Joseph KavetskyArizona’s two United States senators and four members of its House delegation shared their insight on a host of topics facing the state and country at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Update from Capitol Hill luncheon on Wednesday.
Presented by Salt River Project, luncheon attendees had the opportunity to hear firsthand about upcoming federal legislation and connect with fellow industry leaders dedicated to advancing Arizona’s economic growth and policy priorities.
Here’s a sampling of what was said in discussions moderated by Arizona Chamber President and CEO Danny Seiden.
Innovation
“We are the most innovative country that has the best scientists, the best engineers, the best technology,” Sen. Mark Kelly said. “We’re still creating that technology here, whether it’s A.I. or quantum computing, these technologies are going to help grow our economy and drive it in the future. And I am incredibly bullish on America.”
Environmental regulation
“When I talked to (Energy) Secretary (Chris) Wright, he said that his approach was ‘all of the above.’ He’s not trying to get rid of wind and solar, but they’re also trying to keep coal going, they’re also working on nuclear, and it’s an all of the above approach,” Rep. Eli Crane said. “ I think that’s just going to be better for jobs in my district, I think it’s going to be better for our economy, but I also think it’s going to support much of the growth you see coming into Arizona right now.”
Tariffs and their effect on U.S. manufacturing
“90 percent of the chemicals and gas that they need to build these chips still come from Taiwan,” Sen. Ruben Gallego said. “So the tariffs are actually adding an extra cost onto TSMC for our American-made chips.”
Medicaid
“As the federal government has grown, so have inefficiencies and unnecessary bureaucracies,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani said. “I have been crystal clear that I do not support reducing Medicaid coverage for those the program was intended to serve. What I do support are targeted reforms, such as implementing work requirements for able-bodied adults with no dependents and strengthening eligibility verification to ensure that every dollar is maximized and spent on vulnerable individuals who rely on Medicaid.”
“I’m afraid, quite frankly, and I don’t want to see it go this way, that it might get pushed down to the states,” Rep. Andy Biggs said of potential cost shifts from the federal government to state governments. “We may have a problem in the state when that comes.”
“Medicaid is the foundation, one of the foundations of our healthcare system here in Arizona. People often think there is a healthcare system for people on Medicaid, Medicare, private payer, private insurance–it’s one system,” Kelly said. “When you drastically cut the number of people on Medicaid that affects all of us. Make no mistake, if (significant federal cuts) happen, this will have an impact on everybody.”
Separation of powers
“I do think it’s a little ridiculous to see some of these federal judges trying to usurp authority of the president of the United States,” U.S. Rep. Eli Crane.
The House
“The House is much more united than people anticipated. They thought the Senate was going to be the easy way, but right now the House is keeping it all together,” said Rep. Abe Hamadeh.
The Administration
“I know that there is concerns on many sides, but so far with President Trump, he’s the captain of this team, and it seems like he’s letting everybody get a victory,” said Rep. Abe Hamadeh.
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