Daily Mail | by Christina Coulter | October 11, 2021
- Left-wing Activists intend to ‘bird-dog’ Senator Krysten Sinema at Boston Marathon , asking why she won’t support Biden’s Build Back Better Act
- The Green New Deal Network will hold signs reading ‘Senator Sinema: Pass the Full Deal,’ ‘Stop Running. Start Listening’ and ‘Stop Running From Us’
- Activists have ‘bird-dogged’ the representative in the bathroom at the college where she works, in an airport and later on the airplane
- Votes from Sinema and fellow holdout Senator Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia that have raised ire from protestors are needed to pass the bill with a 50/50 split
- The legislation covers health care and family care, paid family leave, climate change, free community college and lower housing and prescription drug costs
- The ‘hard infrastructure’ portion of the act includes funding for roads and highways, broadband development, water support, bridges and airport projects.
DP Editor Notes:
- You can read Green New Deal Network full press release below.
Liberal activists intend to harangue Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema on why she won’t support President Biden’s 3.5 trillion dollar Build Back Better Act – while she competes in the Boston Marathon.
Grassroots activists have already ‘bird-dogged’ the representative – a phrase for putting a politician on the spot in an unexpected public place, forcing them either to commit to a position or to look foolish for dodging a question – in the bathroom at the college where she works, in an airport and later on the airplane.
At the marathon on Monday, members of the Green New Deal Network from Arizona and Massachusetts intend to hold signs reading: ‘Senator Sinema: Pass the Full Deal,’ ‘Senator Sinema: Stop Running. Start Listening’ and ‘Senator Sinema: Stop Running From Us,’ according to the Boston Globe.
The ‘human’ portion of the wide-ranging Build Back Better Act would expand the country’s social safety net, and covers health care and family care, paid family leave, climate change, free community college and lower housing and prescription drug costs.
What is ‘bird-dogging’?
‘Bird-dogging’ is a pressure-oriented tactic used by activists: putting a politician on the spot in an unexpected public place, forcing them either to commit to a position or to look foolish for dodging a question.
The term is a hunting analogy – just as bird dogs bark, scaring birds out into the open where hunters can shoot them, ‘bird-doggers’ hound politicians with questions to force them into making their stances public, or revealing that they have no coherent stance at all.
During the 2000 presidential campaign, students followed candidate John McCain all over New Hampshire, asking what his ‘plan’ was on global warning – this pushed him to create such a plan. In the 60’s, presidential candidate Bob Dole was famously questioned by a man dressed as a giant cigarette, ‘Mr. Butt,’ who drew attention to the politician’s support for the cigarette industry.
Source: MoveOn
The ‘hard infrastructure’ portion of the act includes funding for roads and highways, broadband development, water support, bridges and airport projects.
In recent weeks, Sinema has faced mounting criticism and even the threat of a Democratic Primary opponent over her refusal to support Biden’s signature bill as-is.
Although Sinema’s office has said repeatedly that the Senator would not negotiate in public, according to Salon, her fellow party members have complained that she won’t negotiate privately, either.
‘Senator Sinema’s position is that she doesn’t quote-unquote negotiate publicly,’ Vermont Senator Sanders said during a news conference.
‘I don’t know what that means. We don’t know where she’s coming from. Tell us what you want.’
According to Salon, Sinema opposes the Democrats’ proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug costs — even though she campaigned on the issue in 2018.
Last week, video of Green New Deal Network Chief of Staff Kunoor Ojha following Sinema through the Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, asking her why she wouldn’t support the Build Back Better Act as the representative tried to field a phone conversation.
‘Hi, Senator Sinema? I want to ask if you can explain to the American people what you’re planning on cutting from Joe Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ plan?’ Ojha asked – Sinema ignored her questions, instead paying attention to her phone conversation.
‘Do you want to cut climate priorities? Is it elder care that you want to cut, or is it child care?’ Ojha continued.
Later, a Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient named Karina approached the Senator, who was seated and buckled in to her airplane seat, asking if she would ‘commit’ to a ‘pathway to citizenship for immigrants.’
‘Can you commit to that, senator?” Karina asked, ‘I don’t want to disturb you, but at the same time, I just want to know if I can get a commitment from you, senator.’
Earlier last week, a group of immigration activists with the group LUCHA Arizona followed Sinema into the bathroom at Arizona State University, where she teachers, demanding again that she support a ‘pathway to citizenship.’
They questioned Sinema as she walked into the bathroom, as she entered the bathroom stall and while she washed her hands at the sink.
‘Yesterday’s behavior was not [a] legitimate protest,’ said Sinema on Monday in a press release, after the bathroom incident.
‘It is unacceptable for activist organizations to instruct their members to jeopardize themselves by engaging in unlawful activities such as gaining entry to closed university buildings, disrupting learning environments, and filming students in a restroom.’
Protestors also approached Senator Manchin’s houseboat on kayaks last week to ‘bird-dog’ the hold-out.
‘I don’t think they’re appropriate tactics, but it happens to everybody,’ Biden said to FOX on Monday when asked about the ‘bird-dogging’ tactics.
‘The only people it doesn’t happen to are the people who have Secret Service standing around them – it’s part of the process.”
Related:
Green New Deal Network Press Release | Sumer Shaikh | October 11, 2021
Arizona Community Leaders Travel to Boston Marathon to Urge Sen. Sinema to Support a Robust BBB Act
“Senator Sinema, your community needs you to be bold and pass the full Build Back Better plan– not just for the future generations, but for your community that is here now.”
Boston, MA — Today, activists and community leaders from Arizona and Massachusetts attended the Boston Marathon — where Senator Kyrsten Sinema was qualified to participate — to call on the Senator to stop obstructing the passage of the wildly popular and much-needed Build Back Better Act. Activists from Sunrise Tempe, Arizona Working Families Party, Mass Renews Alliance, and the Green New Deal Network participated in the action, carrying signs reading, “Sinema: Be Brave. Fight For Us,” “Care Jobs Now,” and “No Cuts to Climate, Care and Justice!”
You can view videos and pictures of the action here.
For months, Sen. Sinema has been ignoring the calls of her constituents to support a bold BBB Act that would address climate change, support dignified care employment, ensure access to housing, and modernize transportation.
According to a recent poll by Global Strategy Group, Arizona voters express overwhelming support for a robust $3.5 trillion investments bill, and voice opposition to efforts to scale back the size or scope of the bill. Nearly two in three voters statewide (65%) say they want to see the $3.5 trillion legislation passed, including overwhelming majorities of Democrats (88%) and Independents (69%).
A recent analysis by the Green New Deal Network found that, if a $3.5T BBB Act passes Congress, Arizona would likely receive $70.6 billion in Build Back Better funding that could create 125,218 quality jobs over the next 10 years. Massachusetts would likely receive $64.4 billion in Build Back Better funding that could create 98,032 quality jobs over the next decade.
Angelica Zamora, Arizona Green New Deal Network Manager and action participate stated:
“Senator Sinema, your community needs you to be bold and pass the full Build Back Better plan– not just for the future generations, but for your community that is here now. We elected you to be bold now– not 20 years from now.
I am here for mi papa who works outside as a mechanic– risking his health and life in the deadly recording breaking heat to stay financially stable during this harsh pandemic. I am here for my nephews, whose young lungs are forced to consume Fossil Fuel Combustion from school busses and the freeways that are built over their neighborhood and school.
I am here for the Black, Brown and Indigenous communities as well as low-income and disabled communities of all races who– because of discrimination, inadequate health care, unequal access to resources, and underemployment– have for too long borne the brunt of pollution in our commmunities and are on the frontline of this climate crisis.
Para nuestra comunidad que está aquí ahora”
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About the Green New Deal Network
The Green New Deal Network is a 50-state campaign with a national coordinating table of 15 organizations: Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Greenpeace, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Movement for Black Lives, MoveOn, People’s Action, Right To The City Alliance, Service Employees International Union, Sierra Club, Sunrise Movement, US Climate Action Network, and the Working Families Party.
