Arizona lawmakers approve plan to expand Medicaid

PHOENIX — In an historic move, a group of Republican senators united with Democrats this afternoon to approve the plan by Gov. Jan Brewer to sharply expand the state's Medicaid program.

Ariz. Senate bans unwanted text messages

PHOENIX — Those unwanted text messages for everything from special sales to dating services could soon be a thing of the past.

Congress passes bill renewing anti-violence law

WASHINGTON — House Republicans raised the white flag Thursday on extending domestic violence protections to gays, lesbians and transsexuals after months of resisting an expansion of the Violence Against Women Act.

Notable passings of 2012

In this July 29, 1964 file photo, Richard Zanuck, 29, is shown as production manager at Twentieth Century-Fox studio in Los Angeles. Zanuck, the son of Darryl F. Zanuck, has been schooled by his father in all phases of the business. According to his publicist, Richard D. Zanuck has died at a…

Presidential elections and transfers of power

President-elect Herbert Hoover called upon President Calvin Coolidge, left, at the White House on January 7, 1929 to discuss Hoover's good-will trip, just concluded. Photo shows Coolidge and Hoover on the steps of the White House on this moning. (AP Photo)

What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Blanca Guerra

What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Jonathan Paton

What is your economic plan to ensure that the U.S. does not end up where Europe is today?

Ann Kirkpatrick

What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Raúl Grijalva

What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Ron Barber

What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Martha McSally

What is your economic plan to ensure the US does not end up where Europe is today?

The Star invited Southern Arizona's congressional candidates to answer that question.

Barber: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

The most important thing we can do is to grow our economy by getting people back to work. This will create economic momentum as well as reduce our deficit. Our first principle should be that we cannot have a thriving America without a thriving middle class.

McSally: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Our total debt as a nation recently topped $16 trillion, which is over $50,000 per every man, woman, and child in America. This debt per person is a greater amount than Greece, Italy, Spain or Portugal.

Paton: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

Europe is in its dire fiscal position today because its governments are spending more money than they are taking in, and at the same time they are stifling job growth by placing undue burdens on small businesses.

Allen: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

My crystal ball is broken and I do not have a magic wand to change the economic situation in America or to reduce the risk of a European financial collapse. A lot of very smart men and women with multiple degrees in economics have no idea how to solve our economic ties to the crisis in Europe.

Kirkpatrick: What is your economic plan to ensure that the U.S. does not end up where Europe is today?

Our nation is strong, thanks to its foundation of economic freedom and a robust middle class. But we cannot take this for granted - we must support economic policies that keep us fiscally sound in the 21st century. Here is where I stand on a few key topics:

Guerra: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

The reason that Europe has a weakened economy is that their governments decided to have a socialist community. A community where the government oversees all programs and businesses. Gathering all the wealth of the nation to redistribute as leaders decide.

Grijalva: What is your economic plan to ensure US does not end up where Europe is today?

There's really no debate about how to fix our economy. We need to create jobs by increasing working people's disposable income and stimulating demand. A lot of conservatives say we should cut upper-income taxes and hope wealthy corporations hire a few of us out of gratitude. The voting publi…

Ron Barber sworn in as congressman

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ron Barber, who almost died in the Tucson shooting that wounded former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was sworn in Tuesday as a member of the House.