WASHINGTON – Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, has teamed up with Republicans and seven other senators from her party to vote against a minimum wage increase amendment to the president’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus bill Joe Biden. It was the way she did it that drew condemnation on social media and some comparisons with the late John McCain.
Sinema stood on the floor of the House and waved his thumb down when his name was called to vote. Although hand signals are not an unusual way for senators to vote, some felt it was insensitive, given the nature of the vote.
Hand gestures were used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic, while lawmakers wear masks during their voting. Senator Mark Kelly, another Democratic senator from Arizona, nodded to register his support for the amendment on Friday.
Sinema’s actions were reminiscent of many of a similar move by the late Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, whose thumb down on a move by Republicans to overthrow the Affordable Care Act in 2017 has become an iconic moment.
Sinema’s name appeared on Twitter alongside that of McCain on Friday. Some made comparisons between the legislator because they voted against their own parties. Others said that Sinema’s vote would hurt workers trapped in a challenging economy, as opposed to McCain’s vote to preserve the health of many.
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Sinema said in a statement explaining her vote that she believes the minimum wage increase should be addressed as a separate issue from the COVID-19 relief bill.
“No one who works full time should live in poverty,” said Sinema. “Senators from both parties have shown support for raising the federal minimum wage and the Senate should hold an open debate and amendment process on raising the minimum wage, separate from the reconciliation project focused on COVID.”
The amendment was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Supported by other progressive senators. He pushed the amendment after the Senate congressman decided that the measure could not be included. The congressman said that the provision that raises wages from $ 7.25 to $ 15 by 2025 would have to be removed and considered as an independent bill or as part of other legislation.
The other Democrats who voted against the amendment were Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del .; Tom Carper, D-Del .; Jon Tester, D-Mon .; Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H .; Maggie Hassan, DN.H .; and Joe Manchin, WV senator Angus King of Maine, an independent who joins the Democrats, also voted against the minimum wage amendment.
Critics said Sinema’s thumbs down showed insensitivity. Some were confused by his vote, given his previously declared support for a rise in wages, including some progressive lawmakers.
Deputy Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Said that the change perceived by Sinema from a 2014 tweet supporting rising wages to “vote happily is not really disturbing”.
Imagine having the courage, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., wrote on Twitter, “to go home and ask minimum wage workers to support you after returning to your own documented stance to help crush your greater chance of a salary increase during the longest drought of salary increases since the law began. “
“Did Sinema really vote against a $ 15 minimum wage for 24 million people like this?” asked Sawyer Hackett, a senior adviser to former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julián Castro.
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The Senate was paralyzed for about nine hours on Friday, while senators negotiated the proposed changes to the benefits of the unemployment stimulus package, amid voting for a flurry of amendments dubbed “the raw vote”. The chamber is ready to proceed after Manchin said it would support a compromise agreement.
Contributing: Ledyard King, Nicholas Wu and Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY; Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Republic of Arizona
This article was originally published in USA TODAY: Kyrsten Sinema negative about raising the minimum wage compared to McCain