“DANGEROUS CREATURE”: Kyrsten Sinema, the Second Rebel from Democratic Ranks

Wearing a pink sweater having “DANGEROUS CREATURE” written on it in all caps, Krysten Sinema presided at the Senate meeting, giving a clear indication to Democrats of “Don’t mess with me.”

By opposing Biden’s plan of increasing the minimum wage in the United States amid the COVID-19 crisis, Sinema has joined the ranks of Joe Manchin, the only other opposition to the Democrat’s proposal before Sinema.

And in today’s Senate, the powers of these Senators are unprecedented, with a 50–50 tie. Republicans are happy that despite losing the Senate, they can get enough support in most of the legislation from the likes of Sinema and Manchin.

She also started her campaign against Neera Tanden, for whom Democrats were seeking a Senate vote for US Budget chief, but Manchin and Sinema remained the major hurdle in this regard.

Underestimating both of them will be President Joe Biden’s biggest mistake, as he cannot afford to wait for the 2022 elections for a larger majority in the Senate.

The opposition of these Senators from within the Democratic party is also increasing with every passing day. Considering the situation, progressives have formed a No Excuses PAC against Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to keep them out of the Senate in future races.

Biden is also seeking an agreement with these types of senators to propagate his policies and fill up the important remaining seats in his administration.

Let’s see how this “DANGEROUS CREATURE,” along with Joe Manchin, is hijacking the US Senate.

Kyrsten Sinema: Not Today’s Problem for Democrats

Sinema, a Democratic Senator from Arizona who became Senator in the 2018 elections after defeating Republican Martha McSally, has become the 51st member of the Republicans in the Senate.

Democrats were happy that they won the Senate seat after three decades, but all of it seems to go in vain, with Krysten Sinema going against the Democratic agenda.

Kyrsten Sinema is not a new problem for Democrats. In fact, she voted against Democrats’ policies in the past as well, which suggests that she could be a real problem for Biden if she remains unattended.

• Lately, she came into the limelight for opposing the $15/hour minimum wage in the COVID relief package. Her opposition in this regard is a major blow to the Democrat hopes in recent times.
• She was one of seven Democrats to vote in favor of Republican legislation regarding the estate tax and to change the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s leadership from a single director to a bipartisan commission.
• She also co-sponsored the Working Parents Flexibility Act along with Republican John Katko.
• She voted in the GOP’s favor in 2018 to pass the individual tax cut, becoming one of three Democrats to vote for making the tax cuts permanent.
• Sinema is one of three Democrats to vote against the Green New Deal in 2019. She also voted with Republicans to confirm David Bernhardt as the Secretary of the Interior Department.
• Although Sinema voted against the repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act, she still believes that the act should be reformed. She believes that the healthcare law is not perfect, and the Democrats should work to make amendments to it.
• Sinema also holds conservative views regarding immigration policy. She co-sponsored the Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act.
• She is one of the 24 Democrats who favored Kate’s Law, which aims at increasing the maximum sentence of the foreigners who attempt to re-enter the United States, legally or illegally.
• She also voted for the SAFE Act, which increases the complications of the refugee screening process. She voted against the COVID relief to undocumented immigrants.
• Sinema opposes eliminating the filibuster from the United States Senate, which remains a primary agenda of Democrats lately.

Kyrsten Sinema: Another Rebel in the Democrats Ranks After Joe Manchin

Kyrsten Sinema was elected to the Senate as a Democrat, but her fidelity with the party is in serious doubt, considering her positions on the key issues and her frankness with the Republican colleagues.

While Biden only sought unity with Republicans, Sinema took this concept to a new level. Her policy approach contradicts the basic manifesto of Democrats, for which she took the votes of the masses.

This “DANGEROUS CREATURE” needs special attention, or Biden will have to suffer extending his legislation measures in the United States.

Sinema was also a silent observer of the whole process of Amy Coney Barett’s nomination amid the passing of the late Ruth Ginsberg. While all the Democrats opined that Trump should not appoint the new judge before the elections, Sinema was nowhere in the protests.

The campaign ads of Sinema during the Arizona Senate portrayed her as independent, which is what she is doing now. Many believe that she could have lost the elections had she not adopted an anti-Democrat approach in the elections. Due to her non-inclination towards hardline Democrats, she also won the votes of left-wing Republicans and independent voters, so she is trying to stay loyal to them.

Final Thoughts

As Biden moves further into his presidency, he is losing the support of many Democratic Senators. Biden should realign his priorities to bring these lost Senators back on board; otherwise, they can pose severe consequences on his presidency.

Today, Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin are against the Democrats; the time is near when they will lobby with other Senators to ease the tensions of Republicans further.

It seems that at least the first two years of Biden’s presidency will be tough amid the opposition from the Senate. But he has no option other than negotiating with these rebels.

As the Senate remains the most important part of US Congress, any negligence towards this important house will directly hit Biden’s vision, which would be the last thing the president can imagine in these times.


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