick and Gosar worked together to advance the legislation in Congress and hosted a joint town hall in Superior in 2013.
HONORING A HERO: Kirkpatrick’s bipartisan bill, H.R. 4416, renames the Miami, Ariz., Post Office to honor the late SSgt. Manuel Mendoza, known as “The Arizona Kid.” Mendoza was born in the eastern Arizona mining town of Miami and grew up to become a decorated war hero known for his courage during battle in World War II. Kirkpatrick’s bill, signed into law by the president in December, was cosponsored by the entire Arizona delegation.
The bills that became law in December added to Kirkpatrick’s record of bipartisan results during the 113th Congress, whether passing legislation, securing infrastructure or delivering constituent service.
Below is a review of Kirkpatrick’s work during the past term:
Bills that became law
Jobs: The Southeast Arizona Land Conservation and Exchange Act, cosponsored with Rep. Paul Gosar, moves the Superior mine forward and creates thousands of local jobs.
Mountainaire: H.R. 862, cosponsored with Rep. Gosar, corrects a harmful, decades-old surveyor error that had placed Mountainaire private properties inside Coconino National Forest boundaries.
VA backlog: The bipartisan VA CORE legislation takes several steps to help reduce the VA claims backlog that is affecting too many of our veterans.
Honoring a hero: The bipartisan bill renames the Miami Post Office to honor the late SSgt. Manuel Mendoza, a local WWII hero known as “The Arizona Kid.”
Critical resources secured
$35 million in emergency funds for repairs after the U.S. 89 collapsed and closed off a route that is critical to many communities, schools, businesses and tourism in northern Arizona.
$20 million+ in District One grants for regional airports, highway repairs, rural business development, construction, STEM education and more.
$5 million transportation grant for the Navajo Nation to invest in a hybrid bus fleet.
$3 million for three critical flood-control projects: the Lower Santa Cruz Watershed project in Pinal County, the Winslow levee in Navajo County, and Rio de Flag in Coconino County.
$2.8 million TIGER Grant for the Hopi Tribe to fund a transportation and infrastructure project on tribal roadways.
Actions to help veterans
VA reform – In the push for VA reform, Kirkpatrick called for a nationwide audit of VA medical facilities, introduced the House version of Sen. McCain’s reform bill, and was appointed to the Conference Committee that negotiated the final legislation. After it passed, she traveled across the district to meet with veteran groups and discuss how the reforms will impact veterans in our rural and tribal communities.
VA whistleblower bill – Kirkpatrick was the only member of the House of Representatives to introduce a
VA whistleblower protection bill.
Veteran jobs bill – The House overwhelmingly passed Kirkpatrick’s bill to help veterans transfer military skills toward civilian licenses and find jobs with employers who want to hire veterans.
Rural veteran mental health – Kirkpatrick introduced a bill to help expand access to mental health care for our rural veterans who may live hours from the nearest VA facility.
Field hearing in Tucson – Kirkpatrick brought the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee to Tucson to hear from local veterans, doctors, and families.
Serving our tribal communities
Public safety: Kirkpatrick fought to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act because the 12 Native American tribes in our district need more resources to protect families and crack down on perpetrators.
Uranium mining: Kirkpatrick continues to stand with our tribes in opposition to any new uranium mining permits at the Grand Canyon or on their sacred lands.
Tribal veterans: She introduced a bill to boost construction of veteran nursing homes on tribal land (a loophole in current law prevents tribes from qualifying for VA construction grants and funding).
Solving problems for constituents
Casework: Kirkpatrick’s five district offices have resolved hundreds of constituent cases, helping veterans get the benefits they’ve earned, helping seniors with Social Security and Medicare issues, and much more.
Savings and benefits: Our District One caseworkers have delivered more than $2 million in savings and benefits from resolved casework during the 113th Congress.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
by by