Republican congressional candidate Dr. Zuhdi Jasser confronted Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) over health care costs, border enforcement, tariffs, and the conflict with Iran during an Arizona PBS candidate forum for Arizona’s Fourth Congressional District.
The Arizona Republican Party highlighted the exchange Tuesday, days after Jasser and Stanton appeared together on the Sept. 10 edition of “Candidates in Conversation.” Arizona PBS described the program as an open exchange rather than a formal debate.
Jasser, a primary-care physician and Republican nominee, identified rising health-insurance premiums as the most pressing issue facing the district. He blamed the Affordable Care Act and a lack of competition and price transparency for making coverage increasingly expensive.
Stanton, the Democratic incumbent who has served in Congress since 2019, said the broader cost of living was the leading issue. He pointed to tariffs, energy costs, and federal health care policy as contributors to household expenses.
The discussion became contentious when Stanton accused Jasser of supporting repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Jasser denied advocating repeal and said his position was to make health insurance more affordable through competition and transparency.
Jasser then argued that Congress needed a physician’s perspective on health policy, telling Stanton that “the House needs a doctor, not a politician that has been there since the iPod was made.”
For 25 years, I’ve fought for patients against insurance companies that put profits before care.
Greg Stanton is fighting to prevent any affordability reforms to the Unaffordable Care Act and instead wants to send BILLIONS more in subsidies to the C-Suites of Big Insurance while… pic.twitter.com/kXKRnnnXeM
The Arizona Republican Party paraphrased the remark in its post by referring to the introduction of the iPad and wrote that it was time for Stanton to leave office.
Stanton said he would continue defending Affordable Care Act protections, including coverage for people with preexisting conditions, and work to reduce insurance costs. Jasser said Stanton’s years in elected office had failed to produce an affordable health care system.
The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, nine years before Stanton entered Congress. Stanton previously served on the Phoenix City Council and as the city’s mayor from 2012 through 2018.
The candidates also found limited agreement on tariffs. Jasser said he disagreed with President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs and the administration’s involvement with Intel. Stanton called the tariffs unlawful and said they were increasing consumer costs.
Their sharpest foreign-policy disagreement involved Iran. Stanton characterized the conflict as a war of choice and linked it to higher gasoline prices. Jasser defended presidential authority to respond to national-security threats and criticized Stanton’s approach to military and border policy.
On immigration, Stanton acknowledged that the Biden administration mishandled the southern border. He said he supports border security alongside a comprehensive immigration overhaul.
Jasser called for continued enforcement of immigration law along with support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police. He also criticized Stanton for appearing with Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03) during a congressional oversight visit to a federal detention facility.
Stanton responded that members of Congress have an obligation to inspect federal facilities and review how federal agencies are carrying out immigration enforcement.
Jasser also rejected the suggestion that he would vote in lockstep with Trump or Republican leadership. He cited his disagreement with the administration on tariffs and Intel while describing himself as an independent voice with medical, military, and business experience.
Jasser served for 11 years in the U.S. Navy and founded the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He has also served as a commissioner and vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Stanton serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is also chairman of the NewDem Action Fund, which supports candidates affiliated with the centrist New Democrat Coalition.
Stanton won the Democratic primary with 35,551 votes, while Jasser received 39,431 votes as the Republican nominee.
Arizona’s Fourth Congressional District lies entirely within Maricopa County and includes portions of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler.
The federal government recorded a nearly $167 billion budget deficit in August, bringing the total shortfall for Fiscal Year 2026 to nearly $2 trillion with one month remaining in the fiscal year.
According to the latest Monthly Fiscal Update released by the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), federal spending exceeded revenues by $166.8 billion in August.
The cumulative deficit from October 2025 to August 2026 reached approximately $1.966 trillion.
Federal outlays have totaled $6.811 trillion so far this fiscal year, while the government has collected approximately $4.845 trillion in revenue. Based on those figures, about 28.9% of federal spending has not been covered by revenues.
The government has spent approximately $1.41 for every $1 collected.
Despite approaching $2 trillion, the year-to-date deficit is slightly below the comparable period last year. Through August of Fiscal Year 2025, the federal government had accumulated approximately $1.973 trillion in deficits, putting the current fiscal year’s total about 0.4% lower.
The federal government ultimately finished FY25 with a $1.775 trillion deficit. The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) latest projections estimated a $1.853 trillion deficit for FY26, followed by $1.887 in FY27, and $2.080 in FY28.
The current fiscal-year deficit has already surpassed that $1.853 trillion projection with September still remaining.
Spending has continued to increase compared with last year. Federal outlays totaled $526.8 billion in August and reached $6.811 trillion for the fiscal year through the end of the month. That represents an increase of approximately 2.2% from the $6.664 trillion spent during the same period of FY25.
Social Security remains one of the largest areas of federal spending, accounting for $1.526 trillion in outlays through August. Net interest costs have surpassed $1 trillion for the fiscal year, reaching approximately $1.017 trillion.
Other major spending categories include roughly $1.041 trillion for income security and veterans benefits, $979 billion for Medicare, $833 billion for defense, and $655 billion for Medicaid. Foreign aid accounted for $32 billion through August.
Federal revenues have also increased.
The government collected approximately $360 billion in August, bringing FY26 receipts through August to $4.845 trillion. That is about 3.3% higher than the $4.691 trillion collected during the comparable period last year.
Individual income taxes have provided the largest share of federal revenue this fiscal year, totaling $2.548 trillion, or more than half of all receipts. Social security insurance and retirement taxes generated another $1.663 trillion.
Corporate income tax receipts totaled $295 billion through August, while customs duties generated about $167 billion.
The CBO’s February budget outlook projected federal spending of approximately $7.449 trillion and revenues of $5.596 trillion for FY26. Its projections also anticipated deficits remaining near or above $2 trillion in the coming years as federal spending and interest costs continue to rise.
With one month left of FY26, the final September figures will determine the government’s full-year deficit and how it ultimately compares with both FY25 and the CBO’s earlier projections.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) introduced legislation this week aimed at increasing water supplies and accelerating infrastructure projects across the Colorado River Basin. The legislation comes as the region faces historically low reservoir levels and new reductions in Lower Basin water deliveries.
The Colorado River Basin Water Security and Infrastructure Act would direct federal resources toward water augmentation, storage, desalination, recycling, treatment, and conveyance projects while changing federal permitting requirements for certain water infrastructure.
Today, I introduced the Colorado River Basin Water Security and Infrastructure Act to expand water supplies, accelerate critical infrastructure projects, and strengthen long-term water security throughout the Colorado River Basin.
The legislation comes amid continued uncertainty over the Colorado River’s long-term management.
The seven Basin states did not reach consensus on a long-term post-2026 operating framework earlier this year. The Department of Interior subsequently finalized operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028 in August.
Those guidelines call for 1.25 million acre-feet in annual reductions to Lower Basin deliveries during each of the next two years.
“The goal of this legislation is simple: add new water, strengthen the Basin, and protect the farms, communities, and military installations that depend on the Colorado River,” stated Congressman Biggs.
Under the bill, certain water-supply projects would be exempted from requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Federal agencies would also face deadlines for reviewing project applications, including 30 days to determine whether an application is complete and 180 days to issue a final decision.
The legislation would also allow project sponsors to rely on a broader range of existing feasibility and impact studies rather than repeating previous engineering work. Major federal projects included in the legislation would receive congressional pre-authorization in an effort to shorten the time between planning and construction.
Another major component of the proposal is the creation of a Basin-wide Water Augmentation Fund. The program would provide a 2-to-1 federal cost share for eligible projects pursued by states, tribes, municipalities, utilities, and private partners.
Projects eligible for funding would include desalination, water reuse, storage and conveyance infrastructure, aquifer recharge, and salt cedar removal, among other efforts intended to increase available water supplies.
The legislation would also authorize or accelerate several large infrastructure projects throughout the Basin, including restoring the Yuma Desalting Plant to full capacity and pursuing binational desalination projects with Mexico.
Other provisions would support capturing ocean discharges in California for potential water supply, augmentation projects in Arizona and Nevada, and new Upper Basin development projects.
Biggs argued that increasing the Basin’s overall water supply should play a larger role in addressing the region’s water challenges.
“My bill offers a path forward by investing in new water, modernizing critical infrastructure, and removing unnecessary federal barriers that can delay projects for years,” said Biggs. “Increasing the amount of water available to the Basin will bolster our single-family housing market, and strengthen food security, economic security, and national security throughout the American Southwest. Congress and the people we serve cannot simply wait for relief from the drought or conserve our way out of this crisis.”
The Colorado River provides water to more than 40 million people, supports approximately 5.5 million acres of farmland, and serves 30 tribes. The river also supplies hydropower and water resources across seven U.S. states and Mexico.
Conditions across the system have deteriorated during the prolonged drought. The Bureau of Reclamation reported in August that the combined contents of Lake Powell and Lake Mead had fallen to levels not seen since Lake Powell began filling in the 1960s.
The agency said the Basin has experienced an unprecedented drought for the past 26 years, with conditions worsening in 2026.
Biggs has been involved in several other Colorado River-related efforts this year.
In March, he led Arizona Republican members of Congress in raising concerns about the Bureau of Reclamation’s draft environmental review for post-2026 operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
In April, Biggs joined Arizona Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) in urging federal officials to release funding for drought-related projects across the Basin. Biggs later partnered with Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus in seeking additional Colorado River funding as part of an emergency funding package.
The most recent legislation places an emphasis on expanding water supplies and infrastructure throughout the Basin. Biggs said the proposal is intended to provide greater long-term certainty for communities and agriculture rather than relying solely on reductions in existing water use.
“We must think big, be leaders, and deliver real solutions that will bring relief for decades to come,” said Biggs. “I urge my colleagues to act quickly and send this legislation to the President’s desk.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona laws affecting property taxes, deed recording, and county assessor operations took effect Saturday, Sept. 12, the general effective date for the 2026 legislative session. Additional property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses are scheduled to begin with the 2027 tax year.
“Ensuring the public has clear and timely information about changes in property tax laws is central to our mission,” Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook said. “This year’s legislative session brought meaningful improvements for property owners, especially veterans and individuals with disabilities, and protections from deed fraud – an issue that has surged nationwide.”
An earlier measure, HB 2792, took effect Feb. 12 and specified that the full property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating applies to their primary residence.
Under HB 4168, the full exemption will also cover a veteran whose service-connected disability status is total disability based on individual unemployability. The law removes household income limits for disabled veterans and eligible surviving spouses, and allows a qualifying surviving spouse to receive the exemption for which the veteran was eligible. Those changes apply beginning with the 2027 tax year.
A separate measure, HB 2120, adds a written Social Security Administration disability determination to the documentation accepted when establishing eligibility for a property tax exemption.
Property owners also face new procedures when recording documents. SB 1479 generally requires valid photo identification when documents are recorded in person at a county recorder’s office or recording kiosk, with exceptions for specified professionals and institutions. It increases the criminal penalty for knowingly recording a forged or false real estate claim and adds a thumbprint requirement for certain notarized documents.
The same law directs county assessors to establish a voluntary system by Jan. 1, 2027, to alert participating owners when the assessor receives notice of a change in property ownership or the owner’s mailing address. The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office said Cook championed the measure.
Other changes address how assessors work with property owners. HB 2173 allows tax officers to accept electronic responses and, when a taxpayer elects to submit one, an electronic notice of claim in property tax error cases. The existing deadlines remain in place, and communications that require certified mail must still be served that way. SB 1294 permits an assessor to retain a property’s classification for up to five years after destruction by a verifiable accident, unless its use changes sooner. That provision applies retroactively to Sept. 13, 2024.
Two laws change agricultural-property inspections. HB 2104 generally bars an assessor from reclassifying or inspecting agricultural property for three years after the owner prevails in a qualifying appeal, subject to specified changes involving the property. HB 2105 requires advance notice of inspections and a copy of the inspection report for property owners, and limits consecutive-year inspections of qualifying agricultural property.
HB 2327 allows eligible people to request broader restrictions on identifying information in county assessor, recorder, and treasurer records. HB 2950 allows counties and municipalities to establish tourism improvement areas funded by assessments on participating lodging businesses.
Finally, SB 1067 prevents certain county abatement liens from being extinguished by a property tax lien sale or foreclosure. Those provisions expire Oct. 1, 2028.
Republican lawmakers are investigating Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs for allegedly securing a unique rate increase from the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) for one of her top donors, Sunshine Residential Homes, a group home operator.
Sunshine Residential Homes, its CEO Simon Kottoor, and his wife Elizabeth contributed more than $500,000 to Hobbs and the Arizona Democratic Party.
Attorney General Kris Mayes cleared Hobbs of wrongdoing last month.
Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-LD15) has called on Mayes to release the documents from her investigation.
Arizona Senate Republicans claim that “the underlying evidence remains hidden” in Hobbs’ case.
Hoffman said that the evidence presented so far has created a clear appearance of pay-to-play corruption. Hoffman accused Mayes of having a political alliance with Hobbs that compelled her to decline to charge the governor of wrongdoing.
“The money, the favors, and the secrecy form a pattern that cannot be ignored,” said Hoffman. “The confluence of events here renders these allegations extremely credible and worth investigating.”
Lawmakers have subpoenaed materials concerning donations to Hobbs’ inaugural or legal defense funds by Sunshine Residential Homes, the Kottoors, or any executive of the group home operator.
Sunshine Residential Homes and both Kottoors were also subpoenaed, along with Abi Saifi, the director of programs at Sunshine Residential Homes.
They also requested materials concerning contracts or agreements between any state agency and Sunshine Residential Homes, and changes to compensation or reimbursement rates, formulas, or amounts paid by any state agency to Sunshine Residential Homes.
The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August, accelerating from July’s 0.1% increase, while annual inflation remained at 3.4%, according to the latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline prices accounted for more than one-third of the monthly increase.
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area, consumer prices increased 2.5% over the year ending in August, below the national rate, but eased back from June’s 2.8%. Local energy prices rose 19.1% over that period, including a 32.5% increase in gasoline prices.
Nationally, gasoline prices increased 3.9% during August, and the broader energy index rose 2.1%. Shelter costs increased 0.3%, while food prices rose 0.1%. Grocery prices were unchanged for the month, and food away from home increased 0.3%.
CPI-U increased by 0.40% in August & rose to 3.40% over the past year. Core CPI, which excludes food & energy, +0.29% in Aug & +2.45% over the past year. Energy inflation +2.10% in Aug & +16.28% over the past year. Food inflation +0.12% in Aug & +2.67% over the past year.…
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) September 11, 2026
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.3% in August following a 0.2% rise in July. Over the preceding 12 months, core prices increased 2.4%, energy prices rose 16.3%, and food prices increased 2.7%.
The national monthly figures are seasonally adjusted. The annual changes are measured before seasonal adjustment.
The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Republicans’ August inflation update, released this month, provided calculations to two decimal places. It reported monthly headline inflation of 0.40% and core inflation of 0.29%, compared with Cleveland Federal Reserve forecasts of 0.36% and 0.20%, respectively.
The committee’s calculations placed annual headline inflation at 3.40% and annual core inflation at 2.45%. Its report notes that differences in change figures can result from rounding.
Across the four regions identified in the committee’s accompanying release, annual inflation was highest in the Northeast at 3.9%, followed by the Midwest at 3.6%, the West at 3.2%, and the South at 3.1%. In its release accompanying the update, JEC Republicans reported annual inflation of 3.9% in the Northeast, 3.6% in the Midwest, 3.2% in the West, and 3.1% in the South.
Phoenix-area prices increased 0.5% over the two months ending in August. During that period, local energy prices increased 4.6%, food prices declined 1.6%, and prices excluding food and energy rose 0.5%. The local BLS figures are not seasonally adjusted and cover a two-month period.
Over the year, Phoenix-area food prices increased 1.7%, including a 1.0% increase in grocery prices and a 2.5% increase in food away from home. Local core inflation was 1.3%, while shelter prices declined 0.3%.
Inflation-adjusted earnings were mostly steady in August. Real average weekly earnings for employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased 0.16%, while real average hourly earnings declined 0.09%. Over the year, real hourly earnings declined 0.3% and real weekly earnings increased 0.3%.
