Advertisement

Left-Wing Plot to Oust Kyrsten Sinema From Senate Advances

Advertisement

OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Far-left political advocacy organizations have set their sights on Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona after she refused to sign on to several of President Joe Biden’s policy agenda priorities.

According to the Washington Times, a number of progressive groups are raising funds in order to try and build early momentum for a primary challenge against Sinema after angering far-left members of her party for helping to derail trillions in spending, an overhaul of election laws, and a Labor Department pick nominated by the president.

Luis Avila, a spokesman for the Primary Sinema PAC, said told the paper those were just a few agenda items that have motivated leftist activists like him to politically take out Sinema ahead of her 2024 reelection bid.

“We live in a democracy where we have the power to elect people who best represent us, and she’s not representing us well,” Avila said told the paper. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that we actually have somebody in office that listens to us and takes action on our behalf. I don’t think that’s her right now.”

Advertisement

The Times noted that so far, the effort is proving successful since it was launched in September, raising north of $415,000 from more than 14,000 donors, adding:

Ms. Sinema, 45, broke with her party by nixing the Senate filibuster to force through a Democratic overhaul of the nation’s election laws.

She also helped sink President Biden’s $1.75 trillion social welfare and climate bill known as the Build Back Better Act. She recently ripped the administration’s move to end Title 42 — a Trump-era public health policy that allows the U.S. to rapidly expel migrants crossing the border who are seeking asylum.

This month, Ms. Sinema helped tank Mr. Biden’s nomination of David Weil to head up the Labor Department’s wage and hour division. Ms. Sinema, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, joined Republicans to block Mr. Weil.

Primary Sinema’s latest digital ads highlight a report that she allegedly mocked Biden during a closed-door fundraiser while going on to praise House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), the latter of whom previously chaired the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

The account was contained in the new book “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future” by The New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns.

Advertisement

“Reports have come out that Kyrsten Sinema marketed herself as ‘anti-tax’ and ‘anti-government’ at a private fundraiser with mostly Republican lobbyists — all while mocking President Biden and praising pro-insurrectionist Republicans. You just can’t make this stuff up,” one ad says.

Notes the Times: “Emily’s List, an influential political action committee that backs pro-abortion Democratic women, pulled its support for Ms. Sinema earlier this year, despite having been her biggest donor for years.”

The organization cited Sinema’s opposition to ditching the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes in the Senate to advance most legislation. The group said her opposition was harming abortion access.

Sinema — and Arizona’s other senator, Democrat Mark Kelly — also opposed Biden’s decision to end Title 42, the Trump-era public health rule that empowered immigration authorities to immediately deport migrants during the pandemic who crossed illegally into the U.S.

Test your skills with this Quiz!

“We write to you to express great concern about the lack of a specific plan from your Administration with respect to potential changes to the Title 42 Public Health authority, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has relied on at the border during the coronavirus pandemic,” said a letter sent to Biden last month.

“Given the impacts that changes to Title 42 could have on border communities, border security, and migrants, we urge your Administration not to make any changes to Title 42 implementation until you are completely ready to execute and coordinate a comprehensive plan that ensures a secure, orderly, and humane process at the border. We also request that you provide a full briefing to Congress on your plan before implementation and execution,” it added.

Advertisement