In a rare show of bipartisanship in the Grand Canyon State, members of Congress from Arizona, regardless of party affiliation, came together for a breakfast meeting this week.
“Partisan fighting in Washington often dominates the headlines and creates the perception that nothing is being accomplished. However, Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton remains optimistic about the potential for bipartisan progress in Arizona. In a press release on Thursday, Stanton emphasized the importance of unity as he stated, ‘I believe we can still come together as Team Arizona to address the issues that are significant to our state.'”
The meeting, held at Stanton’s Washington, D.C. office, marked the first gathering of its kind in more than four years, as stated in the release.
Almost every Arizona congressional member attended the event, with only two exceptions.
The topics that were discussed encompassed water security, economic development, and investments in the semiconductor industry.
Freshman Rep. Yassamin Ansari and Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego joined Stanton on the Democratic side.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, the sole Democrat who couldn’t attend, has been courageously fighting cancer from his home in Tucson.
The Republican Party, on the other hand, had a strong representation with incumbent Representatives David Schweikert, Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, and Juan Ciscomani, along with newcomer Abe Hamadeh.
Rep. Paul Gosar did not attend the meeting, making him the only Republican from Arizona’s congressional delegation who was absent.