OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper grilled former Democrat and now Independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on if she believes the Democrats have failed with addressing the Southern border.
The interview happened on Sunday during the CNN show “State of the Union” when the Senator appeared to talk about why she left the Democrat Party.
“One of the big complaints I hear from conservatives, from Republicans is, Democrats just don’t take border security seriously. They just don’t,” the host said.
“Do you agree with that sentiment? And do you think there is an actual path forward there? Democrats are still going to have the majority in the next Senate. You can still get this on the floor of the Senate, if you want,” he said.
“Well, as a native Arizonan who was born and raised near the Southern border, I can tell you unequivocally that the federal government has failed its duty in the last 40 years,” the senator said.
“Not just Democrats?” the host said.
“Not — it’s just everyone. The federal government has failed here,” the senator said.
“And places like Arizona, front lines of this crisis, have been paying the price every single day since then. So, for us, this isn’t just a talking point of team A vs. team B. This is our life every day.
“The reality is, is that, when folks say we have got to just provide a legal path to citizenship for dreamers, which I support wholeheartedly — these kids are Americans in all but name. So, when folks say, we have got to do that, I agree. And when folks say we have got to secure the border, of course, I agree,” she said.
“My state is suffering from the failure to do so for 40 years. So, this is a perfect example of why I’m so frustrated with partisanship that has gripped our nation, and the parties are pulling folks away. It’s not either/or. It’s and.
“Both of those concerns are real and valid. And we, as a government, have a duty to solve both of those concerns,” she said.
WATCH: CNN's Jake Tapper Asks Sinema If She Agrees 'Democrats Just Don't Take Border Security Seriously — They Just Don't' https://t.co/2TDqTDy8hI via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/7mvK3vkLmK
— Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) December 11, 2022
It comes days after she announced that she was done with the Democrat Party.
In a guest column for the Arizona Republic, Sinema slammed “partisanship” and the stranglehold it has on both major parties. Sinema, who is up for re-election in 2024, said she will continue to caucus with Democrats.
“Everyday Americans are increasingly left behind by national parties’ rigid partisanship, which has hardened in recent years,” Sinema wrote. “Pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges, allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities and expecting the rest of us to fall in line. In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought,” she wrote. “Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress. Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating.”
“There’s a disconnect between what everyday Americans want and deserve from our politics, and what political parties are offering. I am privileged to represent Arizonans of all backgrounds and beliefs in the U.S. Senate and am honored to travel to every corner of our state, listening to your concerns and ideas. While Arizonans don’t all agree on the issues, we are united in our values of hard work, common sense, and independence,” Sinema said.
https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170144835031042
“We make our own decisions, using our own judgment and lived experiences to form our beliefs. We don’t line up to do what we’re told, automatically subscribe to whatever positions the national political parties dictate or view every issue through labels that divide us. Each day, Arizonans wake up, work, and live alongside people with different views and experiences, usually without even thinking about partisan politics,” Sinema added.
“I promised I would never bend to party pressure, and I would stay focused on solving problems and getting things done for everyday Arizonans. Americans are more united than the national parties would have us believe. We’ve shown that a diverse democracy can still function effectively. Arizonans – including many registered as Democrats or Republicans – are eager for leaders who focus on common-sense solutions rather than party doctrine. But if the loudest, most extreme voices continue to drive each party toward the fringes – and if party leaders stay more focused on energizing their bases than delivering for all Americans – these kinds of lasting legislative successes will become rarer,” she wrote.
“When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than they are on improving Americans’ lives, the people who lose are everyday Americans. That’s why I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington. I registered as an Arizona independent,” she declared.
She said: “Like a lot of Arizonans, I have never fit perfectly in either national party. Becoming an independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same. Arizonans who’ve supported my work expanding jobs and economic opportunity, or my opposition to tax hikes that would harm our economic competitiveness, should know my focus on these areas will continue.”
“I offer Arizonans something different. Some partisans believe they own this Senate seat. They don’t. This Senate seat doesn’t belong to Democratic or Republican bosses in Washington. It doesn’t belong to one party or the other, and it doesn’t belong to me.,” she concluded.
