| Amidst reports that Sinema refuses to negotiate with colleagues, and as she continues to obstruct Biden’s Build Back Better agenda and prescription drug pricing reform, pressure against the senator is continuing to gain momentum. |
| Phoenix — Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s lack of transparency reached a new low today. According to this morning’s POLITICO Playbook, when asked about where she stands on Biden’s priorities, Sinema told a Democratic senator, “I’m not going to share with you or with Schumer or with Pelosi.” This comes after last week’s reporting from CNN’s Manu Raju that President Joe Biden indicated that Senator Kyrsten Sinema does not return some calls from the White House (CNN excerpt available here). This is the latest in an onslaught of news stories detailing Senator Sinema’s opacity and commitment to blocking key pieces of Biden’s agenda, most notably prescription drug pricing reform. As Sinema’s obstruction has grown, so too has the pressure against her. This morning, The Nation published an opinion piece titled, Primary Kyrsten Sinema. Author Steve Phillips writes: In light of Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s actions repeatedly obstructing progress on policies that would foster greater economic, and racial justice, momentum is gathering for an effort to back a Democratic challenge to her in the 2024 primary when she comes up for reelection. Key state leaders and groups including Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) have launched PrimarySinema, an effort to lay the foundation now for defeating her in 2024. Such an effort makes eminent sense for several political, policy, and moral reasons. […] While 2024 may seem a long way away, the damage Sinema is doing is happening right now, and she’s acting this way because she thinks she won’t face political consequences. In fact, she thinks these actions will add up to electoral success. But her math is wrong, as is her moral compass. Today, HuffPost reported that reproductive rights groups had launched a six-figure ad campaign calling out Sen. Sinema for her refusal to support filibuster reform: A coalition of progressive groups, including several reproductive rights organizations, are out with a new six-figure ad campaign targeting senators ― particularly Democrat Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona ― with the message that if you’re pro-choice, you also need to be anti-filibuster. […] The new ad from Fix Our Senate ― which also includes UltraViolet, Physicians for Reproductive Health and other reproductive rights organizations ― will be running on TV and digitally in Washington, D.C., and Arizona, as well as nationally, with more targeted states to follow. A full-page ad will also appear in The New York Times on Wednesday. Watch the TV ad here And Yesterday, Newsweek reported on a new ad campaign featuring Arizona veterans that targets Sinema for her obstruction of drug pricing reform: The ad notes that Sinema promised to lower drug costs during her 2018 run for the Senate but has also received “more than $750,000 in donations from Big Pharma and the medical device industry.” As veterans, we’re asking Kyrsten Sinema to keep her word. Stop working for drug companies and start working for us and all Arizonans,” the ad states. “Vote for the Build Back Better Act. On Monday, The New Republic ran a piece titled, Kyrsten Sinema, We’re Sick of Your Act, which blasts Sinema for her opposition to climate-change policy solutions and prescription drug pricing reforms. In the piece, Michael Tomasky writes: Enough, Kyrsten Sinema. Enough of this self-infatuated preening. Enough of helping to drive down President Biden’s poll numbers. Enough of derailing what should have been—what still can and I believe will be, although thanks to the Arizona senator and some others, not on quite the level it could have been—a great moment in this country’s history. Enough, enough, enough. Liberal America, Democratic America, indeed sensible America transcending ideology and party, is sick of you. In just the last few days, we’ve learned two new and revolting things. First, this former Green Party spokesperson is demanding that at least $100 billion be cut out of the budget bill’s climate change proposals. That’s out of $450 billion; in other words, nearly a 25 percent cut. Second, she opposes the current prescription drug pricing plan. |