WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema isn’t playing ball.
The centrist Democrat from Arizona, in the spotlight during high-stake spending talks, skipped the Congressional Women’s Softball Game on Wednesday despite being included in the scheduled lineup and appearing in the program handed out to fans with the No. 48.
Sinema’s absence at the charity game was a result of an injury, one of the event’s organizers told the Washington Examiner.
“She is on the injured reserve list because she broke her foot,” she said, referring to the injury Sinema endured in June while running a marathon that resulted in her wearing a cast on her foot for a time.
When asked whether Sinema attended practices leading up to the event, the organizer replied, “She’s been injured all season.”
At least one member of the team, who was asked by the Washington Examiner about Sinema being a no-show, said she knew nothing about why the Arizona Democrat skipped the game.
While the contest pitted members of the press, the “Bad News Babes,” against both Democratic and Republican members of Congress, the nominal display of bipartisanship was underscored by subtle allusions to the political realities laying just beyond the confines of the Watkins Recreation Center.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who along with CNN’s Dana Bash and NBC’s Andrea Mitchell served as a game announcer, referred to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito as “the other West Virginia senator,” a nod to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s status as one of the most sought-after votes, alongside Sinema’s, as Democrats attempt to push through President Joe Biden’s agenda.
KYRSTEN SINEMA TURNS HEADS DONNING DENIM VEST WHILE PRESIDING OVER SENATE
At the bottom of the sixth inning, with the score tied at 1-1, Klobuchar noted the game was “tied, just like the Senate,” a reference to Democrats’ narrow margin of error. With the upper chamber divided 50-50, Sinema and Manchin are crucial “yes” votes for Democrats to be able to pass both a social welfare spending package and a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Wednesday’s charity contest raised over $500,000 for the Young Survival Coalition, an organization for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. The press team defeated the members of Congress 5-1, breaking the 1-1 tie in an explosive seventh inning.
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A representative for Sinema did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
