Senator Kyrsten Sinema formally censured by Arizona Democratic Party - CBS News

The Arizona Democratic Party has voted to formally censure Senator Kyrsten Sinema "as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy," the party said Saturday.

The announcement came just days after Sinema opposed a change to the Senate rules that could have moved Democratic-backed voting rights legislation forward.

"I want to be clear, the Arizona Democratic Party is a diverse coalition with plenty of room for policy disagreements, however on the matter of the filibuster and the urgency to protect voting rights, we have been crystal clear," Arizona Democratic Party chairperson Raquel Terán said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer initiated a vote on a rules change that would have allowed Democrats to pass the voting rights legislation with a simple majority of votes.

"Tonight's votes must not be the end of our work to protect our democracy," Sinema said in a statement.

But President Joe Biden said he was "profoundly disappointed" in the outcome of the vote, and Vice President Kamala Harris said "Senators voted to preserve an arcane Senate procedure rather than secure that fundamental freedom." Senator Bernie Sanders said the two senators have "forced us to go through five months of discussions which have gotten absolutely nowhere."