Jun 1, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Sen. Sinema says she missed Jan. 6 commission vote for "family matter"

Jacob Knutson

Senator Kyrsten Sinema in the Capitol building in March 2021. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) told AZCentral that she missed a procedural vote on legislation to establish a bipartisan commission to study the Jan. 6 Capitol riot because she had a "family matter."

Why it matters: Sinema was one of two Senate Democrats who skipped the 54-35 vote, which ultimately failed to gain enough support to overcome Senate Republicans' filibuster.

Context: Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) was the other Democrat to miss last week's vote. She said she also had a "personal family matter" to attend to, according to the Seattle Times.

Sinema missed the vote despite having issued a joint statement three days before with Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W.Va.), in which they urged GOP senators to back the bill.

What they're saying: "I had a personal family matter," Sinema told AZCentral, without elaborating.

The big picture: President Biden in a speech in Tulsa on Tuesday expressed frustrations with congressional Democrats, specifically in the Senate.

"I hear all the folks on TV saying why doesn't Biden get this done? Because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate, with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends," the president said.

Go deeper: Brian Sicknick's partner "disgusted" with Republicans blocking Jan. 6 commission

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Sen. Sinema says she missed Jan. 6 commission vote for "family matter"

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