Kyrsten Sinema blasts Democratic leadership over border funding

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) blasted Democratic leadership for New York getting funding for handling immigrants from the southern border rather than border communities getting the extra funding.

The $104.6 million grant from FEMA was announced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in June. Of the $291 million in funds allocated by FEMA in 2023, only a fraction, roughly $39 million, went to communities in Arizona. The former Democratic-turned-independent senator from the Grand Canyon State told Politico it is "important for people to know" why the Empire State got more funds than Arizona.

“It’s fairly obvious. I don’t know if you noticed, but the announcement about that $104 million came out first, in a joint press release from Schumer and Jeffries — not from the White House or from FEMA. The first news of it broke by their press release,” Sinema said, referring to the amount granted to New York.

“Now, how did that happen?” Sinema told the outlet.

New York has been under increased strain from the influx of immigrants being offered transportation to the state from officials on the southern border in the past year.