Sen. Sinema talks Respect for Marriage Act, weighs in on Kari Lake, end of year priorities
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Arizona’s Family Nicole Crites sat down with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on Wednesday and asked her about Kari Lake, Sinema’s re-election campaign and the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act that just passed in the Senate. Sinema helped write the bill protecting same-sex and interracial marriages and helped get Republicans on board. The measure passed 61-36 on Tuesday. “Families all across Arizona are feeling a sigh of relief, knowing that their marriages are safe and that they can take care of their kids and their families in the future,” Sinema said. She also got a diverse group of organizations, including religious groups, LGBTQ advocates and business associations, to get behind the proposal. “I’m really proud of the bipartisan work that we did to ensure that families of all types,” she said.
Sinema was also asked if she would be in town next week for Presiden Joe Biden’s visit to the Valley of the Sun, but she said she wouldn’t be attending. Instead, she will be at the U.S. Capitol, tackling the defense budget bill before the end of the year.
With Republican Kari Lake refusing to concede to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the governor’s race, Crites asked Sinema to weigh in on the dispute. “You know, Arizonans had another election where we can celebrate that each of us exercised our democratic values and voted for the candidate that we preferred. Like all of our elected officials across Arizona, I have confidence in our county and our state elections departments and I am looking forward to working with all of the folks who were re-elected in Arizona and those who were newly elected,” said Sinema.
Meanwhile, there is some push from fellow Arizona Democrats to try and get Rep. Ruben Gallego to challenge Sinema in the 2024 primary. She only has two years left on her term and may be forced to start campaigning early. “As Arizona’s senior senator, I’m going to get up everyday and go to work and do exactly what I promised to do when I was elected, which is deliver results for famlies all across our state. In the last two years, I’ve been able to deliver significant results with bipartisanship that’s almost unheard of,” she said. “I’d say the proof is in the pudding.”
Gallego says he won’t decide on challenging Sinema until next year. But, for now, Sinema says she’s staying focused on legislation that needs to be completed and is looking forward to working with fellow leaders. “I’m always concerned about the work I’m doing right now,” she said. “And I’ll leave the punditry and talking heads to other people.”
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