WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema today released the following statement:
“Arizona continues to struggle with an urgent public health and economic crisis and I will not allow Washington dysfunction to delay or derail recovery. The federal government must address the significant need we face today – expanding vaccinations and resources for our doctors and nurses, extending unemployment insurance, and providing support for our families, businesses, and schools. I’m working across the aisle to also pass targeted relief for Arizona’s economy – such as our bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act – to protect jobs and fuel a full economic recovery. The best way to achieve these goals, as always, is through bipartisan compromise and I fully support ongoing bipartisan negotiations.”
Sinema has long called for, and is working to secure, key Arizona priorities in federal coronavirus relief legislation, including:
- More vaccine doses and vaccinators to ensure all eligible Arizonans can access the COVID vaccine
- Expanded testing, infection tracking, and boosted production and distribution of more personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers and first responders
- Help for struggling Arizonans and families through unemployment benefits, rental assistance, and other direct aid
- Strengthened resources for Arizona employers like the Paycheck Protection Program and the RESTAURANTS Act
- Investments in schools and expanded broadband service to ensure students can continue distance learning until it is safe to return to classrooms
- Support for our state and local governments through the SMART Act to ensure Arizona communities and Tribal governments with less than 500,000 residents receive direct assistance and have flexibility to use that funding for local budget support