Dear Friend,

Gabrielle Giffords gets it. Arizona’s southern border is in trouble and she’s fighting every day to fix it.

On Saturday, I presented Gabrielle with an award from the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association recognizing her fight to secure our border. I told the ranchers gathered from across the state that if you go visit Gabrielle in Washington as I have, “Don’t wear your boots; take your tennis shoes if you’re going to keep up with her.  She goes like crazy.”

Boy, was I right about that. On Monday, Gabrielle stood up to the leaders of her own party to demand they find a way to get Southern Arizona the $701 million in border security money that the Senate voted down last week.

Yesterday, I woke up to find that Gabrielle introduced a bill to reinstate the funding for the entire $701 million that the Senate cut. She got the House to vote on and approve that funding in just one day. This money will go to critical border security resources, including 1,200 new Border Patrol officers, two new unmanned surveillance aircraft, three new Border Patrol operating bases along the border and funding for local law enforcement.

I’m a lifelong Republican, and as I said when I endorsed Gabrielle this spring, we have never had a more determined advocate for rural border security representing our district. She stands up for Southern Arizona in Washington, she never backs down and she delivers results.

My friend and fellow Southern Arizona rancher, Warner Glenn, put it best when he said: Gabrielle Giffords gets it.

Sincerely,

Dr. Gary Thrasher

Veterinarian and Rancher

Willcox, Arizona