Kyrsten Sinema announces she'll depart Senate at end of year



Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has announced that she will depart from the Senate at the end of the year.

"The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic. Attacking your opponents on cable news or social media. Compromise is a dirty word," Sinema said in a video. She said that her approach is "not what America wants right now."

"Because I choose civility, understanding, listening, working together," Sinema said, "I will leave the Senate at the end of this year."

— (@)

Sinema has served in the Senate since 2019. She won election in 2018 as a Democrat but switched to independent in 2022.

"In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent," Sinema tweeted in 2022.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Kari Lake for the Senate seat last year, well ahead of the Republican primary for the Senate seat which will take place later this year.

"As a Journalist, I covered Kyrsten Sinema for many years. We may not agree on everything, but I know she shares my love for Arizona," Lake said in a tweet on Tuesday. "Senator Sinema had the courage to stand tall against the Far-Left in defense of the filibuster—despite the overwhelming pressure from the radicals in her party like Ruben Gallego who called on her to burn it all down."

— (@)

Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is also aiming to win the Senate seat.

"I want to thank @SenatorSinema for her nearly two decades of service to our state," Gallego said in a tweet. "It's time Democrats, Independents, and Republicans come together and reject Kari Lake and her dangerous positions."

— (@)

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Report: Kyrsten Sinema is blowing campaign funds on luxurious living while her re-election chances diminish



There are mounting indications that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's days in the U.S. Senate are numbered. Her major challengers, Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, are grossly out-fundraising her, and she appears less than eager to make the deadline for signature collection. The biggest indicator — beyond her apparent reluctance to announce her re-election bid — comes down to her recent spending habits.

Despite raising a paltry $595,00 in the last quarter, the former Green Party activist and critic of "seeing Washington bureaucrats use their hard-earned tax dollars for personal gain" has been rapidly blowing campaign funds on a luxurious lifestyle involving five-star European hotels, lavish getaways to coastal vineyards, and expensive vehicles.

The New York Post reported that Federal Election Commission filings show Sinema spent $796,565 between Oct. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31 on expenses such as luxury hotels, a brand new car, concert tickets and the security detail that follows her around on her adventures.

Sinema threw down $77,000 on a new Chevrolet described in paperwork as a "van," even though she reportedly already bought a $70,000 "security detail vehicle" for herself two years ago. If she loses a re-election bid or doesn't bother to even try, then she will still get to keep the vehicles, assuming they are licensed to her.

According to the Post, Sinema also spent over $3,000 on limos in London and Paris, ostensibly for personal use.

The Daily Beast indicated that Sinema has ignored her own longstanding criticism of "first class air travel," having spent $210,000 in taxpayer funds on private chartered air travel since 2020.

Sinema reportedly stayed in July and October of last year at the five-star Le Roch Hotel & Spa in Paris, which cost her personal political action committee, the "Getting Stuff Done PAC," $7,600. The PAC also fitted the bill for her $2,500 July stay at Madrid's Edition Hotel, a "luxury lifestyle urban five-star resort," reported the Beast.

Sinema's PAC also paid the senator's way through various wineries in California and Oregon.

The Washington Examiner reported that Sinema has $10.6 million remaining in her coffers and some suspect the senator intends to spend as much of it as she can on her way out.

"Look, I have no direct knowledge, but just her actions and fundraising speaks louder than words – this is not a candidate who is running," an anonymous Sinema ally told the Examiner. "As much as I'd like her to run, and I think the people of Arizona are best represented by her, this is not the way you start one of the most politically challenging campaigns of your career."

When asked about her fundraising earlier this week, Sinema told reporters, "Not talking about that at all."

"Why are you wasting your question on that? I want to be clear to all of you: total waste of a question. I'm here to talk about substance," added Sinema.

FEC rules allow for campaigns to fund a candidate's trips if the trips serve a campaigning or fundraising purpose. The Beast noted that Sinema has in recent years added donor meetings to personal trips so that she wouldn't have to open her wallet when traveling to various marathon and triathlon events. Her latest expenditures might amount to more of the same.

Thomas Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation, told the New York Post, "Sen. Sinema's use of campaign funds for seemingly personal expenses raises serious ethical questions. It also raises overall questions regarding the Senator's judgment."

"Particularly disturbing is the campaign's extravagant spending on security even as leftists like Sinema make Americans less safe by attacking police… This is elitist hypocrisy at its worst," added Jones.

Sinema has not yet filed her statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office to begin gathering the 42,303 signatures required by April 8 so that she might appear on the ballot.

A recent poll had Sinema trailing Lake and Gallego both by over 25 points.

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Sen. Sinema poised to complicate Arizona Senate race for Republicans and Democrats alike



Depending on how their respective candidates shape up and whose voters they can shake loose, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's entry into the Arizona Senate race could prove dicey for Democrats and Republicans alike.

Sinema nominally left the Democratic Party late last year, declaring her "independence from the broken partisan system in Washington." She continues to caucus with Democrats, contributing to their edge in the Senate. Her term ends on Jan. 3, 2025.

While Sinema has yet to formally announce she is running in the 2024 election, her team has been mulling over possible ways for her to win as an independent. The calculus appears to involve drawing more votes away from Republicans than Democrats; however, her candidacy might nevertheless split loyalties and complicate matters on the left as well.

Her political team suggested in a roadmap to victory obtained by NBC News in September that she can keep her seat by attracting 10% to 20% of Democrats, 60% to 70% of independents, and 25% to 35% of Republicans.

"If the parties nominate extremists, as expected, Kyrsten will win a majority of IND, at least a third of REP and a percentage of DEM voters — making her the first Independent to win a three-way statewide race in American history," says the document.

The situation for Republicans

Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb are presently the two big names in the Republican field.

Lamb, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has served as sheriff of Pinal County since 2017. He refused to enforce Arizona's stay-at-home order in 2020 and stressed in his announcement video he would "stand up to the woke left," "secure our border and support our law enforcement," reported the New York Times.

Lake, whom the Hill indicated is most likely to win the GOP nomination in the battle for Sinema's seat, is undergoing something of a rebrand in an apparent effort to win over moderates and some Biden supporters.

She told a crowd of thousands last week, "I don't think you're a threat to democracy. You are a citizen just like me. ... And I know you're struggling as well. We're all struggling — there's not a gas pump out there for Republicans and one for Democrats."

Politico indicated that the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — which has not ruled out endorsing Lake — hopes she will focus on the future and not on past elections.

A GOP operative told The Hill she's doing just that: "focusing on the main thing and sprinting toward victory."

Lake brought in over 1.2 million votes in her race against Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2022, which she ultimately lost by 0.7 points. It's left to be seen whether her sprint will move the needle on that support.

A recent survey from the Republican firm National Research Inc. put Lake ahead of both Democratic challenger Rep. Ruben Gallego and Sinema in a three-way contest.

The survey had Lake in the lead with 37 points, Gallego in second with 33 points, and Sinema trailing at a distance with 19 points.

According to a poll earlier this month from the Democrat-leaning firm Public Policy Polling, Lake would alternatively receive 43% in a match up against Gallego, and the Democrat would in turn net 48%.

The pollsters also indicated in a three-way race with Gallego and Lake, Sinema would come third with 15%, whereas the Democrat and Republican would land 41% and 36% respectively.

The situation for Democrats

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats in Washington are expected to throw their weight behind Gallego. However, there are concerns about what impact a nasty challenge might have on their narrow majority.

After all, even though she is an independent, Sinema's support in the Senate will remain valuable throughout the election season and up until that time she either resumes office in 2025 or is replaced.

"I 100 percent think it's not clear because she's an incumbent," a senior Democratic strategist told The Hill. "She caucuses with the Democrats. She might not be a Democrat anymore, but she does caucus with us. I mean, so in that way, there's an incumbency there. And to the extent that she hasn't given any indication that she would stop caucusing with us, I think it puts us in a bind."

If Sinema clears the signature threshold to qualify for the ballot, then Democrats are "gonna have to make calculated decisions on how that's going to impact any legislation or deals they're gonna have to negotiate with," Matt Grodsky, former communications director for the Arizona Democratic Party, told The Hill.

"I would imagine that privately they’ll be throwing their support where they can in Democrat Ruben Gallego’s direction, because I just don’t think that their constituencies are gonna be supportive of them doing anything else," added Grodsky.

While the Democrats' concerns presently appear to be less about losing votes to Sinema and more about losing her vote in the Senate, Fred Solop, a former Northern Arizona University political science professor, told US News that her ability to make inroads with voters of either stripe should not be discounted out of hand. After all, she has yet to announce her bid for re-election and has not begun to spend any money on the race.

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Kyrsten Sinema, You’re Our Only Hope | 8/4/22

Kyrsten Sinema, You’re Our Only Hope | 8/4/22

Bipartisan group of senators pushes pro-choice bill that would prohibit states from banning abortions before fetal viability



A bipartisan group of senators is proposing pro-choice legislation that would essentially prohibit states from barring abortions prior to the point of viability.

The text of the bill says that states "shall not impose an undue burden on the ability of a woman to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability."

"For purposes of this Act, an undue burden shall be deemed to exist, and the related provision of law shall be invalid under section 4, if the purpose or effect of such law is to place a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability," the measure reads.

The legislation says that states would be allowed to regulate abortions that occur post-viability, as long as the state does not prohibit abortions deemed necessary for the sake of a pregnant woman's life or health.

In June, the Supreme Court issued a decision that declared, "The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives."

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona are pushing the "Reproductive Freedom for All Act."

"Every American should have autonomy over their own health care decisions, and the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs has made it imperative for Congress to restore women's reproductive rights. I'm proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with my colleagues to write into law the protections provided through Roe and Casey as well as affirming access to contraception provided in Griswold and other cases," Murkowski said, according to a press release. "For five decades, reproductive health care decisions were centered with the individual – we cannot go back in time in limiting personal freedoms for women."

Manchin condemns 'frightening decision' to nix Title 42 order, says it will result in an even greater flow of migrants along the southern border



Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and other Democrats have issued statements speaking out against the plan to terminate a Title 42 order. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the order will be be nixed effective May 23.

Even with the policy in place, the U.S. has been facing an ongoing massive flow of migrants, but the move could worsen the already significant problem.

"Today’s announcement by the CDC and the Biden Administration is a frightening decision," Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said in a statement. "Title 42 has been an essential tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19 and controlling the influx of migrants at our southern border. We are already facing an unprecedented increase in migrants this year, and that will only get worse if the Administration ends the Title 42 policy. We are nowhere near prepared to deal with that influx. Until we have comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform that commits to securing our borders and providing a pathway to citizenship for qualified immigrants, Title 42 must stay in place."

Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona also raised the alarm about the policy move.

“This is the wrong decision. It’s unacceptable to end Title 42 without a plan and coordination in place to ensure a secure, orderly, and humane process at the border. From my numerous visits to the southern border and conversations with Arizona’s law enforcement, community leaders, mayors, and non-profits, it’s clear that this administration’s lack of a plan to deal with this crisis will further strain our border communities," Kelly said in a statement.

"Today’s decision to announce an end to Title 42 despite not yet having a comprehensive plan ready shows a lack of understanding about the crisis at our border," Sinema said in a statement.

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire issued a statement warning that the move will likely result in spike in migrants.

"Ending Title 42 prematurely will likely lead to a migrant surge that the administration does not appear to be ready for. I'll keep pushing the administration to strengthen border security & look forward to hearing directly from border agents during my upcoming trip to the border," Hassan tweeted.

"We have put in place a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to manage any potential increase in the number of migrants encountered at our border," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement about the upcoming termination of the Title 42 order.

"We are increasing our capacity to process new arrivals, evaluate asylum requests, and quickly remove those who do not qualify for protection. We will increase personnel and resources as needed and have already redeployed more than 600 law enforcement officers to the border. We are referring smugglers and certain border crossers for criminal prosecution. Over the next two months, we are putting in place additional, appropriate COVID-19 protocols, including ramping up our vaccination program," Mayorkas said.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Slams Fellow Democrats’ Campaign To Nuke Filibuster ‘Guardrail’

'Eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy,' Sinema said.

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is not committing to vote in favor of Biden's massive spending proposal



During an interview with CNN, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona did not commit to vote in favor of President Biden's massive spending proposal, the Build Back Better Act.

The bill passed in the House last month without the backing of any GOP members.

"[Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer has said he wants to vote on Build Back Better, that broader social safety net bill, before Christmas break. Are you prepared to vote yes when that comes to the floor?" CNN's Lauren Fox asked Sinema.

The lawmaker said that she is "always prepared to vote, and to vote for what's right for the interests of Arizona."

She said that she wants to make certain "that if we are crafting legislation, we're doing it in a lean and efficient way that's fiscally responsible and doesn't impact things like inflation or make our businesses less competitive."

At a time when Americans have been facing significant inflation, Democratic proponents of the proposal have contended that passage would actually alleviate inflation.

"I have a plan to lower costs and ease inflation — my Build Back Better Act," a tweet on the @POTUS Twitter account states.

I have a plan to lower costs and ease inflation \u2013 my Build Back Better Act.\n\nCongressional Republicans can\u2019t say the same.pic.twitter.com/lNoZiGhhKM
— President Biden (@President Biden) 1638460874

Despite controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, Democrats have been unable to swiftly pass the legislation because they need the votes of every Senator in the Democratic caucus in order ram the legislation through nonexistent Republican support.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been a persistent obstacle in his party's path toward passing the legislation, and the proposed price tag of the plan has come down significantly from the $3.5 trillion figure that Manchin and Sinema both opposed.

Left-wing activists planned to harass Sen. Kyrsten Sinema while she runs Boston Marathon: report



As if harassing her by following her into a bathroom stall at Arizona State University wasn't enough, left-wing protesters planned to further torment Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) during her Boston Marathon run on Monday.

What are the details?

According to a recent Boston Globe report, progressive activists from Arizona and Massachusetts planned to gather at the event holding signs berating the moderate senator over her refusal to support the Biden administration's massive spending plan. Here's more from the report:

Activists from a group known as the Green New Deal Network plan to confront Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who has qualified to run in the marathon, over her refusal to commit to supporting the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act, the group said Saturday.

The Green New Deal Network, a coalition of 15 national organizations, said in a statement that activists plan on "bird-dogging" Sinema during the marathon in an effort to pressure her on the issue.

Bird-dogging is a "protesting tactic in which activists confront a politician at an unexpected time or place," the Washington Examiner explained. The obvious goal of the tactic is to pressure a target toward a specific outcome. In this case, activists hope to hound the lawmaker until she changes her political stance on the spending plan.

The Green New Deal Network reportedly did not respond to the Boston Globe's requests for comment.

At least one photo of protesters at the event has since emerged on social media. The AZ Working Families Party showed up at the marathon with signs and the apparent intent to find Sinema.

We're here at the #BostonMarathon with @SunriseTempe and others from AZ asking @SenatorSinema to stop running from… https://t.co/lEwuhglCOU

— AZ Working Families Party (@AZ_WFP) 1633978005.0

What's the background?

Sinema and fellow moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) have faced constant pressure from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party to support the president's $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which features major funding for climate-conscious initiatives.

Last week, members of an organization known as Living United for Change in Arizona accosted Sinema at ASU, where she is a lecturer. The group confronted her in a classroom before following her into a restroom, even continuing to yell at her after she entered a stall.

"We knocked on doors for you to get you elected. And, just how we got you elected, we can get you out of office if you don't support what you promised us," one of the activists threatened.

The eye-opening harassment quickly garnered national attention, yet President Joe Biden responded to the situation by brushing it off, saying, "It happens to everybody."

Similarly, left-wing feminist website Jezebel celebrated the harassment and justified further attacks against the lawmaker.