TUCSON (Ariz.) — Kyrsten S. Sinema of Arizona, a senator from the Grand Canyon State calls herself “a child of the border area.”
Seated at a table with local officials in the Pima County Historic Courthouse on Tuesday, the Democrat-turned-independent took copious notes as she leveled criticism at the Biden administration in her hometown days after the lifting of Title 42 — the pandemic-era policy that kept migrants out of the U.S.
Sinema said to NBC News that she was proud of the accomplishments she has made for Arizonans. However, there is much more to do. “And immigration is currently my No. 1 concern.”
Sinema has introduced legislation which would allow the White House to extend Title 42 by two years, without the need for a public-health emergency order. The bill does not yet have the support needed to pass both chambers, but is part of an immigration reform initiative that Sinema has been working on with Republican Senators. John Cornyn from Texas and Thom Tillis from North Carolina are leading the charge.
She explained that she invited colleagues from both the House of Representatives and the Senate to visit the border to see how unique and different each part is. “And the solutions we find must be bipartisan, bicameral and, most importantly, practical.”
Sinema, who is on her third bipartisan visit to the U.S./Mexico border in this year, laughed when asked if it was possible to tackle the immigration crisis outside of Congress. This, despite having previously criticized Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
She said, “Oh my gosh! I would never want that job.” “As a member of the United States Senate you can actually change laws in our country. I’m very happy to be part of the legislative part.”
After her term ends in 2024, the freshman senator is evasive about her plans. She has not given a timeline on when she will decide to run for office again.
She said, “We need members in Congress who are willing and able to change [immigration] law.” “The administration cannot do that.” “That’s our job.”
Ruben Gallego, a Democratic Rep. who launched his campaign to take Sinema’s seat in the House earlier this year has also made immigration an important focus. Gallego, like Sinema, has criticised the Biden administration’s failure to adequately address the issues border communities face.
Gallego claimed that his state would be “simply unprepared” to deal with the influx of migrants without federal assistance when the Title 42 restrictions, which had been in place for three years, expired this month.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which has traditionally supported incumbents, is yet to decide if it will back Sinema against the Democratic nominee, who is no longer a party member. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who heads the Senate Democrats political arm, as well as Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have both said that they will not make a final decision until Sinema makes her intentions known.
Sinema, who spent the afternoon listening to officials from Casa Alitas – a nonprofit immigrant assistance program run by Catholic Community Services – also commented on the current standoff over the debt ceiling between Republicans and Democrats in Washington D.C.
“I am confident that both parties will reach an agreement.” Sinema added that she had spoken to negotiators that day and encouraged them to reach a compromise. “I am in constant contact with people on both sides because of the urgency of the situation. We all need to be willing to play the game in order for us to solve this problem.”
Sinema says she is not concerned with her political affiliation when deciding who she will support as president in 2024.
“I believe that what Americans want is someone who is interested in their values, and not just partisan talking points. “I think people are looking for someone with common sense solutions and practical ideas,” she said. “That’s exactly what I am looking for.”
Sinema, who is a Republican senator from South Carolina, praised Sen. Tim Scott for launching his presidential campaign officially on Monday, but joked about how endorsing Scott “wouldn’t be helpful”.
Lankford agreed, who only had glowing remarks about Scott. He claimed that he was asked about Scott’s personality over the weekend. “People would ask, ‘Is Scott really that nice? ‘, and I replied, ‘Yes.’
“What I’ll say is Tim Scott, is a wonderful man. He is a man with great honor and integrity,” Sinema said.
