Issue Position: Strengthening Arizona's Economy

Issue Position

The most important issue we face as a state and as a nation is strengthening our economy and creating jobs. I am committed to getting our economy moving again while making Washington more fiscally responsible and holding our government accountable for its spending.

In order for an economic recovery to be fully realized, we need to create more jobs. I was recently humbled to be recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with its prestigious "Spirit of Enterprise" Award for my pro-growth, pro-business record because I believe that the federal government doesn't create jobs but can help to create an environment in which small businesses can succeed and thrive. Government has a role to play and in some cases, the role is just getting out of the way. But ultimately it will be entrepreneurs and small businesses that will be the true engines of our economic recovery.

Supporting Small Businesses

Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the engines of our economy. They account for more than half of our nation's gross domestic product, and they have produced 60 to 80 percent of new jobs in this country each year for the last decade. The federal government cannot create those jobs - but they can help create an environment in which small businesses can succeed and thrive.

One of the best ways government can do this is to reduce the tax burden on small businesses. That is why I cosponsored legislation to temporarily suspend payroll taxes for small businesses, voted for the Net Operating Loss Carryback Act to help small businesses preserve cash flow and access the capital they need to create jobs and grow their business and cosponsored bipartisan bills to increase the tax deduction for small business' start-up costs.

Championing Arizona's Tourism Industry

As a former Valley mayor representing a district whose economy is heavily dependent on the tourism and convention industry, I believe calls to boycott Arizona are shortsighted and detrimental to our economic recovery. Tourism and hospitality are an essential lifeblood of Arizona's economy, and I've also worked to improve our struggling tourism and convention industry.

I cosponsored and voted for the Travel Promotion Act which would establish a non-profit corporation to promote U.S. tourism to international travelers at no cost to taxpayers. I also introduced a bipartisan bill with Republican Rep. Dean Heller of Nevada to ensure that resort destination cities like Scottsdale and Tempe are given an equal chance to bid for meeting and convention business.

Emphasizing Infrastructure

Arizona's economy also depends upon strong infrastructure, especially in transportation. As the first Arizonan to sit on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in more than a decade, I've worked to ensure that the Valley's transportation infrastructure keeps pace with our state's growth.

I've worked to secure resources needed for growth at Sky Harbor and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airports to make sure the Valley has the capacity to meet the transportation needs, which in turn, helps create private-sector jobs. I've also opposed the proposed alignment of a new Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway along Pecos Road, and helped bring governmental, tribal, and transportation officials together to explore an alternative alignment on the Gila River Indian Community.

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