After voting against changing Senate filibuster rule, Sinema is censured by Arizona Democrats
Jan 22, 2022, 11:27 AM | Updated: Jan 23, 2022, 12:10 pm
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) delivers remarks before President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House on November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. The $1.2 trillion package will provide funds for public infrastructure projects including improvements to the country’s transportation networks, increasing rural broadband access, and projects to modernize water and energy systems. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was censured by the state’s Democratic party Saturday after she voted against changing the Senate filibuster rule earlier this week.
Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia were the only two Democrats to vote against changing Senate rules to overcome a Republican filibuster Wednesday night.
“While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy,” Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Teran said in a statement.
“As a party, our job is to support our Democratic candidates, and we appreciate Senator Sinema’s leadership in passing the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
The vote to censure Sinema comes just three years after she brought the Democratic Party an Arizona Senate seat for the first time in a generation.
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Sinema often opposed her party in the House and never wavered on her stance for upholding the filibuster.
Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey praised Sinema for voting against the change on Thursday.
“I want to give Sen. Sinema credit for standing up and protecting a Senate rule that she believes in,” Ducey told reporters.
The senator was one of Ducey’s biggest critics 2020 for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After her opposition, Sinema has been increasingly secluded from the Democratic Party’s most influential officials and donors are threatening to walk away.
Groups are collecting money for an eventual primary challenge, even though Sinema isn’t on the ballot until 2024.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
