Rep. David Schweikert, a U.S. Congressman from Arizona, shared a series of posts on social media between January 15 and 16, 2026, addressing topics ranging from the passing of former public servant Barbara Leff to issues surrounding port modernization and religious freedom.
On January 15, Schweikert expressed condolences for the loss of Barbara Leff, stating in his post: “I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Barbara Leff. She was one of those rare public servants who actually did the work before, during and after elected office.
She spent years on the front lines as a social worker and educator, built a small business, and volunteered in ways” (January 15, 2026).
Later that day, Schweikert commented on policy approaches to U.S. port operations: “If you make it illegal to modernize U.S. ports, do not be surprised when we end up with the least efficient ports in the industrialized world. That productivity hit ripples through the entire economy.
We need to embrace disruption, modernize, and create incentives for older” (January 15, 2026).
On January 16, he marked Religious Freedom Day by referencing constitutional protections: “On Religious Freedom Day, we honor one of America’s foundational promises in the First Amendment: the freedom to worship freely, or not at all, without government interference. That liberty makes our country exceptional, and we must defend it for the next generation.” (January 16, 2026).
Schweikert has represented Arizona in Congress following his victories in recent elections. In 2024 he won against Amish Shah with 51.9% of the vote compared to Shah’s 48.1%. In an earlier contest in 2022, Schweikert narrowly defeated Jevin Hodge with just over half of total votes cast.
