Arizona Republicans pressure state’s Democratic US senators on shutdown votes

PHOENIX – Arizona Republicans are pushing the state’s two Democratic U.S. senators to stop voting against a bill that would end the government shutdown.

Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have voted no on a continuing appropriations bill, HR 5371, several times before and since the shutdown started last Wednesday.

Republicans have majorities in both chambers of Congress. The legislation has been approved by the House but needs 60 votes to get through the Senate. While two Democrats have crossed party lines, the bill hasn’t received more than 55 votes.

Kelly and Gallego have said they won’t vote to reopen the government unless Republicans agree to extend tax credits that make health insurance purchased through Affordable Care Act marketplaces more affordable for millions of Americans.

Arizona Republicans send letter to Democratic senators

The six Arizona Republicans in the U.S. House sent the Democratic senators a letter Monday urging them to rethink their stance.

“Senate Democrats, yourselves included, are making unrelated policy demands that have nothing to do with government funding,” the letter says. “It is far past time to stop holding Arizonans hostage and to put the American people first. Our constituents demand that you stop playing political games with their livelihoods.”

The letter is signed by Reps. Juan Ciscomani, Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, David Schweikert, Paul Gosar and Abe Hamadeh. It notes how the shutdown is hurting Arizonans who depend on paychecks and assistance from the federal government.

Arizona Senate president joins pressure campaign

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen added to the Republican pressure on Monday.

“They’re really holding a gun to the taxpayers’ head. This is not the way you negotiate. You don’t use shutdowns to negotiate,” Petersen told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.

He pointed out that Democratic senators in two other battleground states — Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto — voted in favor of the continuing appropriations bill. He also cited the voter registration advantage both Republicans and independents have over Democrats in Arizona.

“Our two U.S. senators should be representing the majority, which are Republicans and independents, and doing what their colleagues are doing at the U.S. Senate right now and voting yes to keep the government going,” Petersen said.

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