Sen. Kyrsten Sinema officiated wedding where some guests dressed in Native American costumes | Subscriber

Harrico attended the protest because of Sinema’s opposition to the Biden administration’s Reconciliation Bill, which contains climate change provisions the Bisbee resident particularly supports.

“It felt to me like an opportunity to let it be known that we are not happy with how she’s conducting herself,” Harrico said. “As a representative who works for the people, she certainly is not doing that. It feels to me like she’s just an obstructionist basically.”

Hurley responded, “As she has said publicly, Senator Sinema is excited for the opportunity in the legislation to pass policies addressing our changing climate.”

Several people at the protest who spoke with the Star said they saw it as an opportunity to have their voices be heard by an elected official who they find inaccessible, including Anne Teters, a Bisbee business owner.

“I’ve been very dismayed and horrified and astonished and disgusted by the way Kyrsten Sinema keeps blocking legislation that we need like to lower prescription drug prices or to raise minimum wage or to protect the climate — all these things we obviously need for the future, for the present,” Teters said.

Sinema, elected to the Senate as an Arizona Democrat in November 2018, has received criticism for not getting behind key pieces of the Democrats’ agenda, including the $3.5 trillion bill. It would have included funding for clean energy and policies to combat climate change as well as free community college, funding for child care and universal pre-K, medicare expansion, extending the child tax-credit, cutting prescription drug prices, paid family and medical leave and more.