Arizona’s senior senator stood to President Biden’s immediate left on Thursday at the White House where Biden said there is a bipartisan deal on infrastructure.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is one of five Democrats and five Republicans who’ve agreed to a framework on a plan that would achieve the president’s top legislative goal.
During a call with reporters, Sinema described herself as a co-leader of negotiations on the foundation of an infrastructure deal right now worth $953 billion dollars.
The Democrat said the state would get money to fix roads and bridges, to strengthen water infrastructure and expand broadband.
“We’ve got historic levels of investment in Arizona priorities, like transit options, modern airports, improved rail, improvements at our ports of entry,” said Sinema.
Bipartisan agreement on an infrastructure framework is a victory for Sinema, who suggested in prepared remarks to reporters that the hardest part of the effort was figuring out how to pay for a package.
“Without adding to the deficit or without raising taxes. But by staying open minded, by listening to everyone’s ideas and concerns and by working hard in good faith we got it done,” she said.
Sinema touted the framework as an example of what can be done when lawmakers from both parties work together.
The breakthrough comes shortly after a Democrat-backed voting bill died in the Senate due to a controversial rule Sinema supports, which lets the minority party block legislation.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.