(PatriotNewsDaily.com) – Tensions were high in the Senate chamber last Thursday when Senator Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona approached Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. She was pressing him for an explanation for his opposition to a border security proposal she had a hand negotiating. Graham dismissed the effort as inadequate using the term “half-assed” to describe the attempts at securing the border.
Sinema, who was visibly irked by Graham’s decision to prevent the proposal from even being discussed on the Senate floor, highlighted the crucial role Graham and his team had in the bipartisan negotiation process, which also involved Senators James Lankford from Oklahoma and Chris Murphy from Connecticut.
She put Graham on the spot, demanding a rationale for his action which also jeopardized additional foreign policy funding including aid for Ukraine and Israel.
The situation escalated quickly with Graham doubting Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s openness to meaningful amendments.
Sinema attempted to engage Graham further, only to be met with his refusal to cede the floor, as he passionately criticized the closed-door negotiation process.
Graham’s frustration was evident as he lamented the lack of a genuine amendment process to address border security concerns, describing the situation as “ass-backwards”.
When Sinema finally managed to interject, she reminded Graham of the Senate’s procedural norms, which require a motion to proceed before amendments can be considered and questioned his vote against this motion.
Graham remained skeptical about the chances of altering the negotiated deal, accusing the process of being predetermined and dismissing it as a superficial attempt at bipartisan border security.
He drew comparisons to the comprehensive immigration reform passed in 2013, emphasizing the extensive debate that characterized that process in contrast to the current situation which he felt rushed and lacked in thorough discussion.
Sinema expressed confusion over Graham’s stance, noting his team’s significant involvement in the negotiation process, a sentiment echoed by Murphy, who confirmed Graham’s active participation and influence in shaping the proposal.
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