Staff Reports
Arizona’s Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a fierce negotiator of a border deal bill, recently vented her frustrations at House and Senate Republicans for refusing to even consider the border deal she helped craft over nearly four grueling months, sparking a fiery political standoff.
In a passionate speech from the Senate floor, Senator Sinema lambasted the Republicans, accusing them of engaging in shameless political theater at Arizona’s border and banning them from setting foot in her state. “Don’t come to Arizona. Take your political theater to Texas. We are serious. We don’t have time for your political games,” she declared. Sinema expressed her disappointment in the failed vote, berating the Republicans for their sudden change of heart less than 24 hours after the bill’s release, accusing them of prioritizing partisanship over genuine problem-solving.
“I have a very clear message for anyone using the southern border for staged political events: Don't come to Arizona; take your political theater to Texas.”
— Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), a lead negotiator for the bipartisan border bill, rips into Republicans who are tanking it pic.twitter.com/1VxMTKB5g2
— The Recount (@therecount) February 7, 2024
The proposed bill, developed through tireless efforts by Senators James Lankford, Chris Murphy, and Sinema, aimed to address the border crisis by implementing stringent border security measures and funding. Sinema emphasized that the bill was primed for the Senate to debate and amend, following the proper legislative process, but the Republicans thwarted these efforts, leaving the bill in limbo.
Senator Sinema lamented the Republican Party’s withdrawal from its previous unified stance on border security, leading to a missed opportunity to tackle the ongoing border nightmare. She highlighted the bill’s transformative provisions, including an overhaul of the broken system, putting an end to catch and release, increasing deportation flights, and swiftly addressing asylum claims. Sinema underscored the severe impact of the border crisis on her state, citing harrowing statistics, such as the seizure of millions of fentanyl pills and the surge of illegal border crossings, with a concerning influx of military-aged men.
Despite Sinema’s fervent plea for bipartisan cooperation in solving the national security crisis, the Republicans remained steadfast in their allegiance to former President Donald Trump’s border initiatives and rejected the proposed border deal, driving the political impasse further.
This clash underscores the deep partisan divide on border security and immigration policy, leaving the fate of Arizona’s border and the broader national security concerns hanging in the balance. As the border crisis continues to escalate, Senator Sinema stands firm in her unwavering commitment to addressing the pressing national security threat posed by the broken border system.
