PHOENIX — Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema preaches bipartisanship, often to the dismay of many of her constituents. But in the end, the infrastructure bill she helped negotiate passed Congress and awaits only President Biden’s signature.
In a Zoom call with Arizona reporters on Monday, Sinema said it won’t be long before Arizonans start seeing work to repair and improve the state’s crumbling infrastructure.
“Some of the projects will move right away. Some of that will be road repair. There’s about $5 billion for federal highways in Arizona and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs,” Senator Sinema said.
For the last eight months, Sinema worked with a bipartisan group of senators and the White House to craft the infrastructure bill.
It passed the Senate in July, but the passage in the House ended up being more complicated.
Progressive Democrats threatened not to vote for the infrastructure package until a second stimulus, the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan, was adopted.
Months of negotiations ended on Friday when the House voted just for the infrastructure bill.
Throughout it all, Sinema kept her negotiations with House and Senate leaders private, often placing her at odds with her own supporters. The Senator makes no apologies.
“What I pledge to you and the folks of Arizona is doing what I always have done,” she said. “Put my head down, stay focused on the work, and deliver results for Arizonans.”
