The majority change
US Senator Sinema leaves the Democrats
US Senator Kirsten Sinema has announced her withdrawal from the Democratic Party and plans to become an independent politician in the near future. That could change the majority in the parliamentary chamber.
Kirsten Sinema is a state senator from Arizona.
The 46-year-old wrote in an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic from her home state on Friday that the party’s policies focus too much on hurting the other side rather than doing work for American citizens. “So I join the growing number of people in Arizona who reject partisan politics in declaring my independence from the broken party system in Washington.”
It was not clear at first how much the electoral behavior of the centrist Cinema, who has repeatedly blocked legislative projects by Democrats in the past, could change. But, she told Politico, “nothing about my values and my behavior will change.” With Bernie Sanders and Angus King, there are already two independents in the Senate, however, they usually vote with the Democrats and are therefore credited with them.
51 to 49 becomes 50 to 49 to 1
Just a few days ago, Democrat Raphael Warnock of Georgia won a runoff election for the last open Senate seat after the US midterm elections. This gave the Democrats a 51-49 majority over the Republicans and more flexibility in voting.
It is still not clear how much this dynamic can change now. Sinema is expected to maintain his ties to the Democrats, including keeping committee seats. But as an independent, it should be easier for her to evade the party discipline of the Democrats. (SDA)
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