Sen. Kyrsten Sinema explains her strategy on infrastructure, spending bills

PHOENIX – In the aftermath of Democrats’ walloping by Republicans in Virginia’s elections last week, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is doubling down on her model for legislating, which just led to a major victory on physical infrastructure, but has laid bare ongoing intraparty friction within her party as it continues to wrestle to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social spending package. 

Democratic losses in the blue state of Virginia — and a close call for Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in blue New Jersey — signaled to Sinema, D-Ariz., that the electorate is tired of political squabbling.

The election trend lines showed that voters simply value results, she said.

“The first lesson is that when you spend a lot of time bickering among each other in terms of process and trying to search for new strategies to try and gain something out that’s not well-received by the American public, they just want you to work together and get stuff done,” she told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday. 

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide