Speaker of the U.S. House Mike Johnson takes a question from the media as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stands nearby at a PepsiCo Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande on Wednesday.
Before the Trump tax cut package passed the Senate in 2025, Ciscomani and other vulnerable House Republicans wrote a letter asking that Senate leaders reconsider some cuts to clean energy, writing after his vote in favor that ending the tax credits would disrupt projects currently under construction.
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego also criticized the visit from Johnson and Bessent, asking for Bessent to meet with the individuals laid off from Lucid.
Congressman Juan Ciscomani, R-CD6, answers a question from media while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looks on at a PepsiCo Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande on Wednesday.
“I’m calling on Scott Bessent to meet with these workers, look them in the eye, and answer for the policies that put them out of work,” the Arizona Democrat wrote on social media.
Johnson also echoed President Donald Trump’s recent shift to anti-communist messaging in a short speech in support of Ciscomani. The president has increased that rhetoric in recent weeks after several victories of Democratic Socialist-aligned candidates in the 2026 primary elections, Reuters reports.
Johnson said voters need to “keep the grown-ups in charge,” by voting for Republicans like Ciscomani.
“They’ve got to make a decision that they want to continue with common sense, growth and opportunity, or do we want to go down this dark, dangerous, deadly road of communism?” he asked.
Bessent called DSA-aligned candidates “the Communist Working Party.”
Ciscomani’s opponent Mendoza is not affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, said Kyle McCarthy, a spokesperson for her campaign.
“JoAnna is running for Congress to lower the cost of gas, groceries, and health care for working families and to bring servant leadership to DC for all Southern Arizonans,” he said.