Five members of an advisory council to Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona resigned, criticizing Sinema for opposing certain legislative priorities held by Democrats.
“In order to have the representative democracy that our nation strives for, we must protect voting rights by passing the Freedom to Vote Act. In the face of complete refusal to compromise from the opposing side, this means we must amend or abolish the filibuster, a Jim Crow relic designed to keep power in the hands of the few,” the former members of Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council wrote in their resignation letter, released by Common Defense. (RELATED: Democrats May Be Forced To Scrap Tax Increases From Their Budget Due To One Senator’s Opposition: REPORT)
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) leaves a Democratic luncheon before heading to the U.S. Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol on September 30, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Senate is expected to pass a short term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“In addition to protecting the freedom to vote, your constituents urgently need you to support the Biden agenda,” the resigning veterans added. “However, just like voting rights, you have become one of the principal obstacles to progress, answering to big donors rather than your own people. We shouldn’t have to buy representation from you, and your failure to stand by your people and see their urgent needs is alarming.”
Sinema, along with Democratic Sen Joe Manchin of West Virginia, opposed the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending package. Activists confronted Sinema about her actions in a restroom, on an airplane and at the Boston Marathon earlier this month.