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Kyrsten Sinema on Principles & Values

 

 


Took oath of office on Constitution, not Bible

Even as they ran negative ads, [Sinema and her opponent] each promised to be the more bipartisan lawmaker. The Arizona Republic endorsed Sinema, saying that her nonpartisan style was a better fit. "For Sinema, it's always about the issue, not the personalities," the newspaper wrote.

In the House, Sinema took the oath of office on a copy on the Constitution, not the Bible. She said that she was not affiliated with a religion.

She has joined the organizations of moderate Democrats, occasionally has criticized Obama, and has worked across the aisle with House Republicans. She co-founded the United States Caucus, a bipartisan group of house freshmen working on solutions for both parties, "I'm just doing my thing," she told Roll Call in February 2015. "I know my thing's a little bit different than other people, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all. And you know what? I don't mind if some people like it or don't like it. That's OK."

Source: Almanac of American Politics on 2022 Arizona Senate race , Oct 5, 2015

Among "10 poorest House members," as measured by assets

[As measured by net worth], eight Democrats and two Republicans ranked at the bottom of the list of the 535 lawmakers in the House and Senate in our annual calculations for the 50 Richest project. While these members appear to be in the most dire straits on paper, an alternative calculation would peg the seven members who report having no assets as the poorest.

These seven members are: Democrats Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan and Gregory W. Meeks of New York, and Republicans Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Duncan Hunter of California and Louie Gohmert of Texas. These members do not have enough liabilities to drop into the 10 poorest, but their net worths range from -$15,000 (Sinema) to -$610,000 (Gohmert).

Source: Jay Hunter on Rollcall.com, "10 Poorest Members of Congress" , Sep 20, 2013

Arizona Together: defeated same-sex marriage ban

From January 2005 through November 2006, I had served as the chair of Arizona Together, a statewide coalition formed to defeat a same-sex marriage ban initiative in Arizona.

As chair, my job was to guide the campaign every day toward victory, make strategic decisions about messaging, raise money, decide how to spend the money, direct community outreach efforts, and more. We won. And by "won," I mean that we actually got more votes than the other guys. Activists battled 30 of these initiatives around the country, and we won only once. Lucky for me, it happened in Arizona.

Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p. xiii-xiv , Jul 1, 2009

Past Congresses worked together on bipartisan legislation

It's easy to see why so many people hate politics.

Over the past 40 years, cooperation and collaboration are rare, especially when the issue is very important. Partisanship is valued as being true to the ideals of one political party. People do not reach across the aisle to work together, much less create friendships together. Back in the super old days Congress was different. Members worked together more frequently on bipartisan legislation. And party registration was not a prerequisite to friendships or invitations to after-work gatherings. [One 1960s Congressman] wrote that he watched Hubert Humphrey and Barry Goldwater duke it out on the floor of the Senate, then leave after work to have a drink together. Today, such relationships are rare. In fact, those elected officials who do manage to maintain close friendships with members from the opposite party are often viewed as sellouts or are not trusted within their caucus because of their cozy relationship with "the other side".

Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p. 10-11 , Jul 1, 2009

Let go of the bear and pick up the Buddha

As progressives, we too often function from a gut-level reaction that is based on fear and anger, which limits our ability to truly engage in the kind of political activity that will lead us to the progressive world we want to live in.

I don't think it's an easy task to alter the way we behave in politics, but I do believe that it can be done if we mindfully choose to make that alteration & then practice at it. I call this "letting go of the bear and picking up the Buddha." The bear is the internal fight-or-flight reflex that we as humans are blessed to have. "Putting down the bear" in your political practice occurs when you consciously choose not to act, react, or interact with others from a place of fear and uncertainly. "Picking up the Buddha" is code for being calm, cool, and collected--another ability that we humans have, although we often don't polish this political skill. To be your most fabulous political self, you'll need to recognize the bear and learn to let go of it in your work.

Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p. 23 , Jul 1, 2009

Recipe for coalition: Think big;think sharp;think organized

Recipe for a Coalition
    These 3 vital ingredients are needed for building a successful, productive coalition.
  1. Think big. Include people who aren't already at the table. Who are unlikely allies or potential partners in your project? Whom can you bring to the table that will surprise you and those around you?
  2. Think sharp. Clearly articulate your purpose and your focus. What is your coalition's raison d'etre? If you don't know, then your coalition isn't likely to be effective.
  3. Think organized. Choose a leader (stable or rotating) who will keep the coalition organized and productive. Don't leave anything to chance because chance is not your friend.
Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p. 51 , Jul 1, 2009

Find common ground & throw out politics of division

I had a hard time making friends my 1st year in the legislature. No one wanted to actually work with me. At first, I blamed my situation on the politics of division that my Republican colleagues had been taught. But I soon realized that the blame was largely mine. I also had been taught the politics of division--namely, that my role as a minority member was to stand and loudly speak out against the horrible, evil, injustices committed daily by my Republican peers. I was wrong. I learned that dividing myself from others just because we don't agree on everything is not the way to win friends and influence people. I threw out what I'd been taught and started over--this time remembering what my kindergarten teacher told me: make friends with the other kids. Here are the tips that I've found helpful when making friends:
  1. talk to people whom you want to make friends with
  2. listen to them
  3. find common ground
  4. find humanity in others
  5. loosen up a bit
  6. don't take anything personally.
Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p. 68-69 , Jul 1, 2009

Talk about values instead of pushing outcomes

It's easy to say "I will start using values-based language instead of outcome-based language. " Something along the lines of "We need a good, strong, public education system that teaches kids to read and gets them prepared for college." I would happen to agree with your statement, but that statement is not a value, it's a position (read: OUTCOME). Not everyone agrees with your statement, but everyone can agree on a core value underneath our support for education: opportunity. We all believe that children should be afforded the OPPORTUNITY to learn.

Barack Obama is the master at speaking the language of values rather than outcomes, which is why he was so successful not only as a state legislator and US Senator but as a presidential candidate. He can speak to people with widely divergent views and, by using values-laden language rather than outcome-laden language, have these divergent groups all nodding their heads and stepping to the table to work together.

Source: Unite and Conquer, by Kyrsten Sinema, p.103-105 , Jul 1, 2009

Endorsed National Dems' "Front line incumbent retention" target.

Sinema is endorsed by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 2014 targeting

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added nine candidates to its "Red to Blue" list, a designation singling out strong campaigns in open or Republican-held districts. The list now includes two categories: targeted districts and "emerging" districts which may be targeted later.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is funding two programs [mostly via PAC-funded TV advertising] in the 2014 cycle: "Red-to-Blue" in Republican-held districts, and "Frontline" to defend Democratic-held districts.

Press Release from DCCCDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel named 26 of his colleagues to the Frontline program, a committee program designed to protect their most vulnerable incumbents. "We call this program Frontline for a reason--these Members are on the vanguard of protecting and expanding the middle class," Israel said in a written statement. "While the 2014 campaign will be dominated by a strong offense taking on the Tea Party Republican Congress, our success begins with our Members," added Israel, a Democrat from New York. "These battle-tested men and women have proven time and again that they can win because no one better reflects the values of their districts."

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. will spearhead the program as its chairman. He's a Frontline alumnus as recently as the 2012 cycle. Otherwise, the list includes several freshman members and Blue Dog Democrats:

Certify 2020 Presidential election as fully & fairly counted.

Sinema voted NAY blocking certification of the Electoral vote

Explanation of 1/6/21 Electoral Certification, by Emily Brooks, Washington Examiner:Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Paul Gosar led an objection to counting Electoral College votes from the state of Arizona, the first formal objection to state results in a series of moves that will delay the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election over President Trump. Cruz is advocating for an `emergency 10-day audit` of election returns in disputed states. The usually ceremonial joint session of Congress that convenes to count and accept Electoral College votes will be put on hold as the House and Senate separately debate the objection.