Latest news with #RubenGallego
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
‘We spend our dollars wisely': Kristi Noem clashes with Sen. Gallego over $50M luxury jet request
During a heated Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) questioned DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over a controversial $50 million request for a new Gulfstream jet. Noem defended the request, stating that the proposed jet would replace an over 20-year-old aircraft currently in use by the Coast Guard. Show more 10:14 08:02 02:31 03:32 08:52 07:36 09:45 06:40 02:23 05:57 04:18 10:29 03:38 07:04 06:31 02:05 03:41 05:36 04:15 09:36 08:58 09:11 04:43 10:26 11:48 09:14 03:32 08:23 04:06 08:18 09:25 04:00 17:18 09:21 03:35
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From my kiln to Capitol Hill: Small businesses need clear policy, not performative praise
Photo courtesy Milkweed Arts Earlier this month, I joined a group of Arizona small business owners on a trip to Washington, D.C., to speak directly with our U.S. senators about what small business support actually looks like in 2025. I didn't go as part of a lobbying firm or large trade association — I went as a working artist and entrepreneur from Phoenix who knows firsthand what happens when policy and practice don't align. I own Milkweed Arts, a fused glass education center and gallery in central Phoenix, and Unique Glass Colors, a small U.S.-based manufacturer of enamels for glass artists. We're part of a creative economy that blends education, local manufacturing, and arts-based entrepreneurship — and, like many Arizona businesses, we're deeply affected by federal decisions around wages, tariffs, and technology access. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In D.C., I met with staffers for Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego to talk about three major issues facing businesses like mine: access to AI tools, the importance of raising the federal minimum wage and the increasingly harmful impact of international tariffs on small domestic producers. Let's start with AI. While big tech often dominates that conversation, artificial intelligence tools are now essential for smaller operations like mine. We use AI to transcribe and caption educational videos for accessibility, to generate art marketing materials and to help with customer support when I'm teaching, traveling or fulfilling orders myself. It's not replacing jobs; it allows us to function without burning out. Without equitable access to AI, businesses like mine lose one of the few tools we must have in order to compete with bigger, better-funded entities. Federal policy must support responsible and affordable AI access for small businesses, not just billion-dollar platforms. Then there's wages. I support raising the federal minimum wage — not because it's trendy, but because it works. My employees are better workers when they can afford to live. Customers spend more when they aren't living paycheck to paycheck. Local economies grow when small businesses and workers thrive together. A business model that only survives by suppressing wages is not sustainable, or ethical. We need a federal wage floor that reflects the realities of today's cost of living, not outdated assumptions from decades ago. And, finally, tariffs. While proponents portray them as tools to level the playing field, they're currently punishing the wrong players. As a small manufacturer who occasionally sources materials overseas — materials that simply aren't produced in the United States — I've seen my costs spike. Unlike large corporations, I don't have the power to absorb the cost or renegotiate with suppliers. Every price hike chips away at already thin margins. These policies, when poorly targeted, don't protect American small businesses. They strain them. We need smarter trade strategies that acknowledge scale and intent. Both senators' offices were highly engaged in the discussion, asking questions, listening carefully and taking notes throughout. I'm hopeful that even brief meetings plant seeds for further conversation. In each meeting, I emphasized that creative small businesses aren't just hobbies or side hustles. We're employers, community anchors and vital parts of Arizona's economy. We host classes that enrich lives. We keep our supply chains local when we can. We offer dignified jobs. And we represent the very kind of innovation and resilience that Arizona should be proud to support. I also extended invitations for each office to visit Milkweed Arts. Our kiln rooms, classrooms and local partnerships offer a clear picture of how cultural and economic development go hand in hand. Small businesses don't need performative praise. We need clear, thoughtful policy. That means AI legislation that doesn't disproportionately impact small operators. It means fair wages. And it means tariff strategies that consider business size and capacity, not just product category. It's easy to hold press conferences about supporting small businesses. It's harder, but more important, to listen to us, ask the hard questions and shape policy that meets us where we are. I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent Arizona's creative economy on Capitol Hill. But one trip isn't enough. Real support starts when policymakers treat small business not as a photo op, but as an equal partner in shaping Arizona's future. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘We spend our dollars wisely': Kristi Noem clashes with Sen. Gallego over $50M luxury jet request
During a heated Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) questioned DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over a controversial $50 million request for a new Gulfstream jet. Noem defended the request, stating that the proposed jet would replace an over 20-year-old aircraft currently in use by the Coast Guard. Show more Show less
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Gallego: Concerns about trans athletes ‘legitimate'
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) says Democrats should be more open to hearing 'legitimate' concerns about transgender students participating in girls and women's sports, the latest in a recent string of Democrats to break publicly with the party on an issue championed by Republicans. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition,' Gallego said in an interview published Thursday with The Dispatch, a right-leaning digital magazine. 'And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately about the health and wellness of their kids.' 'There are some sports that some of these trans children should not be playing,' he continued, adding that it should be up to local entities such as school boards or athletic associations to establish eligibility requirements for trans athletes and determine sports where 'there should be a separation' based on sex at birth. But the overarching message to transgender youth, he said, should be rooted in compassion. 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved,' Gallego said. The Arizona lawmaker, first elected to the House in 2014 before winning a competitive Senate seat last year, previously backed legislation in Congress supporting transgender rights. He is a four-time co-sponsor of the Equality Act, legislation to make sexual orientation and gender identity federally protected classes, and served as a vice chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, which works to advance LGBTQ rights in the House. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group that endorsed Gallego's Senate bid, did not immediately return a request for comment on his remarks about trans athletes. More than half the nation, including Arizona, has adopted laws that either outright ban or restrict transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. Federal court rulings are blocking the enforcement of laws passed in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, West Virginia and New Hampshire. Gallego is the latest of a handful of Democrats to voice opposition to allowing transgender girls to participate in girls sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) — who, like Gallego, is a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — said he believes trans athletes competing against and alongside cisgender girls is 'deeply unfair,' and he would be 'open' to having a conversation about limiting their participation in California. Responding to a policy announced this week by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) allowing more girls to compete in state track-and-field championship events where a transgender girl also qualified, a spokesperson for Newsom said the governor 'is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.' 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' the spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, said. At least four other Democrats in Congress have said they oppose transgender student-athletes participating in girls and women's sports. Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi (N.Y.) and Seth Moulton (Mass.) spoke out against the party's broad support for trans athletes in the immediate aftermath of the November elections, which saw Republicans retake control of both chambers and the White House. GOP candidates, including President Trump, zeroed in on transgender rights while on the campaign trail. In January, two Texas members, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, were the only Democrats to vote with Republicans to advance legislation to ban transgender girls from competing in girls school sports nationwide. 'I believe that there should be rules to keep our sports fair and that boys should not play in girls sports,' Gonzales said following his vote. A spokesperson for Cuellar told The Hill in January that the Texas lawmaker, who voted against the same bill in 2023, changed his vote 'based on the concerns and feedback he received from constituents in his district.' In a New York Times/Ipsos poll published in February, 79 percent of surveyed Americans said trans athletes should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. A Pew Research Center survey released the same month found Americans have grown more supportive of policies restricting transgender rights, including ones that require athletes to compete on sports teams that match their birth sex. An AP-NORC poll released this month found that roughly half of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of transgender issues, including 19 percent of Democrats. The president has targeted trans rights through sweeping policy changes and several executive orders, including one aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Progressive Sen. Ruben Gallego admits ‘legitimate' concerns about trans athletes in girl's sports
Freshman Sen. Ruben Gallego, seen by some observers as a possible 2028 Democratic dark horse, has admitted that there are 'legitimate' issues with male-to-female transgender athletes competing in women's and girl's sports, splitting from many of his fellow progressives. 'As a parent of a daughter, I think it's legitimate that parents are worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it's legitimate for us to be worried also about fair competition,' Gallego (D-Ariz.) told The Dispatch in an interview published Thursday. 'And I think the parents of these trans children also are worried, legitimately, about the health and wellness of their kids.' Advertisement Gallego, 45, went on to argue that the issue of transgender competition in 'some' school sports should be left to 'local institutions,' without elaborating. 3 Sen. Ruben Gallego tried to stake out middle ground on the thorny issue. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 3 Democrats have been under pressure from progressives to allow transgenders to compete in women's sports. Getty Images Advertisement In other cases, the senator added, the message to trans would-be competitors should be: 'Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but this is just the one place you can't play, and let's find other activities for you to be involved.' Gallego and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan were the only two Democrats to win Senate seats in states that President Trump won in the 2024 election. The Arizonan is not the only Democrat to distance themselves from most progressives on the issue of protecting women's sports. 'I have two girls, I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I'm supposed to be afraid to say that,' Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said days after the election, drawing backlash from left-wingers. Advertisement 3 California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted that allow transgenders to compete in women's sports seems 'deeply unfair.' AP Earlier this year, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, another rumored 2028 aspirant, admitted that allowing transgender competitors in women's sports is 'deeply unfair.' 'I think it's an issue of fairness; I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it's deeply unfair,' the governor said on his podcast during a March interview with conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. Advertisement Earlier this week, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school athletics in the Golden State, tweaked eligibility rules for a track and field championship to allow 'any biological female student-athlete' into the event who failed to qualify because they were defeated by transgender athletes. Trump had threatened to cut federal funding for California over the issue and the Justice Department opened a Title IX investigation into the matter Wednesday.
