Senator Mark Kelly

I am humbled and honored to continue serving Arizonans in the U.S. Senate. Now let’s get to work.

Just over one year ago, Trump and Republicans gave a tax break to rich people and paid for it by gutting Americans’ healthcare and food assistance. Arizona has been one of the hardest hit states. Nearly 2 million Arizonans, roughly 1 in 4, rely on Medicaid. In Arizona, it’s called AHCCCS. This program has helped seniors, kids, and families across our state afford the care they need. But because of Trump and Republicans, hundreds of thousands of Arizonans are expected to lose their healthcare in the coming years as Medicaid cuts take effect. That's not cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. That's taking healthcare away from people who need it at a time when costs are rising. We can already see the impact on food assistance programs. Arizona's SNAP enrollment is already down nearly 50% since last July. St. Mary's Food Bank is seeing 15% more demand. And in Flagstaff, 28% more people showed up for food assistance last month than the same time last year. These aren't just numbers. These are people. These are families who can’t afford to buy food and are showing up at food banks because Republicans cut their benefits to pay for a tax break for millionaires and billionaires. The promise of this country is that if you work hard, you can build a good life. That’s only getting harder because Republicans in Washington prioritize the rich over working Americans. But we don’t have to accept that. I won’t stop fighting until we fix it.

As AI becomes part of everyday life, we need to understand how these tools affect older Americans. AI has the potential to make a difference for seniors, families, and caregivers, but research hasn’t kept up. We need real data on the benefits and risks so we can make smarter policies. My Aging with AI Act will do just that.

There needs to be a transparent investigation into the shooting that killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. I can’t imagine the pain his family is feeling right now. Too many people have died at the hands of ICE and this Administration has shown little interest in holding anyone accountable. That needs to change.

Read more about it here: axios.com/2026/07/07/whe…

Arizona is one of the states hit hardest by Republicans’ vote to take away ACA tax credits. This means many families are going uninsured because they can’t afford increasing health insurance premiums. I’ll keep fighting to fix this – families are counting on it.

Congress overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to lower housing costs and make homeownership more affordable in Arizona and across the country. But Trump called it a “big yawn” and is still refusing to sign the bill into law. American families need this relief, and they need it now.

The Administration has said time and time again that this war is over. Now, the ceasefire has collapsed and Americans are once again going to be paying for Trump’s decisions at the pump and the grocery store.

The idea that a president would send troops to polling places to intimidate voters is un-American and illegal. I introduced legislation to make sure Trump can’t get around that.

Happy National Parks and Recreation Month, folks. Arizona has some of the most remarkable landscapes on Earth and they belong to all of us. I've seen a lot of things from space. The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular. Get outside and go check it out!

Space Shuttle Endeavour is where it belongs — stacked vertically again, with the external tank and solid rocket boosters and ready for launch. This is the way it deserves to be seen, and so many fortunate visitors to the California Science Center will get an up close look. I’m sure I’ll see it many of times over the years. Endeavour was my favorite. I flew this space shuttle on my first mission and my last. It was also Endeavour’s final trip into space.

This Independence Day, America marks a special milestone: 250 years as a nation. This country was founded on a few simple principles. Freedom, Democracy, and the idea that all of us are created equal. Those principles have been tested over and over again. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and the end of slavery. Through two World Wars, the fight against fascism, the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond. Every generation has worked to make our country better live up to its founding ideals. Our history has never been simple. But what has always made our country exceptional is our willingness to keep pushing forward. We've built the strongest democracy the world has ever known. We've invented, discovered, and explored in ways no other nation has. We learned to fly. We put people on the Moon. We continue to push the boundaries of what's possible because Americans are willing to take on hard problems together. A lot of us were reminded of that earlier this year as we watched Artemis II fly around the Moon and travel farther than any human has ever before. Twenty years ago this Independence Day, I launched on a mission to the International Space Station. As I looked back at Earth, I thought about how unlikely that journey really was. I'm the son of two police officers. I went to public schools. I had the opportunity to become a Navy pilot, an astronaut, and now a United States Senator. In no other place is a path like mine possible. Every generation before us has worked to preserve and strengthen the freedoms we enjoy and leave this country stronger than they found it. It's our turn to do the same. As America celebrates 250 years, we should all be asking ourselves a simple question: What do we want the next 250 years to look like? Do we continue building on the values that have carried us this far: Freedom, democracy, and equality? Do we keep investing in the next generation of innovators, explorers, workers, and public servants? Do we keep choosing unity over division and solve problems together? I think the choice is simple. Those before us sacrificed to build this country and protect our democracy. Now it's our responsibility to strengthen it for our kids and grandkids. If we stay committed to those ideals and do the work to preserve them, then I have no doubt the next 250 years can be even better than the last. Today we celebrate our freedoms. Tomorrow we get to work preserving them. Happy Fourth of July.

It was so great to welcome Arizona students from the @AZCardinals Civics Matters program to the Capitol. My advice to them: get involved and don't get discouraged.

1.5 million Arizonans are over age 60. For many of them, AI is already becoming part of everyday life for many older adults. But we need more research and data to fully understand its impact. This is what my bill is about.

For America's 250th birthday, I joined Grace Pak to paint a section of the Grand Canyon in (edible) bronze as Arizona's contribution to the @america250 Birthday Cake Project, a tribute to our nation done in partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps, the Smithsonian, and kids across the country. Fun way to celebrate 250 years.

Money in politics is breaking our democracy, and this week’s Supreme Court decision only opened the door for more spending. Washington won't tackle problems for working families as long as billionaires and corporations can continue buying elections. Get money out of politics, and we can actually fix things.

While working Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Trump enriched himself to the tune of $2.2 billion last year. A foreign government bought into his crypto business and then got a sweetheart deal from his administration. Who is he really working for? This is textbook corruption.

13 years ago today, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots lost their lives battling the Yarnell Hill Fire. We’ll always honor their bravery and sacrifice. I'm thinking of them, their families, and all of the firefighters fighting wildfires in Arizona and across the Southwest. Wildland firefighters like the Hotshots put themselves at risk to protect others and save communities. I’ll always be grateful for their service.

This decision is a win for our country. America is the most powerful nation on Earth because people have always wanted to come here and build something. We won world wars because immigrant families fought for this country. We reached the Moon because the world’s best scientists wanted to be American. The idea that we’re stronger with fewer people is narrow, shortsighted, and historically false. Birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment has been the law of the land for over a century, and it’s outrageous that the Trump Administration ever tried to take it away in the first place.

This weekend, three firefighters died while fighting a blaze along the Utah–Colorado border, including Nick Hutcherson of Arizona, who served our communities as a Forest Service employee at Kaibab National Forest. @GabbyGiffords and I are keeping their families and the other injured firefighters in our thoughts.