A Senator from the Grand Canyon State who has only been a member of the upper chamber for two years has emerged as an important force in trying to secure final passage of President Biden’s big infrastructure legislation.
Krysten Sinema has been in regular contact not only with her fellow senators but also the White House, consistently pushing for a scaled-down $1 trillion infrastructure spending bill, compared with a larger $3 trillion alternative measure.
The Arizona Senator has expressed her opposition to legislation that would include funding for climate initiatives, paid family and medical leave, expanded Medicare benefits, and has instead pushed for a measure dealing primarily with roads, highways, bridges, water systems and airport project funding.
Sinema has also expressed support for broadband infrastructure funding as well as funding for the upgrading of border stations along the U.S./Mexico border.
According to a report on CNN, Sinema has even managed to keep light over the sometimes angry negotiations over the measure, at one point suggesting that if things got too confrontational she would just tell her fellow members to “have a glass of wine.”
In a statement on the Senate floor, Sinema acknowledged that while not every member of the Senate will be happy with the most recent compromise infrastructure legislation, she said the ongoing negotiations have been all about the members’ willingness to “work with each other, to give a little, to get a little, in order to achieve what’s right and what’s best for the American people.”
Members of the Senate are now considering amendments to the bill, a process that could take the rest of the week.
Majority Leader Charles Schumer has said that he believes the legislation could pass the full Senate sometime next week.
By Garry Boulard
