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JoAnna Mendoza is a United States Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the upcoming general election, she intends to unseat two-term Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani.

What are her views on the economic challenges facing Arizonans, the impact of spending cuts on healthcare for the state's most vulnerable residents?

And we ask her what it will take to change course amid the politicized atmosphere on Capitol Hill.

It's all on The Press Room, starting now.

♪ UPBEAT MUSIC ♪ Hello, and welcome to The Press Room.

I'm Tony Perkins.

Democratic congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza was just 17 years old when she chose the military as a way to plot a path out of rural poverty.

It was just the start of a story that she says makes for the right choice for voters who want to see a change in leadership in the state's sixth congressional district.

JoAnna Mendoza, thank you for joining us on The Press Room.

Thank you so much, Tony, glad to be here.

Now, you grew up facing a difficult economic reality, and people in Arizona and elsewhere across the country are also facing difficulties economically.

In this election, voters can see the high prices at the supermarkets and at gas pumps.

Day-to-day affordability has become an issue in the November election.

If you are elected to lead a change in the economic reality for Southern Arizona, and it's facing these difficult times, what is the first thing you would like to do to confront that situation?

Well, I mean, you're absolutely right.

Let me start by saying that, you know, you mentioned that I grew up in rural poverty in a small rural farming community called Eloy, in Pinal County.

And, you know, my parents worked really hard.

They were farm workers.

I consider myself a proud daughter of farm workers.

And we relied on those programs a lot growing up.

And so, you know, when you'd go to the grocery store and you use food stamps, people knew that when you use the funny money that you did not have any.

And so people still use those programs today to get, you know, through difficult times.

And unfortunately, Mr.

Ciscomani voted for HR1 and, you know, the administration's agenda on, you know, costs, raising costs, anything from tariffs to now close to, if not over now, 500,000, you know, people who are being impacted by the lack of food assistance.

And so there's a couple of thing We need to reinstate these programs.

Now, there's a way to ensure that we are addressing any concerns about fraud, but we also need to make sure that, you know, families who are eligible to receive that food assistance actually get it, especially the kids.

The other thing that we can work on are tariffs, you know, the Trump administration, again, supported by Mr.

Ciscomani, 100% of the time he has voted with this administration.

You know, our relationship with one of our oldest trading partners, Mexico, is, I mean, it's ruined.

And the president has, you know, implemented these tariffs.

It's raising the cost for everyone.

And those border communities in the districts that we share about 80 miles of border with Mexico, they rely, their economy rely on good legal trade with Mexico, and the tariffs are obviously impacting everything from, you know, the cost of construction materials to everyday goods that families use.

So I think those are two things that we can do, that we can look at.

The other thing is, you know, let's make those tax cuts on overtime and tips, let's make those permanent.

So, you know, under HR1, the tax cuts for overtime and no taxes on tips is not permanent.

It's only for an extended period of time.

However, the tax cuts for billionaires are.

And I think that this administration has gotten that wrong and we should be providing an opportunity for people to be able to support not only their families, but have a good quality of life.

So I think we can, there's a couple of things we can do.

I saw a conversation you had earlier this week on MS Now.

You outline the effect of SNAP benefit reductions on Arizonans.

According to their numbers, Arizona has had the biggest decrease in SNAP recipients in the country.

Republicans in the sixth district say that's a positive to have that reduction.

Why don't you agree?

Well, which Republicans are saying that?

Because we've been touring the district, we've been talking to folks.

I mean, just last week, we were, you know, in the district talking to voters.

And I will tell you that I had, and it happens quite frequently, that I had a mom, a single mom, who was sharing her despair.

I mean, she was in tears, Tony, because she said that the food assistance, you know, is helping her get by being able to feed her kids.

And so I think, you know, what is the, which group of Republicans or which group of people are saying this?

Because if you talk to hardworking Arizonans who are having a hard time making ends meet, they will say that that's not a good thing.

And I mean, you know, I would even push back and say, like, is it a good thing that our kids, you know, don't have access to, you know, didn't have access to meals during the summer?

Because when the family's enrolled in SNAP, and you know this, you know, those kids are automatically enrolled in that summer program, and that might be the only meal that they get sometimes.

So it's not good.

But again, we can address concerns about fraud, you know, in a responsible way that still ensures that people get the best food assistance they need.

Let's switch over to healthcare.

Some differences of opinion between yourself and your opponent, Mr.

Ciscomani, on how things are being handled.

Mr.

Ciscomani voted in favor of the HR1, "Big Beautiful Bill" that directed federal spending cuts.

But he says he pushed Republican leadership to take items out of the bill that would have hurt rural families, including cuts in Medicaid.

Now, he went ahead and voted for the bill anyway.

And he says it wasn't perfect, but added that it built a framework for compromise that's necessary if you're gonna be a leader in Congress.

My question for you is, how would you approach this issue, knowing that you're not gonna get everything you wanted, but some of the important things need to be addressed?

Well, look, you know, Mr.

Ciscomani was sent to Washington to advocate on behalf of his constituents, us.

And he acknowledged in a letter with several other Republicans that Medicaid cuts would devastate folks in the district.

And then he turned around and he voted for it anyways.

Now, as a member of Congress, as an elected leader, you have a responsibility to the people that you have been elected to serve.

And that includes pushing back on an administration that wants to take healthcare away from people, Medicaid access, I grew up on it, people who qualify for this, you know, for this health insurance.

But not only did they do the Medicaid cuts, they also, Mr.

Ciscomani, voted against expanding the ACA subsidies.

Now, with the cost of inflation, the cost of goods, everything happening in the economy right now, the cost of gas, groceries, utilities, you know, they're taking away these small little things that help people get by.

There are tons of people who get their, you know, who got their plans on the marketplace through the Affordable Care Act.

And because their premiums have gone up several hundred dollars, now they're not renewing their plans.

And during a time in the fall and the winter where people usually get sick, you know, you get the flu, you get all kinds of other bugs happening, and it is just absolutely, I feel that it is just, it's horrible, it's a disgrace.

And it doesn't reflect the values of someone who is interested in serving people in this district.

Now, your opponent said that the Rural Health Transformation Program that he supports deals with workforce development and improvements in healthcare technology.

Does that make up for any of the reductions created by the Trump administration's push for less spending?

Well, look, Tony, I will tell you, it's like bringing a glass of water to a fight, or to a fire that you started, right?

The glass of water is just not nearly enough.

They're taking cuts, and then they're trying to put money back in to say, oh, look, this is what we're doing, but that money doesn't even cover the complete cost and what was actually taken out.

You know, I grew up in a rural community.

I know what it's like to not have access to healthcare.

When I moved back from retiring from the Marine Corps, my son, you know, brand new baby, I had a hard time finding a pediatrician because I put down roots in the same communities in which I grew up in, in Pinal County.

And so folks in rural communities, they have a lot of challenges, they're penalized even more by the policies that this administration is passing and that Ciscomani is voting for.

We were down in Sierra Vista talking to a group of veteran service organizations.

And, you know, one of the service officers, he mentioned that there's a veteran in the community who can't get transportation to the VA.

And I'm moving on kind of to the VA because this is still an issue as well with healthcare.

And he has cancer as a Vietnam veteran.

And, you know, they were trying to raise money so that they could, you know, pay for gas to take this veteran to get his cancer treatment at the Tucson VA.

So I will tell you, you know, is that really meeting the objective of ensuring that people in our rural communities have access to the healthcare they need?

Not only that, Tony, but I mean, Juan Ciscomani was thrilled and ecstatic to support Elon Musk's DOGE effort, which, you know, hit our federal workers really hard, including those that work at the Tucson VA.

And we're seeing that there's always shortage of doctors everywhere, and especially at the VA.

But DOGE, I mean, they're talking about 40,000 federal workers were impacted by what DOGE did, and Mr.

Ciscomani was happy to support it.

That's not fulfilling the promise to our veterans to ensure that we're taking care of them when we send them off to combat.

All right, we'll get to the veterans' issues in just a couple minutes.

Okay, thank you.

First, I wanted to ask you about this.

The Arizona Republic reported on August 13th that you wrongfully got a state aid to education property tax benefit on two homes, and your opponent has seized on this and has called you a tax cheat.

What is the full story about that?

Well, and you know, we've said this, we provided a statement when they reached out and asked us, it was a mistake.

I mean, it was an administrative oversight.

I didn't fill the paperwork out at the county assessor's office, it's been taken care of.

And I think it actually equated to like $400 that will be paid.

But the bigger issue here is that Mr.

Ciscomani is looking for any reason to discredit me or to make me seem like I'm this really scary person because he knows that the legislation and the agenda that he is supporting under this administration, is hurting people, and he has no record to run on it.

Why isn't he talking about the six times that he voted for the war in Iran that are putting America's sons and daughters in place, I mean, in danger in harm's way?

Why isn't he talking about the 500,000 people that have been impacted by the SNAP cuts?

Medicaid, I mean, there's gonna be tons.

I think the reporting said 400,000 individuals will lose healthcare to access.

And so why aren't those the topics instead he's resulting to smears.

And people are tired of that, Tony.

They don't want to hear that.

They want results and they want solutions.

And Mr.

Ciscomani says, "You're trying to rewrite your history."

His campaign attack ads cast to it's a liberal lobbyist who backed tax hikes on everything from baby diapers to other aspects of everyday life.

How much does this kind of hyperbole impact the kind of message you're trying to send out?

Well, look, I mean, here's the reality.

A lot of those attacks, well, I would say all of them are taken out of context and they're lies.

I mean, in terms of taxes, I mean, they're talking about, oh, she supports higher taxes.

You know what, I believe in a fair tax code where the wealthiest in this country and the corporations who are making millions are paying their fair share so that working people in our communities don't have to have two or three jobs just to make ends meet.

We need more tax breaks for our working families, expanding the child tax credit, finding other ways to make sure that we're putting money in people's pockets.

But Mr.

Ciscomani, he voted for HR1, which actually, not only created these horrible cuts for folks, but they took those cuts so that they could give that money to billionaires.

So that should be the real story.

Now, I said we're gonna get an opportunity to talk more about the veterans' issues.

(JoAnna) Yes, please.

- Now, you joined the military when you were 17 years old and you served 20 years.

You went to Iraq and Afghanistan and you have specific experience as to what those who serve this country come home to.

(JoAnna) Yeah.

What is your view regarding the DOGE cuts made to the Department of Veterans Affairs that changed what your opponents and other Republicans in Congress say makes the department run more efficiently?

Well, look, I mean, I left my rural community because there was no economic opportunity.

And kids are still facing that today who grow up in small towns like Eloy, like mine.

And you join the military as a way to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

And what we're seeing right now under this administration, is this betrayal to our nation's veterans and their families.

Again, I talked about the DOGE cuts.

I mean, Elon Musk went in, took a chainsaw, right, to federal programs that were there to support our veterans and their families.

And Ciscomani stood by and said absolutely nothing about it.

This district has about 80,000 veterans that call it home.

We have a couple of military bases.

And so this is something that is a top of mind for folks.

I've talked to veterans in the district who are federal workers who are impacted by the cuts, by the DOGE cuts, who are waiting for long periods just to get care at the Tucson VA.

I get my care there.

And I will tell you that sometimes it's months before you can get an appointment.

That's not fulfilling our promise to our veterans.

And I don't know if you're gonna bring up the war in Iran, but now we're seeing that under this administration recklessly putting our kids in harm's way.

I spent time in Iraq, two tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.

We were there for 20 years in the Middle East.

This administration promised no more forever wars.

And what do we have?

We have another war in the Middle East under this, oh, well, Iran can't get access to nuclear weapons.

Yes, we know that.

Everybody knows that.

We've been saying that it's been a longstanding policy within the United States.

So why not allow Congress to pass a War Powers Resolution so that we can make sure our troops have the resources they need and the approval from Congress and the American people.

All right, now Congress is being criticized by veterans for not taking a strong enough role in policing the federal government's pursuit of the war against Iran.

Mr.

Ciscomani voted against the war resolution, War Powers Resolution earlier this month.

So the question is, shouldn't Congress have more of a say on what's happening in the conflict, something more than just how much money the United States is putting into it?

Absolutely, I mean, Congress has a responsibility for oversight, not just appropriating money, to ensuring that our servicemen and women who are being sent into harm's way, that there is a measure of success, that there's a strategy, and that they have the resources that they need now.

I know we've all seen the reports from the USS Abraham Lincoln, that there were sailors that were trying to take their own lives because of the conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

I will tell you, after spending 20 years in the military, and especially in the Marine Corps, you take care.

If you're ever put in a position privileged enough to lead people, you put your needs behind theirs.

They eat first, they get medical care first, they get everything that they need.

Under this administration, we're not seeing that, certainly not under Secretary Hegseth, and Mr.

Ciscomani doesn't understand the service and sacrifice that many of us make to make sure that we're upholding the Constitution and that we're protecting the American people.

And some of that criticism goes toward Democrats as well as Republicans.

(JoAnna) Oh yeah.

To you, what is not being said about the war in Iran that should be said?

Well, look, there needs to be a strategy.

There needs to be a plan.

I will tell you that there's a human cost to this.

It's not just about gas prices.

And that is impacting people as well.

I mean, people can't afford to get to work, especially in rural communities.

The cost of everything is rising.

But I will tell you, as we've been touring the district and we've been talking to, you know, not just Democrats, we've been talking to anyone who is interested in leading.

We've spoken to conservative parents.

And what they have said is that under this administration, that their kids are gonna come back and flag draped coffins.

So, you know, I have been saying for months now that Congress needs to, needs to, you know, create a bipartisan congressional delegation to conduct an investigation on what happened on the USS Abraham Lincoln to ensure that we are doing right by the men and women who are volunteering to sacrifice their lives in service for this country.

All right.

Talking about bipartisanship, you know, in this district, you're going to have to get some votes that went toward Mr.

Ciscomani the last time.

(JoAnna) Mm-hmm.

When voters in the district make up their minds, a lot of them will want to know what you're going to do to reach across the aisle to come to agreement with Republicans.

And in the process, you risk making Democrats upset as well.

How do you accomplish this balance in an atmosphere that's likely to be just as difficult in the future as it is now?

Yeah, well, that's the problem with our government politics today is that there's just too much partisanship and it's creating divides, you know, not only in government that is not, you know, doing what it's supposed to do.

And it's also creating a divide in our neighborhoods, right?

You know, neighbor against neighbor, and we cannot have that.

But Tony, bipartisanship isn't just a talking point.

You know, that requires real leadership and it requires action.

So you can talk all day, but if people see that.

They see that there's a lot of talk and there's not a lot of walk and there's not a lot of action.

People want results.

They want relief right now, especially because they're suffering.

And I will tell you that because of my 20 years in the military and, you know, leading men and women for deployed to, you know, Iraq and Afghanistan, you know, leading men and women here in the United States, is that you have to work together as a team.

You don't go around asking service members, are you a Democrat?

You know, are you a Republican?

We don't do that.

We train together, we understand the mission, we have each other's backs, and that's how we get stuff done.

And that's what we're missing in And I'm ready to take that kind of leadership and action to Washington to get stuff done for people here in Arizona.

Mr.

Ciscomani says he is the most bipartisan member of the Arizona Congressional Delegation.

You say his voting record doesn't reflect that, especially over the past two years.

Yeah, well, I would ask people to go to congress.gov and see all of the votes that he's taken, 100% with Trump, 100%.

I mean, we have Freedom Caucus members here in Arizona, you know, Andy Biggs and Eli Crane, Gosar, who don't even vote 100% of the time with Trump.

But Mr.

Ciscomani does, which shows us that he is just willing to do whatever this administration says.

And so, you know, for bipartisanship, why did he vote against a War Powers Resolution six times?

I mean, that takes courage to stand up.

He didn't do it.

He voted for HR1, which he acknowledged that Medicaid cuts would devastate people in the district.

He did it anyways.

I mean, the list goes on and on.

And people know that.

People know who's in charge.

People know how the representati And most importantly, people know that Mr.

Ciscomani is not in community because he's not accessible, because he cannot, with good conscience, validate the votes that he has taken against the people of this district.

And it's time for him to go.

If elected, you'll be a newcomer into this situation.

People say that they want Congress to speak up, to have a spine, talking to power it on Capitol Hill.

Maybe it might not be as easy as it sounds.

I'm sure you have considered that.

How can you make sure that you'll be effective in the ways that your opponent has fallen short?

Well, look, I mean, I grew up in Ask any kid today growing up in those conditions, they will tell you it is hell.

I have, in my entire life, have never been given anything.

I have worked tirelessly for everything that I have, including all of the work that I've done to give back to the community.

I served 20 years in the military, and that's not easy.

I came back home after retiring from the Marine Corps, and I went to work in our communities, helping our veterans and their families get the benefits that they deserved.

Everything I have done has been hard.

I pride myself on doing hard things and working hard, and that's the kind of attitude and leadership and action that the people of this district can expect.

I expect our Congress to work really hard.

I want to see that sweat on that brow.

I want to know that they have dirt on their fingernails and that they're rolling their sleeves up, because hardworking people in this district do that every single day, and so our government should reflect that.

I wanna bring up something that you said at the end of your debate with Mr.

Ciscomani.

You asked voters if they believe Congress is making their lives better.

Polling indicates that the vast think no, it's not.

They felt that way for a long time.

Now, why do you think that you can help steer Congress in a more positive direction?

Well, look, I'm gonna be one of 435 people, but I will tell you that we have toured this district, we've listened to people, and what we've heard is that Mr.

Ciscomani is not present.

They call his office, no one answers, no one calls them back.

We have folks who are going to D.C., trying to get a meeting with Mr.

Ciscomani.

He's not available.

There is actually a clip of a mom who was fortunate enough to go to D.C.

And share with Mr.

Ciscomani the story about how SNAP cuts have impacted her.

Single mom who was trying to explain to the congressmen that these cuts are devastating, and the only thing that he could tell her was that they were making sure that it was free from fraud.

Trying to convince her that the reality that she's facing, the reality of her kids being hungry is not a reality at all, and that is just such a disgrace.

So I think we need to be, first and foremost, we need to make sure that we have access to our elected officials.

That's what I want to do.

I want to bring congress to the community, a version of Gabby Gifford, so congress on your corner.

And I want to take our communities, like my community, the one I grew up in, take Eloy to Washington, so they know what it's like here in the district for people working hard every day.

So it's going to be tough.

I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm going to answer, or I have the solutions to everything.

That's why we're going to ask people to join us in building the kind of communities and government that we want to see through advisory committees, through town halls, through real, real civic engagement.

And that's the kind of work I'm looking forward to, Tony.

All right.

And that's time for us.

(JoAnna) That was short.

[ LAUGHS ] Just kidding.

JoAnna Mendoza, thank you very much.

Challenging for the congressiona in the sixth district.

Thanks for being with us on The Press Room.

Thank you so much for the opportunity.

And that'll do it for The Press Room.

Thanks for being with us.

We'll see you next week.

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