Jeff Flake

washington -- When Rep. Jeff Flake rises to speak in the House of Representatives, his colleagues grimace. Usually, the Arizona Republican is out to shame them over earmarking money for pet projects that have little to do with federal priorities. The House's No. 1 earmark-hater spares no one: not fellow Republicans, not committee chairs, not Arizona colleagues, not even Punxsutawney Phil.

WASHINGTON -- Both of Arizona's senators have taken to Twitter, publicly calling on Gov. Jan Brewer to veto legislation that would allow businesses to use religion as a basis for denying service to gays and lesbians. " I hope Governor Brewer will veto #SB1062," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tweeted  Monday morning, repeating nearly word-for-word a tweet Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) sent out on Saturday. Amid a media firestorm over the bill, the senators' urging is the latest sign that the Republican establishment is seeking to distance itself from extreme conservative positions that might hurt the party in upcoming midterm elections.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords made an emotional return to the House floor tonight to thunderous applause from her colleagues just moments before the president's arrival for the State of the Union address. The appearance by Giffords, largely absent from the House since the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting that nearly took her life, is to be one of her final acts as a member of Congress before she submits her resignation Wednesday. The Arizona Democrat, accompanied by her chief of staff, was silent as she arrived in the Speaker's Lobby before taking the floor.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Three Republicans who supported a bill bolstering the rights of business owners to refuse service to gays and others on the basis of religion reversed course Monday and asked the governor to veto the controversial measure. Republican state Sens. Adam Driggs, Steve Pierce and Bob Worsley delivered a letter to Gov. Jan Brewer  pleading for her to reject SB 1062. The measure is intended to bolster a business owner's right to refuse service to gays and others if the owner believes doing so violates the practice and observance of his or her religion.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a conservative Republican, announced her support Sunday for a bipartisan immigration overhaul plan, lending momentum to the comprehensive measure being debated in the Senate. “Our immigration system is completely broken,” the New Hampshire lawmaker said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “This is a thoughtful, bipartisan solution to a tough problem.” Ayotte, who was elected in 2010, is the first Republican to endorse the measure apart from the four in the Senate's so-called Gang of Eight: Sens.

WASHINGTON -- Both of Arizona's senators have taken to Twitter, publicly calling on Gov. Jan Brewer to veto legislation that would allow businesses to use religion as a basis for denying service to gays and lesbians. " I hope Governor Brewer will veto #SB1062," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tweeted  Monday morning, repeating nearly word-for-word a tweet Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) sent out on Saturday. Amid a media firestorm over the bill, the senators' urging is the latest sign that the Republican establishment is seeking to distance itself from extreme conservative positions that might hurt the party in upcoming midterm elections.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Three Republicans who supported a bill bolstering the rights of business owners to refuse service to gays and others on the basis of religion reversed course Monday and asked the governor to veto the controversial measure. Republican state Sens. Adam Driggs, Steve Pierce and Bob Worsley delivered a letter to Gov. Jan Brewer  pleading for her to reject SB 1062. The measure is intended to bolster a business owner's right to refuse service to gays and others if the owner believes doing so violates the practice and observance of his or her religion.

A bipartisan group of senators predicted Tuesday that Congress was ready to pass legislation to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba. Removing the travel ban would produce a burst of tourism, create thousands of jobs and generate as much as $1.6 billion in business a year, an independent research group said. A Senate news conference Tuesday and one in the House set for Thursday reflect new attempts to lift the travel ban, a key part of the U.S.

WASHINGTON - The immigration reform bill crafted by a bipartisan group of senators has deeply split the Republican minority even as lawmakers prepare to take the first votes on the proposal Thursday. Alabama's Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, a conservative former prosecutor with a courtly drawl, has emerged as the leading opponent of the bill. He is aiming at his GOP colleagues with unusual zeal, and calls out the architects of the bill as, essentially, dishonest. "Sen. Flake is wrong: It's not a 13-year path to citizenship or welfare," blared one recent missive from Sessions targeting Arizona's Republican senator, Jeff Flake, who helped draft the legislation.

WASHINGTON - Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, a Democrat, was unable to overcome Republican Rep. Jeff Flake, keeping the Senate seat from Arizona in the GOP column. Carmona enjoyed a late surge in the historically Republican state as a moderate, and Latino, candidate, with the state showing signs of an emerging Democratic tilt. But funding from Democrats nationally and a visit from former President Clinton were not enough to outpace Flake, a six-term congressman from Mesa who is  a conservative leader in the House.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a conservative Republican, announced her support Sunday for a bipartisan immigration overhaul plan, lending momentum to the comprehensive measure being debated in the Senate. “Our immigration system is completely broken,” the New Hampshire lawmaker said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “This is a thoughtful, bipartisan solution to a tough problem.” Ayotte, who was elected in 2010, is the first Republican to endorse the measure apart from the four in the Senate's so-called Gang of Eight: Sens.

WASHINGTON - The immigration reform bill crafted by a bipartisan group of senators has deeply split the Republican minority even as lawmakers prepare to take the first votes on the proposal Thursday. Alabama's Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, a conservative former prosecutor with a courtly drawl, has emerged as the leading opponent of the bill. He is aiming at his GOP colleagues with unusual zeal, and calls out the architects of the bill as, essentially, dishonest. "Sen. Flake is wrong: It's not a 13-year path to citizenship or welfare," blared one recent missive from Sessions targeting Arizona's Republican senator, Jeff Flake, who helped draft the legislation.

WASHINGTON - Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, a Democrat, was unable to overcome Republican Rep. Jeff Flake, keeping the Senate seat from Arizona in the GOP column. Carmona enjoyed a late surge in the historically Republican state as a moderate, and Latino, candidate, with the state showing signs of an emerging Democratic tilt. But funding from Democrats nationally and a visit from former President Clinton were not enough to outpace Flake, a six-term congressman from Mesa who is  a conservative leader in the House.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords made an emotional return to the House floor tonight to thunderous applause from her colleagues just moments before the president's arrival for the State of the Union address. The appearance by Giffords, largely absent from the House since the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting that nearly took her life, is to be one of her final acts as a member of Congress before she submits her resignation Wednesday. The Arizona Democrat, accompanied by her chief of staff, was silent as she arrived in the Speaker's Lobby before taking the floor.

Rep. Jeff Flake made it official this week. Four days after Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said he would not stand for reelection in 2012, the six-term GOP congressman from suburban Phoenix said he'd launch a bid to replace him. But much of the speculation concerning the seat, such as it can exist 18 months before an election, continues to swirl around Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. A few short weeks ago, it was unimaginable that anyone could tie Giffords' name to a 2012 Senate campaign, but the wounded congresswoman, shot in Tucson on Jan. 8, is reportedly making so much progress that the prospect sounds plausible, if not, as of yet, very realistic.

President Obama on Saturday called for Democrats and Republicans to work together to deal with the nation's problems as official Washington began to reengage after a week of mourning for the 19 shooting victims of the Arizona rampage. In separate media addresses, Obama and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) both paid tribute to the victims and praised the heroes of the events a week ago, when a lone gunman opened fire outside a Tucson supermarket as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was meeting her constituents.

Rep. Jeff Flake made it official this week. Four days after Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said he would not stand for reelection in 2012, the six-term GOP congressman from suburban Phoenix said he'd launch a bid to replace him. But much of the speculation concerning the seat, such as it can exist 18 months before an election, continues to swirl around Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. A few short weeks ago, it was unimaginable that anyone could tie Giffords' name to a 2012 Senate campaign, but the wounded congresswoman, shot in Tucson on Jan. 8, is reportedly making so much progress that the prospect sounds plausible, if not, as of yet, very realistic.

President Obama on Saturday called for Democrats and Republicans to work together to deal with the nation's problems as official Washington began to reengage after a week of mourning for the 19 shooting victims of the Arizona rampage. In separate media addresses, Obama and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) both paid tribute to the victims and praised the heroes of the events a week ago, when a lone gunman opened fire outside a Tucson supermarket as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was meeting her constituents.

A bipartisan group of senators predicted Tuesday that Congress was ready to pass legislation to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba. Removing the travel ban would produce a burst of tourism, create thousands of jobs and generate as much as $1.6 billion in business a year, an independent research group said. A Senate news conference Tuesday and one in the House set for Thursday reflect new attempts to lift the travel ban, a key part of the U.S.

washington -- When Rep. Jeff Flake rises to speak in the House of Representatives, his colleagues grimace. Usually, the Arizona Republican is out to shame them over earmarking money for pet projects that have little to do with federal priorities. The House's No. 1 earmark-hater spares no one: not fellow Republicans, not committee chairs, not Arizona colleagues, not even Punxsutawney Phil.