An A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft from the 124th Operations Support Flight flying over Utah in early 2012. The Pentagon wants to retire the 40-year-old close-support fighter jets as part of its budget-cutting. /Photo by Staff Sgt Stephany Richards/U.S. Air Force)
By Peter Aleshire | Pinal Central
Pinal County’s top two representatives in Congress took wildly contrasting positions last week on the passage of the $768 billion National Defense Authorization Act.
Democrat Rep. Tom O’Halleran supported the bill, which added billions to President Joe Biden’s budget request and included a 2.7% pay increase for service members.
“After a tumultuous summer, it is imperative that we pass commonsense legislation that will ensure the safety and preparedness of our troops and operations at home and abroad and provide them the stability necessary to complete their important missions,” said O’Halleran.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar voted against the bill, saying it offered the Biden Administration a blank check following the chaotic end of the war in Afghanistan.
“We just lost a major war in Afghanistan,” he said in a prepared statement. “Thousands of brave American service members were killed. Trillions of American taxpayer dollars were spent and wasted. Our military leaders left behind $82 billion in high-tech military equipment and surrendered a state-of-the-art military air base in Bagram.”
Ohalleran represents Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Casa Grande, Maricopa, Eloy, Coolidge and eastern Pinal County. Gosar represents the 4th District, which includes, Florence, San Tan Valley, Gold Canyon and Apache Junction.
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By Peter Aleshire | Pinal Central
Pinal County’s top two representatives in Congress took wildly contrasting positions last week on the passage of the $768 billion National Defense Authorization Act.
Democrat Rep. Tom O’Halleran supported the bill, which added billions to President Joe Biden’s budget request and included a 2.7% pay increase for service members.
“After a tumultuous summer, it is imperative that we pass commonsense legislation that will ensure the safety and preparedness of our troops and operations at home and abroad and provide them the stability necessary to complete their important missions,” said O’Halleran.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar voted against the bill, saying it offered the Biden Administration a blank check following the chaotic end of the war in Afghanistan.
“We just lost a major war in Afghanistan,” he said in a prepared statement. “Thousands of brave American service members were killed. Trillions of American taxpayer dollars were spent and wasted. Our military leaders left behind $82 billion in high-tech military equipment and surrendered a state-of-the-art military air base in Bagram.”
Ohalleran represents Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Casa Grande, Maricopa, Eloy, Coolidge and eastern Pinal County. Gosar represents the 4th District, which includes, Florence, San Tan Valley, Gold Canyon and Apache Junction.
