Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) says Arizona should embrace an expanded nuclear future, backing additional reactors at Palo Verde Generating Station while positioning the state to become a national leader in small modular reactor technology.
In an exclsuive interview with AZ Free News, Biggs voiced unequivocal support for expanding Arizona’s nuclear generating capacity as electricity demand continues rising from population growth, advanced manufacturing, and data centers.
“I’m 100 percent behind it,” Biggs said when asked about expanding Palo Verde. “I think they need to be located there.”
His comments come as Arizona utilities continue to pursue license renewals that would allow Palo Verde’s three existing reactors to operate into the 2060s. Palo Verde was also originally envisioned with additional generating capacity, including Units 4 and 5, expansion plans first contemplated in the 1970s and revisited in 2006.
Separately, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced in February 2025 that they were working together to identify potential sites for an entirely new nuclear power plant to meet growing energy demands.
“New nuclear generation could provide Arizona with reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy to power economic growth while helping us make progress toward a clean energy future,” TEP President and CEO Susan Gray said in a news release at the time. “We know the development timeline would be long, so it makes sense for our state’s energy providers to begin this preliminary evaluation as soon as possible.”
Biggs also expressed strong support for small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs.
“I’ve been supportive of the development of SMRs,” he said.
The Arizona legislature considered House Bill 2795 in February, which aimed to ease regulatory barriers for next-generation nuclear power projects in rural Arizona. However, the measure failed to pass in the State Senate.
While Biggs cautioned the technology is probably “not going to be scalable for five to 10 years,” he said Arizona should move aggressively to secure one of the first demonstration projects.
One location stands above the rest, according to Biggs. He said, “We’re advocating that Luke Air Force Base gets an SMR—one of the first nine or 10 that the administration is insisting needs to be there by the end of 2027.”
Biggs said he has been working alongside fellow Arizona Republican members of Congress, including Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ09), Eli Crane (R-AZ02), and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08), to encourage the effort.
“We want to be on the cutting edge of that. Because I think SMRs are the wave of the future,” Biggs said.
He also said recent meetings with energy-sector officials reinforced that view.
“I just talked to an energy group last week, and they agree SMRs are the wave of the future. And that’s where we need to be going.”
Biggs also tied nuclear development to Arizona’s broader economic future, saying reliable baseload power will be essential as advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, artificial intelligence, and data centers continue expanding throughout the state.
Although he said he supports data center investment, Biggs argued such projects should proceed without taxpayer subsidies or preferential treatment.
“No special breaks. No special benefits,” he said.
Instead, Biggs said developers should be responsible for securing their own electrical generation—including SMRs where appropriate—while ensuring existing residential and commercial ratepayers are not displaced by new industrial demand.
His comments come as Arizona utilities and policymakers increasingly examine nuclear energy as part of the state’s long-term strategy to meet growing electricity demand while maintaining grid reliability.
Biggs is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, making energy development one of several major policy areas he says will shape Arizona’s long-term economic competitiveness.
The Joint Economic Committee’s latest analysis of federal trade data shows the U.S. trade deficit widened in May, reaching $77.58 billion — the largest monthly gap since March 2025.
The deficit increased by $23.02 billion from April and stood 28% above its 12-month average as exports declined and imports climbed.
Goods trade accounted for the bulk of the imbalance, with the goods deficit rising to $106.48 billion, up $23.57 billion from April, while the nation’s services surplus increased modestly to $28.90 billion, up $557 million from April.
Total exports fell to $317.68 billion in May, led by a decline in goods shipments of $11.29 billion, whereas imports rose to $395.26 billion as purchases of both goods and services increased by $12.50 billion.
Over the twelve months ending in May 2026, the United States recorded a cumulative trade deficit of $728.02 billion. Goods trade posted a $1.06 trillion deficit, partially offset by a $336.00 billion surplus in services. During that period, exports totaled $3.59 trillion and imports reached $4.32 trillion.
The nations largest goods trade deficits were with Vietnam ($203.85 billion), Mexico ($199.18 billion), and Taiwan ($194.38 billion), while its largest surpluses were with the Netherlands ($75.57 billion), the United Kingdom ($44.48 billion), and Hong Kong ($41.23 billion).
Civilian aircraft and related equipment, non monetary gold, and pharmaceutical preparations led the U.S. exports by value, accounting for 17.54% of all exported goods in the past 12 months. Whole computers, pharmaceuticals preparations, and computer accessories were the top imports accounting for 19.83%.
Mexico and Canada remained the country’s leading trading partners on both the export and import sides, joined by the United Kingdom among export destinations and China among import sources.
Major gateways for trade activity from May 2025 to May 2026 included the port districts of New York City ($273.88 billion), Houston-Galveston ($266.35 billion), and Laredo ($169.20 billion) for exports.
Over the same period Los Angeles ($379.22 billion), Chicago ($331.73 billion), and Laredo ($328.22 billion) were the port districts with the highest imports.
The United States collected $296.97 billion in import duties over the past year with $21.03 billion in May 2026. Passenger cars, vehicle parts, and electric apparatus generated the greatest duty revenue.
China accounted for the largest share of those duties, followed by Vietnam and Mexico accounting for around 46% of all applied duty rates.
Currency movements also shaped trade conditions. Between May 2025 and May 2026, the U.S. dollar weakened against the Chinese yuan by 6%, the euro by 2.1%, and the Mexican peso by 9.8%, while strengthening against the British pound by 0.5% and Japanese yen by 11.5%.
Exports prices rose 11.21% year-over-year, while import prices increased 4.61%, with fuel imports experiencing particularly sharp inflation at 35.89%.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
One year after President Donald Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cut Bill into law, U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) defended the legislation as a cornerstone of the nation’s economic recovery, arguing it prevented what he described as a massive tax increase while expanding tax relief for families, workers, and small businesses.
In an exclusive interview with AZ Free News earlier this week, Biggs, who is also running for Arizona Governor, said the legislation’s most immediate accomplishment was preserving tax relief that otherwise would have expired.
“I think what you’re seeing is, the biggest success, is you stopped a $4 trillion tax increase,” Biggs said. “That would have been economically really, really bad for the country—maybe the death knell.”
Biggs said extending the 20 percent deduction for qualifying small businesses and preserving immediate business expensing provisions were among the bill’s most significant accomplishments. He also pointed to Treasury Department estimates indicating many families could see larger tax savings.
“According to the Treasury Department, the average family is going to see somewhere north of $2,000,” Biggs said, adding that other estimates range between $1,500 and $2,000. “That provides money to the economy and stimulus to the economy and helps the working men and women of this country.”
The congressman said some provisions are only beginning to show their long-term effects, particularly expanded domestic energy and natural resource development.
“I think people are getting… that a lot more federal land is being opened up for oil, gas, coal, minerals, whatever those natural resources are,” Biggs said. “Years from now, looking back, people will say, ‘Man, that really was one of the most critical things that could have happened for us.'”
Biggs also cited provisions eliminating federal taxes on tips, reducing taxes on overtime income, and providing tax relief for seniors receiving Social Security benefits as measures designed to increase disposable income while stimulating economic activity.
Critics of the legislation, such as Arizona Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18), have argued it disproportionately benefits higher-income Americans and could increase the federal deficit, as reported by The Center Square. Biggs rejected both claims.
“The problem that we have is not a revenue problem in Washington, D.C.,” Biggs said. “It is a spending problem.”
He argued that economic growth generated by lower taxes ultimately produces additional federal revenue.
“What you do get is more economic activity,” Biggs said. “More taxes ultimately get paid and go into the federal government.”
Looking ahead, Biggs said a future Republican Congress should consider additional tax reductions for businesses while encouraging domestic manufacturing and development of critical mineral resources.
“If you want to stimulate jobs,” he said, “you’d find a way to reduce some of the corporate tax policy… and pass those along to sole proprietors and small firms as well.”
Although Biggs described the legislation as comprehensive, he said one area he wished Congress had addressed more aggressively was healthcare policy.
“One thing that we didn’t take care of, in my opinion… is we did nothing really on healthcare costs in the One Big Beautiful Bill,” Biggs said.
He said he had introduced legislation to expand Health Savings Accounts and increase their portability, adding that Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri had proposed similar but broader reforms.
“I would have liked to see us do more on tax policy related directly to healthcare as well,” Biggs said.
Speaking with KTAR’s Mike Broomhead Monday, Biggs also discussed fraud in Medicaid and the Indian Health Services program. In a post to X sharing a clip he wrote, “When we root this waste out, we’ll get taxpayer dollars back in the pockets of Arizonans so families and businesses can thrive.”
There’s still billions of fraud in Arizona, especially in Medicaid and our Indian Health Services program.
When we root this waste out, we’ll get taxpayer dollars back in the pockets of Arizonans so families and businesses can thrive.
Looking ahead to a possible Biggs administration, he said future state tax policy should continue focusing on healthcare affordability and higher education while complementing the broader economic approach established by the federal legislation.
“The affordability of housing” remains Arizona’s largest economic challenge, Biggs said, arguing that utility costs, water policy, and management of state trust lands all play significant roles in addressing long-term affordability.
Biggs, who declined to seek another term in Congress to run for Governor, said Arizona has already incorporated many of the federal tax provisions into state law, though he criticized Gov. Katie Hobbs for initially vetoing related legislation before later signing it.
The U.S. labor market continued to expand in June, but at a significantly slower pace than economists expected, as hiring cooled and fewer Americans participated in the workforce, according to the latest Monthly Employment Update released last week by the Joint Economic Committee.
The economy added 57,000 non-farm payroll jobs in June, including 49,000 private-sector jobs and 8,000 government positions. While the national employment rate edged down from 4.3% to 4.2%, the improvement coincided with a 0.3 percentage-point decline in the labor force participation rate to 61.5%, indicating fewer Americans were either working or actively seeking employment.
The broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes underemployment workers and those marginally attached to the labor force, also declined from 8.1% to 7.9%.
The June report follows downward revisions to previous employment data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised May’s job growth downward by 43,000 jobs, reducing the month’s gain from 172,000 to 129,000 jobs. April’s final revision, meanwhile, increased payroll growth by 33,000 jobs to a total gain of 148,000.
Among industries, private education and health services led monthly hiring with 69,000 new jobs, followed by professional and business services, which added 36,000 positions. Leisure and hospitality posted the largest decline, shedding 61,000 jobs, while the information sector lost 9,000 positions.
Over the past year, private education and health services has remained the nation’s strongest-performing sector, adding 648,000 jobs, followed by leisure and hospitality with 114,000.
Federal government employment experienced the steepest annual decline, falling by 258,000 jobs, while financial activities lost 100,000 positions.
Despite slower hiring, wages continued to outpace inflation. Average weekly earnings for all private-sector employees increased 3.82% over the past year, while average hourly earnings rose 3.52%.
Production and nonsupervisory workers saw annual increases of 3.73% in weekly earnings and 3.42% in hourly earnings.
Job Openings Hold Steady Despite Cooling Labor Market
Separate data from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed labor demand remained relatively stable. Total job openings increased by 9,000 in May to 7.59 million nationwide, with the job openings rate holding steady at 4.6%
Leisure and hospitality recorded the largest increase in available positions, followed by trade, transportation, and utilities, while private education and health services posted the largest decline in openings.
State-level employment data reflected a mixed picture across the country. Unemployment rates declined in 20 states during May, increased in nine states, and remained unchanged in 22 states and the District of Columbia.
The District of Columbia recorded the nation’s highest unemployment rate at 6.1% while South Dakota posted the lowest at 2.1%
Payroll employment increased in 38 states and fell in 13 states during May. West Virginia recorded the nation’s largest percentage increase in payroll employment at 1.4% while Montana experienced the largest decline at 0.5%.
Arizona continued to rank among the nation’s stronger performing states for job growth despite signs of a slowing labor market.
The state added 2,000 net payroll jobs in May after adding 8,100 jobs in April. Over the past 12 months, Arizona has added 21,200 payroll jobs, tying for the 10th nationally in percentage growth of non-farm employment.
Arizona’s private sector added 22,900 jobs over the past year, ranking tied for ninth nationally in private-sector payroll growth.
Arizona’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 4.8% in May up from 4.7% the previous month and 4.3% one year earlier. Employment in the state declined by 16,293 during the month and has fallen by more than 66,000 over the past year.
The state’s labor force participation rate also weakened, falling from 61% to 60.7% in May, placing Arizona 37th nationally.
Nationally, labor force participation remained at 61.8% during May before declining to 61.5% in June.
Arizona’s strongest monthly employment gain came in construction, which added 1,300 jobs, and financial activities, which added 700 jobs. State and local government employment declined by 1,000 positions, while professional and business services lost 300 jobs.
Over the past year, Arizona’s private education and health services sector led all industries with 16,600 new jobs, followed by professional and business services with 8,100.
Financial activities experienced the largest annual decline, losing 4,000 jobs, while federal government employment fell by 3,200 positions.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona’s unemployment rate has now hit a new high following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s unemployment rate neared 5% according to a new data analysis report from the Common Sense Institute of Arizona (CSI). Based on this newly calculated rate, Arizona has the 12th-highest unemployment rate in the nation.
Unemployment hit 4.8% in May, with CSI saying broader data indicators have revealed the state’s labor market to be cooling despite job growth.
The addition of 2,000 non-farm jobs in May put Arizona at 30th for national job growth. Overall, the nation experienced growth with the addition of 172,000 jobs.
As for job growth year-over-year, Arizona added over 21,200 jobs. That qualified the state as the 10th best in the nation for job growth year-over-year.
Mining jobs increased by about 1,300 over the past year. CSI attributed this growth to the increased demand for copper by electric vehicles, artificial intelligence technology, and data centers.
Manufacturing jobs also increased by 500 over the past year. Trade, transportation, and utility jobs declined by 1,600 over the past year.
Arizona’s labor participation also hit a post-pandemic milestone. The state’s labor force participation rate fell just below 61 percent: the lowest level seen since 2020. Last May, the labor force participation rate was over 62 percent.
Along with rising unemployment and compressed labor participation, Arizona’s private-sector wages increased by over three percent over the year to $35.78. However, that total lags behind the national average of $37.53.
Arizonans may have felt these changes to Arizona’s employment climate more acutely due to major year-over-year changes with state spending.
CSI attributed the state’s budget shortfall to overspending.
Another recent analysis released earlier this month by CSI found that the state budget has experienced rapid growth over the past decade.
In just 10 years, the state budget doubled and now amounts to more than 10% of the state’s gross domestic product.
Per CSI, spending pressures have remained elevated despite normalized revenue growth.
Some items that CSI said to blame were the disparities between Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) enrollment and member costs, elevated demands from the Development Disabilities Program (DDP), and federal payment error rates impacting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) obligations.
AHCCCS enrollment fell by about 10% (over 200,000 people) but average per-member costs increased by 14%.
DDP was projected to require an additional $400 million in state spending by next year.
And the state may have to cover $300 million in annual SNAP cost-sharing obligations should federal payment error rates fail to be reduced in the near future.
Total state spending reached over $70 billion in the 2026 fiscal year, and estimates projected spending to approach $75 billion in the 2027 fiscal year. Of the 2026 fiscal year total state spending, close to $50 billion is expected to come from non-appropriated funds.
CSI found that spending not subject to regular legislative appropriations has grown by more than 150% over the past decade, though appropriated spending grew by about 100%.
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The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed H.R. 7396, the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, a bipartisan measure aimed at strengthening Small Business Administration (SBA) outreach and support for Tribal entrepreneurs across the United States.
The legislation, led by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, seeks to formally establish and codify the Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) within the SBA by amending the Small Business Act.
The goal is to improve coordination, accountability, and targeted support for Native American and native Hawaiian business owners who often face structural barriers in accessing federal resources.
The bill was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02), alongside Rep. Shanice Davids (D-KS-03), Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), and Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-MN-03). The measure passed the House with unanimous support after previously clearing the chamber in the last Congress with strong bipartisan backing before stalling in the Senate.
If enacted, the legislation would formally embed the ONAA within the Small Business Administration and assign its responsibility for expanding access to entrepreneurial development programs, contracting opportunities, and capital resources for Tribal communities.
This evening, the House unanimously passed the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act to strengthen @SBAgov outreach to Tribal entrepreneurs.
The office would also be tasked with improving coordination with other federal agencies and increasing education about available programs for Native entrepreneurs.
Tribal business owners, particularly those operating on reservations, often face unique challenges including complex tax structures, regulatory barriers, lending difficulties, and questions surrounding property rights.
Supporters of the legislation argue that these issues have been compounded by inconsistent outreach and limited access to federal small business programs.
By codifying the Office of Native America Affairs into federal law, the bill also strengthens congressional oversight by requiring annual reports to Congress detailing outreach efforts, consultations with Tribal governments, training initiatives, and the number of entrepreneurs served.
“I’m proud to be part of the bipartisan coalition working to improve and expand SBA outreach to Tribal communities. As the representative of over half of Arizona’s tribes, I’m focused on solutions to help expand economic growth throughout rural Arizona,” stated Rep. Crane. “I’m grateful to Rep. Davids for her leadership, as well as Reps. Ellzey and Morrison for their support of this important bill. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly take up and pass this measure.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
