See how Adelita S. Grijalva's votes line up with your values.
DeepSyte scores Adelita S. Grijalva's record on the issues you care about — not party, not press releases. Take the 2-minute values quiz to see your personal alignment.
Sign in and take the values quiz to see how Adelita S. Grijalva's votes line up with your views.
Prediction track record
How often we called Adelita S. Grijalva's passage votes correctly, from their stated positions on each bill's tagged topics. Excludes “unclear” calls and abstentions.
To prohibit the disclosure of records by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of individuals for the purposes of immigration enforcement, and for other purposes.
No paired statements and votes yet for Adelita S. Grijalva
We haven't yet found statement/vote pairs on the same topic for Adelita S. Grijalva. This usually means either the rep hasn't taken public positions on bills that have come to a passage vote, or those bills haven't been tagged yet. The checker runs as new press releases and votes come in.
Pro analysis
AI rep analysis — Pro
Get an AI-narrated read on Adelita S. Grijalva's full voting record against your stated values — aligned themes, conflicts, notable votes, and what to watch for.
We haven't extracted campaign positions for Adelita S. Grijalva yet. Once their campaign website or position pages are processed, this card will track what they said vs how they voted.
Crossing the aisle
No party-break passage votes recorded for Adelita S. Grijalva. Either they've voted with Democrats on every substantive passage vote in the corpus, or their tenure overlaps few high-threshold party-line votes so far.
Reps. Grijalva, Ansari, and Dexter Join Reproductive Freedom for All to Advocate for Pregnant Women in Immigration Detention
Position: The release describes an oversight visit to the Eloy Detention Center and calls for protecting reproductive health, ensuring adequate medical care, and upholding the dignity of women in immigration detention. It criticizes the detention of pregnant women as a departure from prior administrations' practices.
ELOY, AZ — Yesterday, on Wednesday, October 21, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva joined Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Maxine Dexter (OR-03), alongside Reproductive Freedom for All President Mini Timmaraju, for an oversight visit to the Eloy Detention Center to hear directly from women about their reproductive health experiences in immigration detention. Multiple pregnant women have previously been held at Eloy, including one who miscarried. This is a departure from the policies of previous administrations that typically did not hold pregnant people in detention.
The visit focused on the urgent need to protect reproductive health, ensure access to adequate medical care, and uphold the dignity of women in immigration detention. During the visit, the lawmakers heard from women about their experiences navigating pregnancy and accessing essential reproductive health supplies while detained. The lawmakers met with two women:
Maria Alejandra Valero Brinez, a 24-year-old Venezuelan woman and mother of a six-year-old son. She has valid employment authorization until 2029, a pending asylum petition, and no criminal convictions. She was living in Mesa, Arizona before she was detained in August. She is approximately five months pregnant, and described serious concerns about her pregnancy and access to adequate medical care while detained. She has experienced spotting and reported that she has to throw herself on the ground and plead for attention in order to receive medical care. When she was able to receive care, the doctors informed her she has a low-lying placenta — the same condition that led to a stillborn birth three years earlier. Despite having a high-risk pregnancy, she said she has not been able to receive images from ultrasounds or other information about her and her baby’s condition. Maria fears for their safety and well-being, especially given the lack of information about her pregnancy. She is also afraid to express any emotion about her current condition, as detainees are often placed into solitary confinement if they show any signs of emotional distress.
Maria also raised concerns about access to drinking water and food inside the facility. Despite clear doctor’s recommendations to receive double food portions, Maria reports that one guard routinely dismisses this and only gives her the standard single portion. Rep. Grijalva also previously raised the alarm about the lack of access to clean drinking water at Eloy where detainees often have to wait for ice to melt in an igloo cooler that they have complained is not clean. Maria also reported that she was not given antibiotics following a dental abscess that led to a tooth extraction. Untreated bacterial infections have the potential to cause miscarriages. Earlier this year, Emmanuel Damas passed away due to complications from an untreated tooth infection after being held at the Florence Detention Center.
Lilianne (who only wishes to use her first name), a Cuban woman detained at Eloy, described difficulties obtaining sufficient menstrual hygiene products. She reported inconsistent access, with the number of products provided varying depending on the detention officer, raising concerns about the availability of basic necessities for women in custody.
“Maria and Lilianne’s stories show the deliberate cruelty at the heart of the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda. Their treatment is not just inhumane — it is a disgraceful failure of the government's legal duty to protect the people in its custody,” said Rep. Grijalva. “While private contractors rake in billions of taxpayer dollars, they are denying the most vulnerable individuals – including pregnant people – their most basic necessities, including medical care, clean drinking water, and adequate food. These corporations are profiting off human suffering, and the Trump Administration is footing the bill with our tax dollars. Maria, as well as all pregnant people in detention, deserve dignity, proper medical care, and immediate release.”
“The inhumane conditions inside Eloy Detention Center are unconscionable. Maria, a high-risk pregnant woman, is being denied critical medical care and adequate food. My constituent, Lilianne, the wife of a U.S. citizen, was detained at her green card appointment and is now being denied basic feminine hygiene products. No one should be treated this way,” said Rep. Ansari. “All the while, the Trump Administration is pouring billions into ICE as private prison corporations like CoreCivic and GEO Group profit from detention. The level of cruelty and corruption is abundantly clear. This is a profound failure of human dignity, and we will hold this Administration accountable.”
“Maria is desperate to protect the health and safety of her baby. The federal government, by blatantly ignoring medical guidelines and advice, is putting her and her baby’s life at risk,” said Representative Dexter, who is one of six Democratic doctors in Congress. “She must be released immediately. DHS is refusing basic human and civil rights to the people in these despicable facilities and shows zero concern for the lives of people in them. Pregnant women and children do not belong in ICE detention. I will continue to use my experience as a physician, a mother, and my power as a member of Congress to protect women and children in this country.”
“ICE is putting women’s health, pregnancies, and lives at risk—leaving them to plead for even the most basic care and access to menstrual products,” said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. “I’m grateful to Reps. Grijalva, Ansari, and Dexter for shining light on this crisis, and Reproductive Freedom for All is with them every step of the way in demanding an end to this cruelty.”
This visit was Representative Grijalva’s sixth oversight visit since being sworn into office in November of 2025. Her first visit was also to Eloy, where she successfully advocated for the release of Julia “La abuela” Benitez – a 79-year-old Cuban asylum seeker escaping political persecution that had been detained in Eloy for nine months and suffers from dementia.
###
Grijalva, Kelly Blast Trump Administration’s Push for National School Voucher Scheme
Position: Representatives and senators oppose the federal school voucher tax credit enacted under H.R. 1 and the Treasury Department regulations implementing it, and have introduced the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act to repeal it. They argue that public funds should be directed to public schools rather than private schools, citing fraud and waste in Arizona's voucher program.
Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva and Senator Mark Kelly condemned new Treasury Department regulations advancing a national school voucher scheme created under Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, warning that Arizona’s experience with universal school vouchers shows exactly what happens when taxpayer dollars are diverted to private schools without adequate oversight.
The Treasury Department recently released regulations implementing the federal school voucher tax credit established under H.R. 1. The program provides a tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to eligible scholarship-granting organizations, including organizations supporting private and religious schools. The new regulations would double the credit for married couples.
In response, Senator Kelly introduced the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, which would repeal the voucher scheme created under H.R. 1. Rep. Grijalva alongside Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced the same legislation in the House.
“Arizona’s fraud-ridden school voucher program should serve as a warning to the rest of the country,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Instead, the Trump Administration is moving full steam ahead with a national voucher scheme while failing to include even basic safeguards to prevent taxpayer dollars from being wasted or abused. Congress must act to ensure taxpayer dollars strengthen the public schools that serve the overwhelming majority of America’s children, rather than subsidize privatization schemes rife with fraud.”
“Arizona is a clear example of the consequences of diverting taxpayer dollars to private school vouchers: fraud, benefits going to families who can already afford private school, and public schools losing funds they desperately need. Not to mention a giant hole blown in our budget,” said Sen. Kelly. “Now, the Trump administration wants to take that same approach nationwide. We should be investing in public schools that serve all kids, not expanding a voucher program that risks more waste and abuse.”
Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program now costs taxpayers more than $1 billion annually and has faced repeated allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse.
In one case, two out-of-state individuals pleaded guilty to creating dozens of fictitious “ghost students” and using forged documents to obtain more than $110,000 in taxpayer-funded voucher dollars. Other reporting has found voucher funds used for questionable purchases, including Disneyland trips, diamond rings, and lingerie.
###
Reps Grijalva, Clarke Lead 63 Members of Congress in Urging USCIS to Address Processing Backlog Costing Lawfully-Present Immigrants Their Healthcare
Position: Members of Congress urge USCIS to expedite pending green card applications for lawfully present immigrants at risk of losing Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, and ACA premium credits under recent OBBBA eligibility restrictions, and to coordinate with CMS and state agencies on delaying coverage terminations.
Tucson, AZ — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, alongside 61 Members of Congress, sent a letter urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediately expedite pending green card applications for immigrants who have lost or are at risk of losing Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and Affordable Care Act premium credits as a result of new eligibility restrictions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that went into effect on October 1st.
The lawmakers warn that thousands of lawfully-present immigrants, including refugees, asylum recipients, and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, could lose access to critical healthcare while waiting for USCIS to process their green card applications providing permanent residency. More than 281,000 lawfully present immigrants across nine states and Washington, D.C., were identified as facing the loss of Medicaid coverage beginning October 1. Nationwide, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants will become uninsured by 2034 under Republicans’ healthcare eligibility restrictions.
The letter highlights the case of an Arizona woman with stage four metastatic breast cancer who lost her Medicaid coverage on October 1. Although she is lawfully present in the United States, delays in processing her green card application have left her without coverage for the chemotherapy she depends on to survive.
The lawmakers argue that eligible applicants should not lose access to healthcare because their immigration applications are caught in processing backlogs.
“Because Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), that have already waited any required time, retain federal eligibility under health law, these individuals are losing their health insurance simply because they are trapped in a bureaucratic bottleneck. This is a backlog crisis that lies within the administrative capabilities of USCIS to resolve and the agency cannot allow its own administrative delays to cause catastrophic gaps in their healthcare,” the letter wrote.
They also warn that these delays could increase healthcare costs for federal and state governments by forcing patients to forgo preventive treatment until their conditions become more severe.
In their letter, the lawmakers call on USCIS to take three immediate steps:
Establish an emergency expedited processing pathway for Form I-485 adjustment of status applications for individuals who face the imminent loss of healthcare coverage because their applications remain pending.
Clarify expedited processing criteria to explicitly recognize the imminent loss of federal or state healthcare coverage as grounds for expedited processing under severe financial loss or humanitarian considerations.
Coordinate with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and state agencies to provide guidance on delaying coverage terminations for individuals with pending adjustment of status applications.
“In Arizona, more than 20,000 lawfully present refugees and immigrants are at risk of losing their healthcare due to USCIS processing bottlenecks, including a woman with stage-four breast cancer and a nine-year-old boy with epilepsy who depends on Medicaid to attend school,” said Rep Grijalva. “These cuts, thanks to Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, are forcing Arizona families to choose between their health and their financial security. USCIS needs to act with urgency so that their bureaucratic delays do not cost people their lives.”
"Needless red tape should never be the determinant between life and death,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “While thousands of immigrant American families remain stuck in a bureaucratic backlog that risks ripping their healthcare out from under them, USCIS has a moral obligation to ensure all those caught in its processing bottleneck do not suffer due to circumstances beyond their control. Government inefficiencies are not the fault of immigrant communities, and they deserve better than to suffer the consequences of them."
You can read the full letter here.
###
ICYMI: Rep. Grijalva Joins Local Community Members to Raise Alarm Over Marana Detention Facility
Position: The release opposes the opening of a new ICE immigration detention facility in Marana, Arizona operated by Management and Training Corporation, citing concerns about the company's record and detention conditions, and calls for transparency from DHS.
Marana, Arizona — Yesterday, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva joined local community members in Marana for a press conference addressing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s new contract with Management and Training Corporation (MTC) to open an immigration detention facility in Marana within the next 60 days.
The press conference brought together community members and local voices to raise concerns about the proposed facility and the record of MTC, the company contracted to operate it. MTC has previously operated correctional facilities in Arizona that faced allegations and documented concerns involving conditions including sexual abuse, inadequate food, extreme heat, and prison riots. The State of Arizona has terminated previous contracts with MTC under both Democratic and Republican governors.
Earlier this year, Rep. Grijalva wrote a letter demanding transparency on the proposed facility to then-Secretary Noem. This comes after Rep. Grijalva wrote a letter demanding transparency on the proposed facility to then-Secretary Noem and joined community members earlier in the year at a press conference alongside Reps. Stanton and Ansari.
A copy of her remarks are below:
“Buenas tardes. Thank you to PRICE for organizing this press conference.
We’re here today because DHS is once again rushing to open another private detention facility in Arizona.
Eso no está bien. Nuestra comunidad merece respuestas.
This is happening as deaths in ICE custody reach record levels – and as the agency fails to provide even the most basic care for the people already in its custody.
Just today, I learned about another disease outbreak - this time at a facility in Eloy.
Yet instead of addressing these conditions, this Administration is marching full steam ahead to fuel its cruel mass-deportation agenda.
And there is another reason we should be deeply concerned about this particular facility: Management & Training Corporation, or MTC, has a long and documented history of serious problems at facilities it has operated.
Here in Arizona, that history includes allegations of sexual abuse that were not properly reported, chronic understaffing and inadequate training, major security failures, and destructive prison riots.
In 2010, three inmates escaped from an MTC-operated prison in Kingman due to serious security failures.
While on the run, two of the escapees brutally murdered an elderly couple in New Mexico, leading to a large wrongful death settlement between the state of Arizona and the victims’ family.
Five years later, after riots at the same prison, an investigation found a “culture of disorganization, disengagement, and disregard.”
Those aren’t my words. Those are the findings that led Republican Governor Doug Ducey to terminate the state’s contract with MTC.
In 2017, at an MTC-operated ICE Processing Center in New Mexico, the DHS Office of the Inspector General raised concerns about the treatment and care of detainees.
Two people detained there died after pleading for medical help from facility staff.
This is the company the federal government is entrusting with the lives of hundreds of people here in Marana.
And they are moving fast. MTC says it plans to have this facility up and running within 60 days of signing its contract with ICE.
Sixty days.
That should alarm every person in this community, especially when there are still so many unanswered questions.
First and foremost: How many people are actually going to be held here?
A document earlier this year suggested more than 1,300, but the contract MTC signed says up to 775. Both of these numbers are significantly above the 513-bed capacity the state prison previously operated under.
Regardless of what the final number is, one thing is abundantly clear: local residents do not want this facility.
La gente de Marana merece tener voz.
Since President Trump returned to office, at least 56 people have died in ICE custody, including four in Arizona.
And now the federal government has awarded MTC a contract with a potential value of more than $355 million to operate this facility.
That is a drop in the bucket of the nearly $261 BILLION Congress has approved for immigration enforcement under Trump.
Our communities are tired of our taxpayer dollars being wasted on these private detention centers to meet arbitrary deportation quotas.
We are tired of seeing private companies profit off Trump’s cruel and inhumane immigration agenda.
No queremos más dinero para compañías privadas
While the federal government operates in secrecy, local residents and their elected officials across the country are pushing back against these facilities, using zoning, public nuisance laws, and other means.
MTC’s history of poorly-run facilities, combined with the track-record of abuses at DHS, underscore the concerns of Marana residents.
Unfortunately, the responsibility of oversight has fallen on local governments because the federal government is willfully asleep at the wheel.
We will continue asking questions.
We will continue demanding accountability.
And we will continue fighting to ensure that the people of Marana have a voice in what happens in their own community.
Vamos a seguir luchando por nuestra comunidad.
Thank you. Muchas gracias.”
###
Rep. Grijalva Statement on Border Patrol Raid Near Lochiel, Arizona
Position: The release opposes the Border Patrol raid and the Forest Service road closures and wall construction near the U.S.-Mexico border, and criticizes the expenditure on a second border wall as reckless and useless, citing damage to borderlands ecosystems and habitat.
Nogales, Arizona – Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the below statement following reports of a U.S. Border Patrol raid and the toppling of a centuries-old cottonwood tree along the U.S.-Mexico border near Lochiel, Arizona. This comes after a U.S. Forest Service announcement posted on its website – without any prior public input or notification – last week closing roads and restricting public access to miles of lands along the U.S.-Mexico border as they proceed with wall construction.
“Just days after the U.S. Forest Service closed miles of public lands along the border, armed Border Patrol agents conducted a raid that injured protesters and uprooted the last of four century-old cottonwood trees. This is what the militarization of our borderlands looks like – and it’s all because DHS has more taxpayer dollars than it knows what to do with, and is wasting them on a reckless and useless second border wall. Our borderlands are home to unique ecosystems and world-class biodiversity, including some of the last remaining habitat for the Sonoran jaguar in the United States.
DHS and its private contractors have repeatedly shown they cannot be trusted to protect sensitive cultural and environmental sites. That is why public access and oversight are so critical. Instead, DHS is following the same playbook: shut out the public, evade scrutiny, and recklessly bulldoze our lands. Administrations come and go, but unfortunately the damage the Trump administration is inflicting on our irreplaceable borderlands cannot simply be undone.”
Rep. Grijalva Responds to ICE Contract for Marana Detention Facility
Position: Opposes DHS opening a privately operated immigration detention facility in Marana, Arizona, citing the contractor's record of prison conditions and deaths in ICE custody.
Private contractor has troubled past operating prisons closed by state
Tucson, AZ - Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the following statement after it was reported that Management and Training Corporation, a private prison contractor, recently signed a contract with ICE and would be opening a detention center in Marana within the next 60 days.
“DHS is once again rushing to open another private detention facility over the objections of local residents, even as deaths in ICE custody reach record levels and the agency fails to provide basic care for people already in its custody.
This time, it’s turning to a private company with a record of overseeing prison conditions including alleged sexual abuse, inadequate food, extreme heat, and prison riots so serious that both Democratic and Republican governors have terminated contracts with them.
Now, DHS wants to put this company in charge of a facility that holds up to 775 people in Marana - even though its previous capacity was 513 as a state prison. What could possibly go wrong?”
Rep. Grijalva Introduces America’s College Promise Act to Expand Access to Tuition-Free Community College
Position: Supports introduction of the America's College Promise Act of 2026, which would waive tuition and fees for eligible two-year community and technical college programs through a federal-state partnership and fund student support and completion initiatives.
Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva alongside House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), introduced the America’s College Promise Act of 2026, legislation to make community college and two-year Tribal Colleges and Universities more accessible by waiving tuition and fees for eligible students.
“Students in Southern Arizona and across the country should not have to take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt just to get the education and skills they need to build a better future,” said Rep. Adelita Grijalva. “The America’s College Promise Act is about making sure that opportunity is within reach for every student — whether they are graduating from high school, entering the workforce, changing careers, or returning to the classroom later in life. By expanding access to community and technical colleges, we are investing in students, strengthening our workforce, and giving communities the tools they need to thrive.”
“At Pima Community College, our students are working toward a better future while balancing jobs, family responsibilities, and the cost of their education,” said Dr. Jeffrey Nasse, Chancellor of Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. "45 percent of PCC students are low-income. The America’s College Promise Act would help ease that financial burden and invest in the support students need to succeed in college and contribute to our local economies. We appreciate Congresswoman Grijalva’s leadership on legislation that would help more Southern Arizonans gain the skills and credentials to advance their careers and pursue their long-term goals.”
The legislation would create a federal-state partnership to waive tuition and fees for two years of eligible community and technical college programs. It would also provide support for institutions to improve enrollment, retention, transfer, and completion rates, particularly among low-income, first-generation, and underserved students.
“Community colleges play a unique and vital role in providing students access to a quality postsecondary degree. Regrettably, the chronic underfunding of community colleges is jeopardizing their ability to support their students and communities,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “The America’s College Promise Act is a major investment in expanding opportunities for students and rebuilding a stronger economy.”
“In New Mexico, we know free community college can unlock the doors to a brighter future,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández. “The America’s College Promise Act builds on New Mexico’s example by making sure students across the country can attend community college without the burden of tuition and fees. Our bill will provide funds for services students need to earn their degrees and reduce the financial burden for low-income students to attend TCUs, HBCUs, and MSIs.”
“As a professor, it was a privilege to witness students claim their education and seize their futures — yet the real fear and burden of immense student loan debt often deters young adults and returning students from expanding their learning,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean. “The America’s College Promise Act provides tuition-free community college courses and expands funding for HBCUs and trade schools, making the path to higher education and career readiness available to more Americans and future generations.”
“Every Wisconsinite deserves the opportunity to get the education and skills they need to land a good-paying job and build a better life, no matter where they come from or how much money their family makes,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “That’s why I am proud to work with my colleagues to remove barriers and lower the cost of community college, so more Wisconsinites have the opportunity to compete, succeed, and live a good middle-class life.”
The America’s College Promise Act of 2026 will make the skills and credentials necessary to succeed in the workforce more accessible to all students by creating a new federal-state partnership to provide two years of tuition-free community college.
The America’s College Promise Act of 2026 would:
Create a federal-state partnership to waive tuition and fees for two years of eligible community and technical college programs while promoting reforms designed to accelerate student success;
Establish a sliding federal funding share, beginning at 100 percent in the first year and transitioning to 80 percent beginning in the fifth and subsequent years;
Ensure educational pathways lead to opportunity by requiring programs to offer academic credits transferable to four-year institutions in their state or occupational training leading to recognized credentials;
Maintain and encourage state investment in higher education;
Establish a Student Success Fund to improve enrollment, retention, transfer, completion, and labor market outcomes for underserved students, including students of color and low-income and first-generation college students;
Waive two years of tuition and fees for eligible students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities; and
Create a new grant program for HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to cover a significant portion of tuition and fees during the first two years of attendance for eligible low-income students.
To read the bill text for the America’s College Promise Act of 2026, click here.
To read the fact sheet, click here.
To read the section-by-section, click here.
###
Grijalva, Scott, Lee Introduce Bill to invest in Direct care Workers
Position: Introduces the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 to fund training, recruitment, retention, and career advancement for direct care workers, and criticizes recent Medicaid funding cuts as worsening wages and access to home and community-based services.
Direct CARE Opportunity Act helps meet the growing demand for direct care workers, improve working conditions, and support seniors and people with disabilities
Tucson, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva, alongside House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) and Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03), announced plans to reintroduce the Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act of 2026, legislation to invest in the training, recruitment, retention, and career advancement of the nation’s direct care workforce.
Between 2025 and 2035, the direct care workforce is projected to add more than 886,000 new jobs. Despite this growing demand, direct care workers still earn low wages and experience unstable working conditions. The current median wage for direct care workers is just $17.36 an hour. In addition to low wages, direct care workers also face high injury rates. For example, nursing assistants are nearly five times more likely than the typical U.S. worker to experience workplace injuries or illnesses.
Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration have made the situation even more dire by cutting Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion in the “Big Ugly Bill” and threatening other public assistance that helps many direct care workers make ends meet. As a result, many states are reducing access to home and community-based services, the main source of funding for direct care workers.
The Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 strengthens the training, support, and career opportunities that direct care workers need to support millions of older Americans and people with disabilities.
“For so many families throughout Southern Arizona, direct care workers provide critical support that allows older adults and people with disabilities to live with dignity and age in place. Despite the essential work they do, direct care workers are too often underpaid and lack the support and opportunities they deserve, contributing to a growing shortage of providers. The Direct CARE Opportunity Act invests in these workers by expanding training, strengthening career pathways, and helping recruit and retain the workforce our communities depend on,” said Rep. Grijalva.
“Direct care workers play an essential role in caring for our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities,” said Ranking Member Scott. “Regrettably, our investments in this critical workforce have lagged far behind the rapidly growing need for their services. It’s time to address the shortage of care workers and provide them with the resources and support they deserve. By funding innovative strategies to recruit, retain, and support direct care workers, the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 helps ensure that our nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities have access to vital, everyday care.”
“Nevada is home to more than 13,000 direct care workers who work tirelessly to support Nevada seniors and those with disabilities every day, and demand for their services is skyrocketing,” said Rep. Lee. “The Direct CARE Opportunity Act meets that demand by directly investing in the retention, recruitment, and training of our direct care workforce. This practical investment supports caregivers currently in the workforce, strengthens the direct care workforce pipeline, and ensures that those who depend on direct care workers can continue to live securely and with dignity.”
The Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026 would:
Provide funding to states and eligible entities to invest in strategies to recruit, retain, and advance the direct care workforce.
Expand training, registered apprenticeships, and mentoring opportunities to strengthen the direct care workforce pipeline.
Develop career pathway models to support retention and advancement within the direct care field.
Help communities meet the needs of a growing aging population and support older Americans and people with disabilities who want to remain in their communities.
Support the health and well-being of people who rely on direct care services, helping reduce reliance on more costly institutional care.
To read the bill text for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here.
To read the fact sheet for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here.
To read the section-by-section for the Direct CARE Opportunity Act of 2026, click here.
###
Rep. Grijalva Responds to Closure of Public Lands for Border Wall Construction
Position: Opposes the U.S. Forest Service's closure of public lands along the U.S.-Mexico border through January 2029 for border wall construction, citing lack of public input, threats to sensitive ecosystems, and a need for transparency about the closures and their impacts.
Tucson, AZ — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the following statement responding to the U.S. Forest Service’s decision to close roads and restrict public access to miles of lands along the U.S.-Mexico border as they proceed with wall construction.
The closures are expected to remain in place through January 2029 according to a US Forest Service announcement, which was posted on its website yesterday without any prior public input or notification.
“Using border wall construction to justify closing dozens of acres of public lands at a moment's notice through January 2029 is unnecessary and deeply troubling - especially when these lands include sensitive ecosystems and world-class biodiversity that cannot simply be replaced. We have already seen the devastating consequences when DHS and its contractors operate without oversight along the border, including the destruction of the Las Playas Intaglio."
"Arizonans deserve transparency about what is happening on our public lands. We have a right to know why such a sweeping closure is necessary and what is being done to protect these areas — not be shut out from documenting the impacts of border wall construction."
###
Rep. Grijalva Blasts House Republicans for Politicizing Funding, Stripping Support for Bisbee Library Over Drag Events
Position: Rep. Grijalva opposes the removal of $649,330 in Community Project Funding for the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee, Arizona, arguing that House Republicans improperly stripped the funding based on the library's hosting of drag events rather than on project merits, and calls for restoration of the funds in the final appropriations bill.
Tucson, AZ — Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva released the following statement condemning House Republicans for weaponizing the Community Project Funding (CPF) process after stripping $649,330 in requested funding for the Copper Queen Library in Bisbee, Arizona from the FY27 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The funding was removed by Republicans on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture after learning the library had hosted drag events in 2019 and 2024 – just two of the hundreds of community programs hosted at the library.
This year, Members of Congress were able to submit 20 local projects for consideration in the annual appropriations bill. You can see the full list of projects that Rep. Grijalva submitted for FY 2027 here. Of the more than 500 projects submitted to the Agriculture Subcommittee, only two were rejected, including the Copper Queen library.
“Republicans didn’t cut this funding over the merits of the project – they cut it to continue their assault on the trans community,” said Rep. Grijalva. “This funding was about basic repairs – fixing roofs, restoring floors, and ensuring a safe, functional space for the public in a rural community. It is outrageous, it is petty, and it is a complete abuse of the appropriations process.”
“Republicans are so obsessed with policing identity and expression that they are willing to punish an entire region – and withhold funding for a public resource institution that serves families across Southern Arizona, including rural communities in the neighboring Congressional district.”
“Public libraries are one of the purest expressions of our First Amendment – open, accessible spaces where people can learn, gather, and express themselves freely. The Republican majority is now using their power to dictate what is acceptable in those spaces – and punishing communities when they don’t agree. Denying access to a public library based on identity is a violation of the Equal Protection clause under the 14th amendment. The Republicans are now punishing a library for rightfully upholding the Constitution. Funds for this eligible project should be immediately restored in any final funding bill.”
Source: GDELT 2.0 GKG, filtered to a curated list of national outlets. Inclusion is not endorsement; opinion pieces and reported news are mixed.
Recent stock activity
Periodic transaction reports filed under the STOCK Act — disclosed by the rep, sourced from public filings.
No disclosed trades on record.
Source: open-data mirrors of the Senate eFD and House Clerk financial-disclosure systems. Disclosure within 30 days of trade is required by law (45 for spouse/dependent trades).
Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION ACTIVE BALLOT CLUBLabor4 contributionsTrade-union PAC for the United Food and Commercial Workers — backs candidates supporting union organizing, collective bargaining, worker protections, and labor-friendly workplace standards.AI$20,000
2.INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEELabor3 contributionsTrade-union PAC for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Backs candidates supporting prevailing-wage standards, infrastructure investment, apprenticeship programs, and union organizing rights.AI$15,000
3.MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERSLabor3 contributionsTrade-union PAC of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers — backs candidates supporting union organizing, prevailing wages, and aerospace manufacturing jobs.AI$15,000
4.AMERICA'S CREDIT UNIONS PAC OF CREDIT UNION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, INC.Finance3 contributionsCredit union industry PAC — backs candidates and policies supporting credit union operations, member protections, and regulatory positions favoring cooperative financial institutions.AI$12,500
5.INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS INTERESTED IN REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION PACPublic Sector3 contributionsPublic-sector employee PAC affiliated with the International Association of Firefighters — backs candidates supporting firefighter workplace protections, benefits, and federal fire-service funding.AI$12,500
6.DEMOCRATS WIN FUND6 contributions$12,000
7.JUNTOS PAC2 contributions$10,000
8.JANE FONDA CLIMATE PAC2 contributions$10,000
9.INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL NO. 12 VOLUNTARY LEGISLATIVE FUNDLabor2 contributionsTrade-union PAC for operating engineers — backs candidates supporting prevailing-wage standards, infrastructure investment, and union-friendly labor policies.AI$10,000
10.CHC BOLD PACLeadership2 contributionsMember-of-Congress leadership PAC affiliated with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — directs contributions to allied Democratic candidates.AI$10,000
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.PIMA COUNTY$18,305
2.UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA$14,590
3.NEXXUS CONSULTING$7,500
4.CITY OF TUCSON$7,425
5.DWE MANAGEMENT INC$6,500
6.TEP$6,000
7.HERRERA ARELLANO LLP$5,000
8.PERRY, WHITE, ROSS AND JACOBSON$5,000
9.SUVIDA HEALTHCARE$4,900
10.WITHME$4,500
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
