Kyrsten Sinema

By now you’ve surely heard about the bling-heard-round-the-world (you can watch our breakdown in last week’s IGTV Happy Hour), but have you heard about what she’s actually been doing? Kyrsten just had not one, not two, but three of her bipartisan bills clear committee, which means they’ll be headed for a vote. The first revolves around protecting seniors from scams, the next helps protect tourism in the US, and the third uses FCC data to help target areas with poor maternal health services and infrastructure. Oh, and for good measure, she also just introduced another bipartisan bill aimed at helping offset home care costs for seniors. One thing now is for certain: She may not give a flyin’ filibuster, but this Sun Devil gets things done!

Or, Lady, rather. In true influencer manner, Kyrsten sent shockwaves with a photo she posted on Instagram last week. Dressed in her usual eclectic style, her ring which reads “F**k you” is on display and many progressives jumped at the potential symbolism. The vice chair of the AZ Democratic Party said that the flippant nature of the post is “making it harder for Democrats in Arizona to win”. Kyrsten’s position in the thinly-controlled Senate is crucial to the passage of Democratic legislation – she notably voted against the proposal for a raised minimum wage as part of the American Rescue Plan (with a dramatic thumbs down). Who knows what the ring meant, but Kyrsten is definitely selective about her style so perhaps some inference isn’t totally out of left (or centrist) field.

Kyrsten has been busy hosting various round tables with small business owners, health workers, and more to discuss the roll out of the American Rescue Plan. Meanwhile she reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Republican Senator Rob Portman (OH) to prevent unnecessary trade wars that hurt Arizona jobs. Remember the China tariffs? The Sinema/Portman Trade Security Act makes common sense reforms to ensure that any tariffs implemented in the interest of national security are justified by the Department of Defense (DoD) and overseen by Congress. More importantly, the bill requires the DoD to justify the national security basis for new tariffs levied by the president. Are tariffs the right way to negotiate with other countries or do they put American workers and consumers at risk?

Kyrsten had the bipartisan CHIPS For America Act included in 2020’s year-end National Defense Authorization Spending Bill. What the legislation hoped to do was incentivize the increase of semiconductor production through federal grants. Well, the fruits of her hard labor came to bear this week as Intel announced it was investing $20 billion in expanding their manufacturing operations within Arizona, creating thousands of new jobs. Ultimately, this all helps The U.S. remain on the leading edge of domestic semiconductor production—a vital behind the scenes element to our national security. Center stage is Kyrsten and the many jobs she’s helping bring to her state. Bravo!

Millennials want an app for everything – even Government, preferably a secure one. Fortunately, Kyrsten gets it, which is why she’s introduced a bill that will improve security and delivery of unemployment insurance. It directs the Labor Dept. to work with governmental and private sector experts to develop a suite of new technologies that will ensure easy use and fast delivery of insurance funds, as well as better identify fraud claims. This is a great start to a highly technologically antiquated system, and we hope this forward thinking can transcend many other sectors of Government. Please, please, please!

If you have Kyrsten on your playlist get ready because you are in for a ride. You’re about to hear A LOT about her on the national stage – she might be voting opposite her party on a variety of issues and bills. She already publicly criticized the new COVID relief bill and the $15 minimum wage proposal. Most recently, she was named the Chair of a new Senate subcommittee, Government Operations and Border Management. Her main topics that she will focus on will be border security and improving the functions and reliability of the U.S. Postal Service. As the senior Senator from Arizona, border security is always a top priority. And make sure you spell her first name right… it took us a few tries as well.

Kyrsten and her fellow AZ Senator Mark Kelly are among the most vulnerable Democrats in the Senate when it comes to keeping their seats next election. They both campaigned on a centrist message and Kyrsten has been mindful to avoid partisan fights – always doubling down on what’s best for Arizona, not her party. Now, with Biden’s new Covid package about to push its way through Congress (most likely with little to no Republican support) the test is on for Kyrsten and how she’ll handle this hyper-partisan moment. Republicans want to push her to take a controversial vote that could potentially be used against her in reelection. She already voted in opposition to an increased minimum wage and certain protections for immigrants, which, you guessed it, angered many in her party.

It’s no doubt the 60 vote legislative filibuster is one of the great inside-baseball obstruction tools of the Senate – everyone’s heard this term thrown around and no one quite knows what it means. So, to recap: in the Senate, you need 60 votes in order to pass a piece of legislation. Put another way, with a simple majority—or minority—you can block just about any legislation you want through endless debate, which needs 60 votes to squash. Enter Mitch McConnell, who has masterfully used this tactic to his ideological advantage and feared for its undoing by Democrats until Kyrsten (as well as Joe Manchin (D-WV)) supposedly gave him her personal guarantee that she would NOT vote to abolish it under any circumstances. Her reasoning seems to stem from the fact that with it, you’re more likely to reach across the aisle and find compromise, something she does exceedingly well. However, the fact remains that more often than not, the filibuster has led to complete legislative gridlock.

Right before the Capitol was put on lockdown, Kyrsten was finishing her speech on the Senate floor. She provided facts about the Arizona process, like over 80% of registered voters in Arizona voted and that early voting has been around in the state for over 100 years. Eight challenges contesting the Arizona election were brought to federal and state courts. All eight were withdrawn or dismissed – including a unanimous ruling by Arizona’s Supreme Court. She ended her speech by saying “Senator McCain was right; today, we have serious, significant work to do, beating the pandemic and reviving our economy. I urge my colleagues to follow the example of Senator McCain and so many others, reject this meritless challenge, and uphold the will of Arizona’s voters.”

As one of the members of Congress who opted to receive the Covid vaccine, Kyrsten did not take the symbolism of her decision lightly. She took to social media to not only document the administration of the vaccine, but also checked in with followers and constituents afterwards to update them on any side effects. For Kyrsten, there wasn’t much to report other than a nice long and healthy outdoor run the day after. She also laid into a now-reversed decision by the Department of Veteran Affairs that would have wasted excess doses of the Pfizer vaccination from vials that were over-filled, calling the potential move ‘outrageous’.