The Gaggle podcast: Will Sen. Sinema’s bipartisan ideology lead to more wins in Senate?
Arizona Republic
By Maritza Dominguez
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is a staunch supporter of passing congressional legislation by bringing both Republicans and Democrats on board, an approach that has taken on increased urgency in the 50-50 split U.S. Senate.
Sinema’s first high-profile demonstration of her approach is the framework for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal she recently co-negotiated and President Joe Biden endorsed. Twenty-one senators, 10 Democrats and 11 Republicans, have also signed on to the tentative framework, which could soon start making its way through the legislative process.
Sinema has other bipartisan legislative plans in the works. She is working closely with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on a plan to increase the federal minimum wage and separately with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that seeks to address the ongoing waves of asylum seekers arriving at the southern border, which have strained the Border Patrol and local communities.
But can Sinema’s approach to bipartisanship in an era marked by extreme partisanship help deliver legislation beyond spending money on the nation’s roads, bridges and water systems?
In this week’s episode of The Gaggle, an Arizona politics podcast, hosts Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Ronald J. Hansen are joined by Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University.
Binder breaks down Sinema’s position in the U.S. Senate to lead negotiations on infrastructure and how she compares to other centrist Democrats.