The Arizona 番茄社区 of Commerce & Industry will host its annual Update from Capitol Hill luncheon on Friday at the Arizona Biltmore, bringing together members of Arizona鈥檚 congressional delegation and one of the country鈥檚 most closely watched political analysts.

will feature U.S. Reps. Juan Ciscomani and Greg Stanton, along with Jonathan Martin of Politico, columnist and host of the .

番茄社区 spoke with Arizona 番茄社区 President and CEO Danny Seiden about the event and what he鈥檚 most interested in hearing.

Tell us about Update from Capitol Hill. It鈥檚 one of the 番茄社区鈥檚 premier annual events, isn鈥檛 it?

Danny Seiden:

It really is one of our signature events each year. What makes it so valuable is that it brings Arizona鈥檚 business community face-to-face with members of our congressional delegation at a time when so many federal decisions are directly affecting our state鈥檚 economy.

There鈥檚 no substitute for hearing directly from the people who are in the room making those decisions鈥攚hether it鈥檚 on taxes, trade, infrastructure, or regulatory policy. And just as important, it gives our members a chance to better understand the dynamics in Washington and how those decisions translate back home to Arizona.

What topics are you anticipating you鈥檒l hear about from Congressmen Ciscomani and Stanton?

There鈥檚 certainly no shortage of issues right now. Water is always top of mind in Arizona, and I expect that to be part of the conversation given the federal government鈥檚 role in long-term solutions.

Beyond that, I think we鈥檒l hear a lot about the broader state of Congress鈥攈ow things are functioning, what鈥檚 realistic in terms of bipartisan cooperation, and what we can expect over the coming months.

There are also a lot of frontpage issues鈥攆rom border policy to economic conditions to foreign affairs鈥攖hat have real implications for Arizona employers. Having both Congressman Ciscomani and Congressman Stanton there gives us a valuable bipartisan perspective on those challenges.

This year the 番茄社区 is welcoming Jonathan Martin from Politico. What do you believe he鈥檒l add to the conversation?

is one of the most respected political commentators in the country. He鈥檚 been covering national politics for a long time, and he brings a level of experience and insight that鈥檚 hard to match.

He鈥檚 also a regular presence on the Sunday shows, so he鈥檚 constantly plugged into the national conversation. With this being an election year, his perspective on the state of politics鈥攚here things stand heading into the primaries and what to expect in November鈥攚ill be incredibly valuable.

Honestly, there are very few people who can provide that kind of real-time, informed analysis of what鈥檚 happening in Washington and on the campaign trail. I think our attendees will really benefit from hearing his take.

How do federal decisions right now directly impact Arizona鈥檚 business community, and what should employers here be paying closest attention to?

Federal policy has a very real, day-to-day impact on Arizona employers, whether people always see that connection or not. Decisions coming out of Washington affect everything from the cost of doing business to the availability of workforce and the reliability of our supply chains.

For Arizona, trade and border policy are especially important. We鈥檙e a major gateway state, so anything that affects cross-border commerce鈥攚hether it鈥檚 customs operations, infrastructure, or security鈥攈as a direct impact on our economy. The USMCA review is coming up, for example, so we鈥檙e paying close attention to that.

Energy is another major factor right now. Global uncertainty, particularly events in the Middle East, can create volatility in energy markets, and that has a ripple effect across the economy. When fuel costs rise, it impacts everything from what we pay at the pump to the cost of transporting goods, which ultimately shows up in prices on store shelves.

And, obviously, water is also an area where federal involvement matters, particularly in terms of long-term planning and investment. I know our delegation is deeply involved in that issue.

And of course, tax and regulatory policy always play a role in shaping whether businesses can grow and compete.

I鈥檇 also point to the overall economic environment鈥攊nterest rates, inflation, and federal spending decisions鈥攁ll of which influence business confidence and investment.

The bottom line is that what happens shows up here in Arizona, and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important for our business community to stay informed and engaged.

More about this year鈥檚 Update from Capitol Hill luncheon can be found on the Arizona 番茄社区鈥檚 .

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