Sinema takes aim at both parties in closing address

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema said goodbye to her colleagues in the chamber on Wednesday.

The ex-Democrat, who left the party in December 2022, took jabs at both political parties on her way out and stressed the importance of compromise in government to allow “reasonable solutions” to move forward.” The independent lawmaker has been one of the most notable defenders of the filibuster.

“In recent history, both parties have wrestled with the importance of norms and rules, and both parties have viewed these norms and rules as outdated, constraining, or simply obstacles to their short-term victories,” Sinema told the chamber.

“Many now blame these guardrails for blocking critical progress,” she added.

Some lawmakers lauded praises onto the senator, including Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who referred to them as “best friends,” according to Semafor.

Sinema announced her decision not to opt for a re-election campaign in March 2022, which set up a battle between Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake. Gallego defeated Lake by over 80,000 votes, and the former Republican nominee is now Trump’s hopeful to run Voice of America, an international newsroom operated by the federal government.

As for Sinema, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Arizona State Legislature. Prior to becoming a member of the Democratic Party, she was a member of the Green Party. Her first race was for Phoenix City Council in 2001, in which she came in last place with only 129 votes, according to Our Campaigns.

The independent took the Senate seat after defeating Republican Martha McSally by nearly 56,000 votes in the race to succeed Republican Sen. Jeff Flake in 2018. McSally was later appointed to the Senate following the death of Sen. John McCain.

It’s unclear what career move Sinema will make next.