Summary
It’s 4pm in DC. As we head into the weekend, here’s a look at the day’s biggest developments:
Senator Kyrsten Sinema has announced she is leaving the party and has registered as an independent. The dramatic news comes just three days after Raphael Warnock’s re-election in Georgia gave the Democratic party what they thought was a 51-49 majority in the chamber (which includes the two other Senate independents Angus King of Maine, and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders).
The White House said that Kyrsten Sinema’s defection “does not change Democratic Senate control” and did not reveal whether Joe Biden got a heads-up prior to her announcement. “We do not discuss private conversations that we have with members of Congress. [But] he sees, and we see, Senator Sinema as a key partner on some of the most historic pieces of legislation that you will all have covered in this administration. We understand her decision to register as an independent in Arizona. The way we see it and understand it, it does not change the new Democratic majority control of the Senate,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, has issued a brief statement on the decision by Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema to sit in the chamber as an independent. “Senator Sinema informed me of her decision to change her affiliation to independent. She asked me to keep her committee assignments and I agreed. Kyrsten is independent; that’s how she’s always been. I believe she’s a good and effective senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate,” he said.
The Treasury Department announced on Friday that it is sanctioning a group of companies and people linked to illegal fishing operations and human rights abuses in Chinese waters. The Cayman Islands-registered fishing company Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd, which maintains boats based in China and has stock traded on the Nasdaq, was identified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control for sanctions. The US accuses the company of illegally shipping endangered species and abusing crew members through its subsidiaries and fleet of over 100 fishing boats.
Russia wouldn’t release Paul Whelan without the US setting free a former colonel from the country’s domestic spy organization currently in German custody, CNN reported on Friday, adding another twist to the Brittney Griner saga. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t confirm the story at her afternoon press briefing, but the network says Russia wanted Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence for murder.
Joe Biden plans to announce at next week’s US-Africa summit in Washington DC that he supports adding the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 nations, the Associated Press reports, citing the White House. The African Union represents the continent’s 54 countries. The G20 is composed of the world’s major industrial and emerging economies and represents more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product. South Africa is currently the only African member of the G20.
Updated
The Treasury Department announced on Friday that it is sanctioning a group of companies and people linked to illegal fishing operations and human rights abuses in Chinese waters.
One company is accused of maintaining working conditions so dangerous that five workers died after 13 months at sea, with three of the workers’ bodies dumped into the ocean rather than repatriated to their homes, the Associated Press reports.
The Cayman Islands-registered fishing company Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd., which maintains boats based in China and has stock traded on the Nasdaq, was identified by the Office of Foreign Assets Control for sanctions.
The US has accused the company of illegally shipping endangered species and abusing crew members through its subsidiaries and fleet of more than 100 fishing boats.
The Biden administration also says two individuals, Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, along with Dalian Ocean Fishing Co Ltd. and other companies engaged in illegal unreported fishing.
A senior department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the US action, said on a call with reporters that Dalian employs crew members who work an average of 18 hours a day, live off expired food and drink dirty water.
The action on Friday identifies 157 Chinese fishing vessels in which sanctioned companies and people have an interest.
The sanctioned companies’ property and interests in the US will be blocked and American companies that do business with the sanctioned entities will have to wind down their ties with them.
Updated
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are moving forward with their partnership expansion across the north-east, even as a federal judge considers the government’s attempt to put an end to the deal.
On Friday, the airlines announced that American Airlines will add six new routes from New York City and will drop an existing one, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, JetBlue said that it will start multiple new routes from New York and Boston. Some of the routes will only operate during summer and most will be limited to one to two flights daily.
American Airlines said it plans to drop service between New York’s LaGuardia airport and Atlanta in May, when JetBlue adds that route. The airline also announced that on 5 May it will add flights between LaGuardia and Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; and four other cities.
Whether or not the expansion succeeds depends on a lawsuit in Boston which the justice department, six states and Washington DC have filed in attempts to stop the deal. The parties argue that the airlines’ move will result in lower competition and higher fares.
The two airlines have pushed back, arguing that their joint expansion will make them a stronger competitor against Delta and United Airlines in the north-east.
A verdict is expected early next year.
Updated
Report: Russia wanted top spy in swap for Paul Whelan
Russia wouldn’t release Paul Whelan without the US setting free a former colonel from the country’s domestic spy organization currently in German custody, CNN reported on Friday, adding another twist to the Brittney Griner saga.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t confirm the story at her afternoon press briefing, but the network says Russia wanted Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence for murder.
The report suggests the US floated the idea of an exchange of Krasikov for Griner and Whelan, who has been in jail in Russia for almost four years, back in the summer.
But any deal fell down, CNN says, when Germany refused to countenance his release. Krasikov assassinated a Georgian citizen in Berlin in 2019.
The US then offered other names to try to persuade them to include Whelan in the Griner trade for Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer jailed in the US for 12 years. They included, CNN says, Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national extradited to the US in August for cybercrime, and Roman Seleznev, another convicted Russian cyber-criminal currently serving a 14-year sentence in the US.
But it became clear a week ago that Whelan was not going to be included, so the US pressed ahead with the Griner for Bout trade, which took place on Thursday.
“It was either Brittney Griner, one American or no American. That’s the very difficult decision that the president had to make,” Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier.
“[Russia was] not willing to negotiate in good faith for Paul Whelan.”
Updated
Biden seeks to make African Union a permanent G20 partner
Joe Biden plans to announce at next week’s US-Africa summit in Washington DC that he supports adding the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 nations, the Associated Press reports, citing the White House.
The African Union represents the continent’s 54 countries. The G20 is composed of the world’s major industrial and emerging economies and represents more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product. South Africa is currently the only African member of the G20.
“It’s past time Africa has permanent seats at the table in international organizations and initiatives,” Judd Devermont, senior director for African affairs on the national security council, said in a statement.
“We need more African voices in international conversations that concern the global economy, democracy and governance, climate change, health, and security.”
Biden has invited 49 African leaders to take part in the three-day Washington summit that starts Tuesday.
A judge in Michigan has dismissed criminal charges against former governor Rick Snyder in the Flint water crisis, the Associated Press reports.
It comes months after the state supreme court said indictments returned by a one-person grand jury were invalid.
Snyder, a Republican who left office in 2019, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of misconduct in office. He was the first person in state history to be charged for alleged crimes related to service as governor.
Snyder also is the eighth person to have a Flint water case thrown out after the supreme court’s unanimous June opinion. Read the full story:
Updated
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has taken a couple of questions on foreign policy, condemning a “draconian” crackdown on civilians by authorities in Iran.
“They should know that the world is watching,” she said when asked about Iran’s suppressing of dissenters, including its first-known execution of an anti-government protestor.
“The US is committed to supporting the Iranian people and imposing costs on those responsible for the brutal crackdown. We will stand with Iranian civilians as they are fighting for their basic freedom [and] basic human rights.”
Iran executes protestor, 23, for allegedly stabbing pro-regime officer. Likely to be the first execution of many. https://t.co/AnEnBLje7d
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) December 8, 2022
A reporter also wondered if, now that gas prices are falling, the Biden administration still intended to follow through with its promise of consequences for Saudi Arabia for reducing its production of oil.
There has been, essentially, silence from the White House on the issue since October.
“We are assessing relations with Saudi Arabia with methodology and strategically as we have done over the last 18 years of this relationship in a bipartisan way,” was Jean-Pierre’s non-answer.
“We will judge the way forward based on their actions as well as our ongoing consultations with partners and allies, and also the new Congress.”
Karine Jean-Pierre is pushing back strongly against Republican criticism that the exchange of jailed basketball player Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms trade Viktor Bout wasn’t much of a trade.
The White House press secretary told reporters:
When you have an American passport, that means something.
Brittney Griner is an American citizen who was being held unjustly.
She was being held unjustly under intolerable circumstances. That was what was happening to Brittney Griner. And so that means something to the president.
Republicans have continued to snipe at the exchange, Florida senator Marco Rubio suggesting it “incentivized the taking of more Americans”.
Jean-Pierre insisted Biden was still “working very hard” to secure the release of Paul Whelan, an American still held by Russia on espionage charges, but said Russia was “not negotiating in good faith”.
This was an opportunity to bring an American home. The Russians were willing to release Brittney Griner for Mr Bout. That was what was presented to us.
They were not willing to negotiate in good faith for Paul Whelan. And so it was either Brittney Griner, one American or no American. That’s the very difficult decision that the president had to make.
White House: Sinema defection 'does not change Democratic Senate control'
And here we go... did Joe Biden get any heads-up from Kyrsten Sinema that she was about to defect from the Democratic party?
Jean-Pierre:
We do not discuss private conversations that we have with members of Congress.
[But] he sees, and we see, Senator Sinema as a key partner on some of the most historic pieces of legislation that you will all have covered in this administration.
When you look at the past 20 months, from the American rescue plan to the bipartisan infrastructure law, to the inflation reduction act, to the respect for marriage act and also the pact act, all of these pieces of legislation have been historic, and we have partnered with Senator Sinema
We understand her decision to register as an independent in Arizona. The way we see it and understand it, it does not change the new Democratic majority control of the Senate.
And we have every reason to expect that we will continue to work with her successfully.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is at the podium with her daily briefing.
She’s talking up a big week for Joe Biden, especially securing Brittney Griner’s release from Russia, and the just-announced $275m security assistance package for Ukraine (see previous post).
But you can sense that reporters in the room are just itching to ask her about Kyrsten Sinema. Stay tuned…
Here’s the latest Politics Weekly America podcast from the Guardian’s ace team.
With Raphael Warnock re-elected to represent Georgia in the US Senate for the next six years, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Molly Reynolds of the Brookings Institution about the significance for Democrats of having an absolute majority in the upper chamber of Congress, rather than a 50/50 split.
This episode was recorded before today’s dramatic announcement by Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema that she was renouncing the Democratic party to sit as an independent.
Joe Biden authorized a fresh infusion of $275 million in military aid for Ukraine offering new capabilities to defeat drones and strengthen air defenses, according to a memo released by the White House, Reuters reports.
The package also includes rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers made by Lockheed Martin Corp, 80,000 155mm artillery rounds, Humvee military vehicles and about 150 generators, according to the memo.
This is the 27th use of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Ukraine, which allows the United States to transfer defense articles and services from stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House that the equipment was “on its way.”
But details were scant on two systems, “counter air defense capability” and “Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems equipment,” which appear to be new capabilities for Ukraine.
Russia’s surge in missile strikes in Ukraine is partly designed to exhaust Kyiv’s supplies of air defenses and achieve dominance of the skies above the country, a senior Pentagon official said in November.
To counter these attacks, the United States has sent sophisticated anti-aircraft NASAMS systems to Ukraine which have been running for a few weeks.
Washington previously announced that it was sending four Avenger short-range air defense systems that use Stinger missiles, made by Raytheon Technologies Corp, and HAWK interceptor missiles. US allies have also been sending air defense systems.
You can follow the Guardian’s Ukraine war live blog here.
Interim summary
The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is due to brief the media at 1pm ET in the west wing, as Washington and Arizona digest the news of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s surprise news early today that she’s switching from the Democrats to be an independent.
Here’s where things stand:
Chuck Schumer, Senate majority leader, issued a brief statement on the decision by Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema to sit in the chamber as an independent in future, saying she will keep her committee assignments and saying: “I believe she’s a good and effective senator.”
Republican criticism of Joe Biden for trading US basketball star and Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout continues.
The White House issued a statement via Jean-Pierre noting that it expects to ‘continue to work successfully’ with Senator Sinema.
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced she would no longer represent the Democratic Party in congress and instead would become an independent. She expressed no intention to caucus with the Republicans but nor did she reassure Democrats that they can count on her vote, while saying her new status “won’t change my work” in the upper chamber.
Here’s a selection of reactions on Twitter to Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to renounce Democrats and sit as an independent.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki thinks the biggest question is whether Sinema runs for re-election in 2024 as an independent, and not whether she continues to support Democrats in the Senate:
so here's the thing---If Sinema still votes for the most part with Ds and keeps her committee roles (because she will want that/also helps Dems by giving them majority on committees) the biggest q is not about the DC side--its about whether she will run as an independent
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) December 9, 2022
Arizona congressman Ruben Gallego, who is now widely expected to seek the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s Senate seat in two years’ time, accused Sinema of putting her own interests ahead of those of voters:
My statement on Kyrsten Sinema abandoning the Democratic Partyhttps://t.co/QdrRf2mO5W pic.twitter.com/f0P3WZAdvA
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) December 9, 2022
Republican former strategist and Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson sees a different role in Sinema’s future, and calls her a “Karen”:
Karen Sinema. You know a Fox news gig is somewhere in her future. https://t.co/z8eXs9SxG5
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) December 9, 2022
Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert seems to believe that Sinema has actually switched parties to join the opposition. Spoiler: she hasn’t.
Good to see @KyrstenSinema leaving the Democrat Party.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 9, 2022
Just this year we’ve had @TulsiGabbard & Senator Sinema - both high profile Democrats - change parties.
Hope many more see the light!
Young progressives are not impressed. This from abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna:
Fixed it pic.twitter.com/ok2IWMq55X
— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) December 9, 2022
From the Arizona Democratic party. Sinema has “fallen dramatically short leaving Arizonans behind”:
Please see our statement below regarding @kyrstensinema’s change in party affiliation. pic.twitter.com/qGWSSVR8cU
— Arizona Democratic Party (@azdemparty) December 9, 2022
Toni Cani, Joe Biden’s 2020 election chief in Arizona, thinks Sinema’s decision follows a failed gamble that Republicans won the House and Senate in the midterms, pushed “something like a national abortion ban”, and Sinema could play the hero by blocking it:
One of my hottest takes was the only way Sinema survives 2024 reelect is if the GOP took the House & Senate in 2022 and she then used the filibuster to stop something like a national abortion ban. I even speculated she knew that and that was her exact gamble
— Tony Cani (@tcani) December 9, 2022
Senate majority leader praises "good and effective" Sinema
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, has issued a brief statement on the decision by Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema to sit in the chamber as an independent.
He says she will keep her committee assignments, which he doesn’t really have a choice about if Democrats are to retain a semblance of control:
Senator Sinema informed me of her decision to change her affiliation to Independent. She asked me to keep her committee assignments and I agreed.
Kyrsten is independent; that’s how she’s always been. I believe she’s a good and effective Senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate.
We will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power, and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes.
Updated
Meanwhile, The Hill has been collating reports that the 6 January House panel looking into Donald Trump’s insurrection is also considering criminal referrals, for Trump and at least four of the ex-president’s team.
They are Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff; John Eastman, a conservative lawyer; Jeffrey Clark, a former justice department official; and Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s one-time personal attorney.
All four were involved in plotting or executing Trump’s scheme to try to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden, the panel believes, and is considering whether to recommend them to the justice department for criminal investigation or charges.
“The committee has not officially decided whom to refer for prosecution and for what offenses,” CNN reported, citing anonymous sources, and says others could also be considered.
The Guardian reported Tuesday that criminal referrals were imminent from the January 6 committee, but this is the first time these names have been reported. Representatives of the panel would not comment.
You can read The Hill’s report here.
While we’ve been occupied this morning with Kyrsten Sinema’s defection and Brittney Griner’s homecoming, we haven’t taken our eye off Donald Trump’s legal peril, and developments with the investigations into his insurrection and mishandling of classified documents. Here’s the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell on the latest:
The US justice department is seeking a top federal judge to hold Donald Trump’s political office in contempt of court for not fully complying with a grand jury subpoena issued in May demanding the return of all classified documents in its possession, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The department in recent weeks asked the chief US district court judge for the District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, to hold Trump’s office in contempt after prosecutors were unable to get the former president’s lawyers to designate a custodian of records to certify all records were returned.
New: Confirming that DOJ is seeking a federal judge to hold Trump’s office in contempt of court for not fully complying with May grand jury subpoena seeking return of classified docs, per source familiar — matching WaPo
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 8, 2022
Howell has not ruled on the matter, which remains under seal. But the move, earlier reported by the Washington Post, significantly raises the stakes for Trump as he stares down a criminal investigation into unauthorized retention of national security information and obstruction of justice.
The issue is to do with the Trump legal team’s reluctance to designate a custodian of records to certify that Trump is no longer in possession of any documents marked classified and thus in compliance with the subpoena that demanded the return of all such government records, the source said.
If the Trump legal team could not find someone to certify under oath that all documents bearing classified markings had been returned, the department is said to have communicated, it would seek a judicial sanction.
The contempt action is understood to be focused on Trump’s office because the subpoena, issued on 11 May, sought the return of all documents and writings “in the custody of Donald J Trump and/or the Office of Donald J Trump” bearing classification markings.
Read the full story:
Republicans continue to snipe at Griner swap
As we’ve mentioned Republican criticism of Joe Biden for trading basketball star Brittney Griner for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, here’s Florida senator Marco Rubio’s considered opinion:
“We have to recognize, even as we’re happy an American’s coming home, it does incentivize the taking of more Americans,” he told reporters on Friday morning.
The theme from Republicans seems to be that the exchange was a very poor deal for Biden. Even Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who angered his party by joining the January 6 committee, weighed in.
Although Biden stressed on Thursday the deal was essentially “get Griner or get nobody”, Kinzinger appeared furious that Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia for four years on espionage charges, was left behind:
What about retired marine who has been unjustly detained for years, Paul Whelan? Surely an arms dealer is worth two innocent people? @POTUS
— Adam Kinzinger #fella (@AdamKinzinger) December 8, 2022
Not so fast, says Tristan Snell, a political analyst and lawyer who helped prosecute the Trump University scam while at the New York attorney general’s office. As president, Snell says, Trump secured the release of a Taliban leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, for… absolutely nobody.
In late 2018, Trump released Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the top leaders of the Taliban, along with 5000 other Taliban fighters, in exchange for... *checks notes*... nobody.
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) December 9, 2022
Updated
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has said more prisoner swaps are possible after Moscow yesterday released American basketball star Brittney Griner in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, the Associated Press reports.
“Everything is possible,” Putin said, when asked in an interview if another such exchange could happen. “We aren’t refusing to continue this work in the future.”
Still detained in Russia is Paul Whelan, an American corporate security executive who is facing espionage charges. Republicans criticized Joe Biden for agreeing to a deal that did not include Whelan, a former marine, while the president pledged to continue working for his release.
A major question facing Democrats is whether Kyrsten Sinema will continue to caucus with them in the Senate.
While they don’t strictly need her vote to control the chamber, they were counting on her to push their majority from its current 50-50 split – where vice-president Kamala Harris breaks ties – to an outright 51 seat majority, which would make getting their agenda through the Senate easier.
The senator dodged a question about that in an interview with Phoenix’s KTAR radio station, while suggesting she’d caucus with neither party but still remain on committees:
Sinema says who she will caucus with is an "important question" but a "DC type of question"
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) December 9, 2022
Says again she expects to keep committee assignments - and thinks she can do that w/o necessarily caucusing with either party
That would be a unique arrangement.
Kyrsten Sinema distinguished herself among senators for avoiding reporters and rarely granting interviews over the last two years. She reversed that trend today, speaking to Politico and writing an op-ed in the Arizona Republic.
She also spoke about her decision in an interview with CNN:
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) tells CNN's @jaketapper she's leaving the Democratic Party: "A growing number of Arizonans and people like me just don't feel like we fit neatly into one party's box or the other." pic.twitter.com/T4EighvBLn
— The Recount (@therecount) December 9, 2022
Kyrsten Sinema has infuriated Democrats to such a degree that a group had already organized to challenge her in the party’s primary.
That won’t be happening since the senator has departed the party, but the group, aptly named Primary Sinema, has pledged to fight on:
It's official: Kyrsten Sinema has left the Democratic Party.
— Primary Sinema Project (@PrimarySinemaAZ) December 9, 2022
In some ways, our job just got easier. She's not running in a Democratic primary because she knew she'd lose. So now, we're going to beat her in the general election. Arizonans deserve better. (1)
We launched this effort 15 months ago to educate the public about the ways Kyrsten Sinema has failed Arizonans, obstructed progress, and caved to special interests. Arizonans deserve a Senator who cares about them, not special interests like Wall Street and Big Pharma. (2/3)
— Primary Sinema Project (@PrimarySinemaAZ) December 9, 2022
Sinema just told us what we already knew: she's not a Democrat and she's out for herself.
— Primary Sinema Project (@PrimarySinemaAZ) December 9, 2022
Our name, Primary Sinema, will be updated soon to reflect that this is now a general election effort. The work continues, and in some ways, just became even more important. #DefeatSinema
White House expects to 'continue to work successfully' with Sinema
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has weighed in on senator Kyrsten Sinema’s departure from the Democratic party, noting her support of several of Joe Biden’s priorities and pledging to continue working with her.
“Senator Sinema has been a key partner on some of the historic legislation President Biden has championed over the last 20 months, from the American Rescue Plan to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from the Inflation Reduction Act to the CHIPS and Science Act, from the PACT Act to the Gun Safety Act to the Respect for Marriage Act, and more,” Jean-Pierre said.
“We understand that her decision to register as an independent in Arizona does not change the new Democratic majority control of the Senate, and we have every reason to expect that we will continue to work successfully with her.”
Women’s basketball star Brittney Griner is back on American soil after yesterday’s prisoner exchange with arms dealer Viktor Bout:
The American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the US early on Friday after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange from nearly 10 months in detention in Russia.
The deal, in which she was swapped for the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top goal for Joe Biden. But Washington failed to win freedom for another US citizen, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.
Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.
Sinema’s departure from the Democratic party is less about frustrating their ability to run the Senate for the next two years, and more about protecting her own position in Arizona, Semafor reports.
She’s unpopular enough with Democrats in the state that she was widely expected to face a primary in 2024. But now that she’s out of the party, that primary won’t happen. Instead, Democrats are going to face the tough decision of whether to run a candidate against her – and risk splitting their voters and losing the seat to the GOP – or accept that she’s their best bet, even if she isn’t actually in the party.
Here’s more from Semafor:
There are/were at least three ongoing campaigns to primary Sinema with Rep. Ruben Gallego, which just became impossible. Doesn’t affect D majority, does prevent AZ Dems from replacing her https://t.co/ixxC7kFwPt
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) December 9, 2022
I woke up on the west coast so was initially confused by some bad analysis that pretended this risked the balance of power. It doesn't - it's a gordian knot-cutting political tactic that nullifies the biggest threat to Sinema's reelection, a primary against Phoenix's congressman.
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) December 9, 2022
One more thing: We don't know how Dems play this yet. In states where popular (more so than Sinema) independents run and caucus with Dems, the DSCC stands down - Maine, Vermont. They don't have to run a D and won't want to if it looks like they'd only be a spoiler.
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) December 9, 2022
Sinema: independence 'won't change my work in Senate'
Kyrsten Sinema’s bombshell defection from the Democratic party will have far-reaching consequences as Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer attempts to plot a course through the upcoming Congress.
In her op-ed in the Arizona Republic on Friday announcing the move, the enigmatic Sinema sought to assure voters that “becoming an independent won’t change my work in the Senate; my service to Arizona remains the same”.
But the free-spirited politician, the first openly bisexual woman in the Senate, says she considers the bipartisan system in the US “broken” and won’t pledge her support to either party:
Americans are told that we have only two choices - Democrat or Republican - and that we must subscribe wholesale to policy views the parties hold, views that have been pulled further and further toward the extremes.
When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than they are on improving Americans’ lives, the people who lose are everyday Americans.
Not that she fully supported the Democratic agenda in Joe Biden’s first two years in office, often teaming up with centrist West Virginia senator Joe Manchin to stall key parts of the president’s agenda.
Yet the statement will still alarm party leaders, who thought they had secured a 51-49 majority on Tuesday when Raphael Warnock won re-election in Georgia.
In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/jUQHAeuxym
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) December 9, 2022
Unlike Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Angus King (Maine) who caucus with the Democrats, Sinema as an independent – unshackled by the Democratic party whip – will be an altogether different beast, whatever she says about her behavior not changing.
It’s not even clear she will retain her office on the Democratic side of the chamber. Or if she will re-election in 2024, something she says she won’t address yet.
It also restores “outsized influence in the Democratic caucus” to Manchin, according to Politico, which sat down for a 45-minute chat with Sinema this morning. Manchin was the main thorn in Biden’s side from within when the Senate was split 50-50.
We’re expecting to hear much more reaction today about the stunning news, including how Schumer intends to press on with committee assignments for the upcoming congress.
Read more:
Sinema leaves Democrats to become independent
Good morning and happy Friday! Democrats woke to a bombshell development from Arizona, where Senator Kyrsten Sinema has announced she is leaving the party and has registered as an independent.
The dramatic news comes just three days after Raphael Warnock’s re-election in Georgia gave the Democratic party what they thought was a 51-49 majority in the chamber (which includes the two other Senate independents Angus King of Maine, and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders).
The enigmatic Sinema’s defection will leave party chiefs scrambling to figure how, and indeed if, their new majority will work. While Sinema says she won’t caucus with Republicans, she says in a Friday op-ed in the Arizona Republic that the partisan system in the US is “broken”, and neither party can count on her support.
We’ll have plenty more news and reaction coming up.
Here’s what else we’re watching:
Freed basketball star Brittney Griner has landed back in the US from Russia. There’s political reaction to the prisoner-swap deal for a notorious Russian arms dealer.
We’re waiting to hear more from the House January 6 committee after reports emerged it was set to issue criminal referrals for Donald Trump insiders, including the former president himself.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters at 1pm. Joe Biden has no public events scheduled.
