>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government, provided by these television companies and more, including cox. >> homework can be hard, but squatting in a diner for internetwork is even harder. that is where we are providing lower income students access to affordable internet so homework can just be homework. cox, connect to compete. >> cox along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy. ♪ >> arizona democratic senator kyrsten sinema says her next big legislative goal after the midterm elections is to work on border security and the immigration system. she made the comments to the university of louisville's mcconnell center in kentucky, named after senate republican leader mitch mcconnell. he invited the arizona democratic to speak about the importance of bipartisanship. this is just under one hour. [applause] sen. sinema: thank you.

i got credit for love good things happening on this campus. it's a great team we have here. i want to welcome everyone to u of l and give a warm, cardinal welcome for this very special event. i wanted to especially welcome secretary chao, who gave you a shout out before we ever sat down. you grace us with your presence every time and we are so glad you are here. it's a great honor for you avail to host these types of events, and the mcconnell center is responsible for bringing so many distinguished guests here. it's a wonderful program made possible by our very own alumnus, senator mitch mcconnell. we know he has deep roots in this university and this community. he came to you avail as a student in 1960 with a major in political science. [laughter] in the college of arts and sciences. he also served as student government president of the

college. as an alumnus, he has made many contributions to his alma mater, including the establishment of the mcconnell center. we have many students here who can testify to the power of the learning that happens there. he also was there for the expansion of our library and so many other initiatives that we don't have time to list them all. em all, but you have helped shaped you val into the wonderful -- you have val wonderful school it is. our scholars give hundreds of hours in global issues into becoming engaged citizens paired where grateful to senator mccall now for his support of this incredible scholarship program and we hope he has the chance to meet some of the scholars. we also salute him for his long and distinguished career as a public servant, the impact he has had on his city, homestand, university, and frankly the world. he was elected to the senate in

1984. he is the longest-serving republican leader in the history of the united states, and only the second kentuckian to serve majority leader leader in the u.s. senate. his head rolls as senior member on appropriations, u.s. agriculture, and he worked here in louisville project executive here in jefferson county. he has been dedicated to our university, community, state, and country, and this is unquestionable. i am so glad to be able to introduce him. we are so glad. we welcome you back home to u a val once again. -- u of l once again. [applause]

sen. mcconnell: thank you very much. i didn't mean for you to stop. [laughter] let me start by giving a shuttle to someone who has done a spectacular job of filling in as acting president here over the last half year or so. we are thrilled with the good work you have done and the leadership you have provided. [applause] i also want to thank sherry allen and the mcconnell center staff for organizing today's event. gary greg, our director, is not here today. but the reason he hasn't is because we also have a program with the u.s. army, or these both noncommissioned and

commissioned officers come in for a month and do a deep dive. it is called a strategic broadening program. they do a deep dive into everything from philosophy to politics, things not routinely done in the army. they are in washington this week and that is why gary is not here. this program is now a little over 30 years old. we have got over 250 graduates doing important things, not only in kentucky but around the country. part of the goal was to have a top quality education here and be more likely to come back to kentucky, and live and work here. we believe over 60% of graduates to come back to kentucky, and matter what they did after they left the program, and a number of them are in the audience here today. they are occupying all kinds of important positions.

two of them happened to be elected officials statewide right now. this is not a prep school for politicians, so everyone is going to go off in different fields, everything from business to medicine, you name it. what i have tried to do over the years is make sure these students in the communities have the chance to hear from distinguished leaders. george shultz kicked this program off a long time ago and lived to be 100 years old. i wonder if there is some connection. [laughter] recently, we had the same last year about this time. our colleague was here in the spring. vice president biden came here while he was vice president, and secretary clinton while she was secretary of state. we have had a very partisan

approach here over the years, including the chief justice a number of years ago. today, i have the privilege of introducing the senior senator from arizona. i have only known kiersten -- ki rsten for four years. she is, in my view, and i have told her this, one of the most effective first time -- first term senator as i have ever seen in my time. [applause] she is today what we have too few of in the democratic party, a genuine moderate and a dealmaker. she is always looking up. many of you have heard me say that if you are looking at a football field and you have divided government and a lot of the differences on the issues, look at the things on the 40 yard lines that you can agree on and try to do those.

we have done some of that, even though this is an old democratic government right now. we have done some of that, and kyrsten sinema has been in the middle of that, maybe not the principal leader of it, getting us out to this on a highly partisan time, on infrastructure, school safety, mental health, reform, chips bill, you name it. everything will thing we have been able to work together on. we have got some very big differences, as you know. but every single thing that we have an opportunity to work together on, she has been a leader of and involved in, and is extraordinarily effective. as you can tell, i have a very high opinion of the senator from arizona. but my biggest compliment to her is that she protects the institution of the senate. some of you may recall the former would harangue me on a

weekly basis to lower the threshold in the senate from 60 to 51. in other words, turn the senate into the house. if we did that, we would have fancier desks, but we would be a lot like the house. and how that would damage the country is that things would go back and forth, act and forth, and a lack of stability. that is not what the founding fathers had in mind when they created the united states senate. they created it to allow for things we can agree on to go forward. that was not fashionable in the democratic party in the last 1.5 years. it took one hell of a lot of guts for kyrsten sinema to stand up and say, "i am not going to break the institution in order to achieve short-term goals." in the end, only two, just two of the 50 democratic senators,

or willing to protect the institution itself against the mob, which in many ways dominates the democratic party these days, in my view. i can't tell you how important she has been to the senate as an institution, as well. if you break the institution, you fundamentally change the country. i can tell you the institution might well have been broken, but it is my honor and pleasure to present senator kyrsten sinema. [applause] thank you so much, senator mcconnell.

and thank you so much for being here. president gonzales, thank you so much for hosting me and allowing me to join you all today. it is such an honor to join the ranks of the very distinguished guests who have been welcomed by the mcconnell center and the mcconnell scholars. at first glance, senator mcconnell and i have relatively little, or con -- or some could even say nothing in common. [laughter] for starters, he drinks bourbon, i drink wine. he is from the southeast and i am front -- from the great southwest he wears suits and ties, and i where dresses and these here sneakers. [laughter] and perhaps most obviously, we come from opposing political parties. despite our apparent differences, senator mcconnell and i have forged a friendship, one that is rooted in our commonalities, including our pragmatic approach to legislating, our respect for the senate as an institution, our love for our home states, and a

dogged determination on behalf of our constituents. today, in washington, it might shock some that a democratic senator would consider the republican leader of the senate her friend. but back home in arizona, we don't view lives through a partisan lens. don't misunderstand that while we may not agree on every issue, we do share the same values. we value grit, perseverance, and cooperation. in arizona, they expect political leaders to work together regardless of party politics to make progress, then move out of the way so everyday people can build better lives for themselves and for their families. over the past few years, i have worked with elected leaders from all political stripes to deliver real results for communities across my state. through successful collaboration on issues ranging from community violence to infrastructure investments, i have seen firsthand that arizonans,

kentuckians, and americans from across our country are far more united than today's politics would lead us to believe. from my experience, everyday americans don't immediately retreat to their partisan corners in their day-to-day lives. in fact, most of us believe that those partisan labels easily divide us. most americans understand that we are all working toward the same goal, to create progress, the more positive communities, work hard, and achieve the american dream. so, why in recent years does it seem like partisanship has gotten worse and worse? in washington, our politics have become increasingly radicalized, spiraling steadily downward into bitter and tribal extremism's. cable news pundits, political groups, and some leaders on both

sides of the aisle have met the loudest and most extreme voices in each party, letting them dominate the discourse and set the agenda, because it gets tweets, views, clicks. but it doesn't solve problems. more and more, it seems like americans are being told that in order to be a member of either political party, you must adhere to a strict set list of policy viewpoints. but i don't think that is how a majority of arizonans or kentuckians or everyday americans think. we use our own judgment, our own lived experiences, to form our honestly held beliefs. we just don't have the time or the energy to think about politics every waking moment. i certainly don't. and that is why i ran for the senate, because i promised arizona something different. i promised i would be an independent voice for our whole state, not just those who share

with my party identification, and that i would work with anyone to deliver lasting results. that approach has proved successful, helping us pass our historic infrastructure investment into law, making america stronger and safer, creating good-paying jobs, and expanding economic opportunities across the country. for decades, american infrastructure has been crumbling. despite the fact that it was infrastructure week after week, progress was continuously blocked i partisanship. our law makes a once in a generation investment in american economy, including over $100 billion to repair and upgrade our highways, roadways, bridges, and other major transportation projects. our laws providing faster internet for people in more places by investing over $65 billion to deploy high-speed

broadband and help families afford internet service. it is resulting in cleaner, more reliable water sources by making the strongest investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in u.s. history. and our largest result in the investment in clean energy transmission and electric equal in u.s. history. increasing our critical mineral supply chains, building out a national network of electric coal vehicle charging stations. my favorite part, we achieved all of these goals without raising taxes on everyday americans. beyond our lives, transformative economic investments are also provided a roadmap to make washington look at her. rather than defeating and ceding those additions with extreme rhetoric or those all or nothing attacks, personal attacks, the 10 senators who worked together

to negotiate the infrastructure and jobs clause, we showed american something different. our approach to writing this law was grounded in the issues that matter most to everyday americans. there is a sincere desire to bridge our differences and forge common ground around our values. in a demonstration of how the senate is designed to work, the senators in our group effectively represented the needs of the regions we represent. senator cassidy in the deep south and north coast, senator warner in the mid-atlantic, senator manchin in appalachia, senators romney and tester in the west, sender portman representing the midwest. the northeast and alaska, each with very unique infrastructure needs, or ably represented by senators shaking, collins, and murkowski. they are also they they are often known as the senates wonder woman. they must shut out noise from

the extremes, refused to demonize each other, when we had disagreements. instead, we focused on identifying creative solutions and common sense compromises to get the job done. these values are a collaboration and focus, also guiding my work and passing into law our bipartisan essay for communities act, historic legislation that will save lives, help children learn and grow, giving healthy and supportive environment, and make our communities safer, more vibrant places. for too long, political gains in washington on both sides of the aisle stopped progress from protecting our communities and keeping families safe and secure. commonsense proposals were tossed to the side. partisan lawmakers chose politics instead of solutions. elected officials make a habit of insulting one another for

offering thoughts and prayers, for blaming violence only on mental illness, io games, or particular kinds of weapons, or any cause that did not align with and confirm their own preconceived beliefs. but casting blame and trading political barbs and attacks became the path of least resistance. meanwhile, communities across our country who experienced senseless violence, like in uvalde, texas, deserved better than washington politics. our community deserved a commitment from their leaders to do the necessary but very hard work of putting aside the politics, identifying problems that needed to be solved, and working together toward common ground and common goals. that is why, after the horrific tragedy at robb elementary in uvalde, texas, senators chris

murphy, john cornyn, thom tillis, and myself, all representing diverse states from across the country, we got to work, debating a range of solutions that would save lives, make our community safer, and protect americans constitutional rights. as we wrote our bill, we viewed our conversations as collaboration, not negotiation. we refused to frame our work is giving up something to get something in return, but instead stayed laser focused on our shared goal of reducing violence across american communities. we acknowledged that the root of violence plaguing our communities is complex. it can be partly attributed to criminals with dangerous weapons and attributed to a mental health crisis affecting young people in cities and towns all across america. so, we spent hours considering

the policy provisions, ensuring we got the language just right, and that every policy included in our bill could help save lives, help children learn and grow in healthy and safe environments, and make our communities safer, more vibrant places. it was hard work, but it was worth it. there have been other bipartisan successes in this conference. some long-awaited and necessary postal reforms area i know it's very popular. [laughter] just some support for ukraine in its fight against vladimir putin and his cronies in russia. and most recently, the passage into law of our bipartisan chips and science act, legislation that boosts american leadership, spurring job creation, and addressing our supply chain challenges by investing in manufacturing in america semiconductors. semiconductors, though small

computer chips that go in all of our electronic devices, they power our daily lives. without them, our phones wouldn't work, our computers wouldn't turn on, our cars wouldn't run. we are experiencing a global shortage in these chips. if america lacks a reliable supply for these important components, we become more vulnerable to foreign actors and we are forced to increase our reliance on other countries, like china. so, increasing the semiconductor production here at home boosts our national security, it reduces prices, shortens shipping delays, and creates thousands of new, high-paying jobs across our country. but unfortunately, earlier this summer, washington politics got in the way of meaningful bipartisan progress on this bill. it threatened senates possibility to pass this meaningful peace of legislation.

i knew we couldn't let that happen. senator todd young, my friend from indiana, and with the backing of both the democratic and republican commerce leaders in the senate, we convened a group of 20 senators from both sides of the aisle to discuss the bills proposals and to plan a path forward. by getting our colleagues in a room and discussing the legislation face-to-face, we all agreed that we shouldn't sacrifice smart legislation to the threats and gains happening with the u.s. house of representatives. senator young and i began getting votes to see how much support we could get. our legislation passed with 64 votes. it is now law. beyond the historic advances, the science portion of our law, they were at risk of falling out of the bill entirely. they invest in the basic research that spur our economy, that raise our global competitiveness, that create jobs and allow americans to live

better lives and have brighter futures. these bipartisan successes represent the lasting results that can and should happen when elected leaders take the steps of healing our country by setting aside differences, shutting out the noise and distractions, and focus on moving forward and moving -- and making progress. it is the easiest thing in the world for politicians to stay in their partisan corners, to line up on their respective sides of every battle. but what is harder is getting out of our comfort zone and forming coalitions with unlikely allies that can achieve lasting and durable results. but look, the difficult work of collaboration, that is what my constituents in arizona expect. i still believe with some pretty decent proof that it is the best

way to identify realistic solutions, instead of escalating this all or nothing political battle that results in no action or in those radical federal policy reversals. over the last year, much has been discussed about the senates 60 vote threshold. there has been a lot of talk about my continued support of it. american politics are cyclical. the granting of power in washington, d.c. is exchanged regularly by the voters from one party to another. the shift of power back and forth means that the 60 vote threshold has proved maddening to members of both political parties, as we have seen in recent years. viewed either as a weapon of obstruction or a safety net to save the country from radical policies, depending on whether you serve the majority or minority at the moment. but what is the legislative

filibuster other than a tool that requires that new federal policy be broadly supported by senators representing a broader cross-section of americans? ensuring millions of americans not represented by the majority party in the moment have a voice in the process. demands to eliminate this threshold by both political parties amount to a group of people separated on two sides, shouting to their colleagues that the solution to their shared challenges is to make that rift both wider and deeper. consider this. in recent years, nearly every party line and partisan reaction to the problems we face have led us to more division, not less. the impact is clear for all to see. the steady escalation of tit for

tat, the weakening of our guardrails, and the exclusion of input from the other party furthers the resentment and anger of most elected leaders and our constituents at home. the truth is, the majority of arizonans and kentuckians, and americans, they don't belong to either polarizing and of the ideological spectrum, rather, like me, they fit in somewhere in the middle. these escalating tit for tat's, these political fights, are largely and increasingly high numbers of americans are rejecting both political parties. in fact, arizona voters not affiliate with either political party represent the biggest share of voters in arizona and the fastest growing group of the arizona electorate.

but by working with communities across my state, it shows me that good idea is a practical solution and it does not belong to one party or any ideology. our country faces real challenge and americans have been asked to do more with ever less. the prices of everyday goods increase. supply chains are made uncertain. our water supply is in jeopardy and businesses continue to face a unpredictable climate with a dwindling workforce. continuing to indulge by increasingly toxic politics will not help us come together to solve the problems that has made our country. we can reject extreme bipartisanship. we can ignore the noise on cable

news. we can reject the zero political gains and choose to focus on what unites us. we can choose to work together, to make progress on issues that matter most to the americans that we have a duty to serve. imagine what more we can accomplish. if more folks joined in this approach. more leaders reached out in a genuine desire to find good faith compromises and craft durable solutions to our countries most difficult challenges. unfortunately, there is a tense pressure on members of congress these days to spend time and energy on every scandal, every consults, tweets, partisan site. it is very easy to get distracted. working across the aisle and

building friendships, that does not fit into today's washington. if it does not fit into today's washington, trust me, they want to kick you out. i really never wanted to fit in washington or anywhere else. i was not elected to play politics. i was elected to shape lasting results and to solve the problems that matter most. that is how we renew arizona and america confidence that our government is weary of us and working from. i will tell you what i tell everyone i have the opportunity to speak with. i will work with leader macconnell, i will work with leader schumer. i will work with republicans, democrats, everyone in between and anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work to maximize

opportunities and instill everlasting results for our country. thank you for having me here today. thank you for your commitment to democracy in our country. i appreciate it. [applause] >> hello. can everyone hear me? thank you for being here with us today. my name is madeline and i am a staff member. i will take over the q&a portion. you touched on this near topic, can you expound on what you hold such support from the filibuster especially when others in your party have a opposing view? >> that is such a great

question. i mentioned in it in my remarks as well. the senate becomes the house. i remind everyone i left the house and the senate for a reason. i remember my early years i served six years in the house of representatives, i remember being so frustrated. anytime there was a big bipartisan solution that needed to happen, the senate came to the solution and gave it to the house and ate it. i thought about it, wait a second, they are doing the work. if you were to eliminate the 60 vote threshold, the senate would become like the house, smaller, older, but basically like the house. the trouble with that, with elections every two years represent a smaller group of voters by each house. they really represent the passion of the moment in a political spectrum. as you all know, every couple of

years it is likely to change again in a couple of weeks. when the house passes legislation, it represents that rapidly shifting -- appeared everything is fine, right? not everyone likes me. i'm just checking. the house passes legislation that represents the passage at the moment. that is what it was designed to do when our four fathers graded the house. they tend to be a little bit over eager. when republicans are in control they come up with a crazy legislation. when democrats are in control, a crazy legislation. the job of the senate is too cool the passion. they are saying that the house is a cup of hot tea and the senate is the softserve in which you call the t. the senate was designed to be a

place to cool down with passion. more strategically long-term about the legislation before us. it was designed to require people to compromise and work together. so the legislation we passed represents the viewpoints of the broad spectrum of the country, not just the passion of the moment. while it is frustrating, as a member of the minority in the united states senate, equally frustrating for the member of majority. you must have 60 votes to move forward. that frustration represents the short-term anks of not getting what you want. that is imported to the united states senate as well. we should not give everything we want in the moment. later come upon cooler

reflection, you recognize that you have probably gone too far. the importance of the 60 vote threshold is to ensure that no one gets everyone thing that they want. you compromise. find the middle ground. you are more likely to pass legislation to stand the test of time that will not be reversed with the next party gains power. that is the importance of the 60 vote threshold. it has become politicized in recent years. our past president wanted to eliminate it every couple of days. our current president talked about it on twitter. they are both wrong. if we were to give in of that moment of what you want, the reversal that will come in the year or two years, will not only be bad for the american body, it will be bad for businesses, state and local governments come about for us as americans to think that we should always feed

our short-term desires, let alone thinking about the long-term. not only i have a incredibly unpopular view. i think we should restore the 60 vote threshold. we should restore it. not everyone likes that. it would make it harder. it would make it harder for us to confirm judges. it would make it harder for us to confirm executive appointment in each administration. if we did restore it, we would actually see more of that middle ground in all parts of our governance, which is what i believe our forefathers intended. >> being halfway through your first term of the u.s. and its, what has been the guest accomplishment of congress and what would you like to accomplish? sen. sinema: that is a tough

one. we have a whole lot done. i am actually proud of the last couple of years. we have been productive. having the infrastructure law was a massive achievement. our principal partner spent so much time in a small room in basement last year. we never saw the sun. we worked on that. it will make a transformative e business in our country. for people who will not even notice the changes. i am really proud of that. perhaps the meaningful legislation that i worked on was when i partnered with my friend senator john cornyn, after his community -- his project was shaken by the horrific shooting

in uvalde. my heart went out to john. in my first career i was a social worker at a elementary school in eighth intercity school in phoenix, arizona. i witnessed violence in schools during my early years. i know how devastating it is for our community. my heart went out so deeply to john when that tragedy occurred. the day of the shooting, i remember walking onto the floor of the united states senate. i came out of the elevator and a bunch of reporters, the reporters always together around the elevators in walk by them. i was just so emotionally touched and in pain for those families, that i sent to the zoo

se reporters, we need to do something about the mental health crisis in our country and see what we can do to keep weapons outside of the hands of those mentally ill. i walked right onto the floor and walked right up to mitch. i said, mitch, --. i said ok. i literally turned and i said, you and i are going to work on this now. i texted john, who is actually in uvalde at the moment. he said can we meet in our office tomorrow. what time does your plane land? he said at 10. 11:00 the next day, john, tom, the senator for connecticut come home of the sandy hook massacre,

sat down in my little office in the capital. 28 days later we passed historic legislation that i believe will save thousands of lives in the future of our country. i am grateful for the opportunity to do that work. it is incredibly meaningful. to get a piece of mind to families when they are sending their kids to school everyday. for young people across this country who are facing unprecedented challenges and not able to get access to mental health. they will be able to get that axis. i do believe that we are able to save lives. we did it all while protecting the second amendment right of all americans, of which i care deeply about and proud of. it was great work. >> what inspired you to go into the field of social work and at what later inspired you to become a senate? sen. sinema: when i was in first

grade, the teacher goes around the room and asks you what you want to be when you grow up, everyone was like, i want to be a football player or ballerina. i said i would like to be a united states senator. i was always interested in helping my community and giving back. when i was in elementary school come about the time that i took my first grade teacher that i wanted to be a senator and author, my parents got divorced. it was early 1980's. we were entering what we thought at the time a very bad recession. my parents got divorced. after my parents divorced, my mom struggled. she was a young woman with three kids.

she had a school diploma, but never had a opportunity to get me a higher education. she struggled financially. my family went from being a normal middle-class family to slipping into poverty. we were homeless for about three years of my childhood. we lived without water and electricity for most of my elementaries childhood. that is outrageous to think about in america. the reality is, lots of families live in that situation. right now in arizona, one in four kids have what is called food insecurity, they are not sure when their next meal is going to come from. that was me as a kid. as i got older, i realized the people that helped throughout my childhood, friends, family, our church, some of those people were social workers. those are people to help make sure i got to school that i got food.

they make sure that we had clothing and that i was able to get access to the local library and a later helped me fill out a pell grant application to go to college. got a scholarship. i really got my shot at the american dream. i stand here today, part-time professor at my university, arizona state. i really got my shot at the american dream. it would not happen if i did not have people looking out for me along the way. those were the social workers. and i first started my career, i started out as a social worker because i wanted to make every kid across america, no matter where or she came from, no matter what their circumstances were in their life, that if they worked hard, they could achieve the american dream like i did. that was my decision. social work and senator is kind of the same job. it is.

the easy thing in the social worker is listening to people and understanding what they need. in figuring out how i help solve it, how do i solve their problem and give them what they need. when you are working on legislation and building these bipartisan coalitions on these difficult problems, i believe you can always come to a solution. the key is to listen. listen to what somebody else needs and figure out how to get it for them. if you can get someone what they need, they are willing to help you get what you need. that is how you force those compromises and solve the problems. >> how is your experience working with students influence your career as public service? sen. sinema: i am actually teaching every semester. i love it. teaching is wonderful. some days it is a lot more

rewarding than server the united states senate. one of my favorite things is the moment when you see a student's eyes light up. when a student realizes, or learn something brand-new to them, it gives me chills. that is my favorite moment. my goal is to help my students learn to think in a way that is different than they thought when they came into my classroom. at the end of the semester with me, i want my students to be able to have opened their brain to critical thinking. to understand that someone else's viewpoints, though may be radically different than their own is just as valid and meaningful as their own viewpoints. we all come to where we are through honest means. we are all the product of our own environment, our family,

faith, education, community, it shapes who we are. why am is different than who you are. when i reached at this table is unique and important. what you bring to the table is unique and important. what i'm concerned about with today's satiety -- society, the separation of the difference. the recognition of though what you bring is different than what i bring to is something that i can learn from. that is something important for me to understand and know. it broadens my viewpoint and makes me a student of the universe. it is to learn about the universe, have this brought education. what i love about working with students is helping them see that broad universe, seeing things differently than they did before. that helps me in my work as a senator. when i work with my colleagues,

of different viewpoints, i will be honest, as a senates, everyone has a different viewpoint than mine. i am grateful for that. if you meet someone who agrees with the 100%, either they are lying or you are lying. the different viewpoints is what is important. it is what makes our country valuable and keeps us going. the diversity. that is what will carry through our challenges. our work as a senates, i do not see it as a threat, it does not bother me. i want to learn from it and i want to figure out how we can work together and abridge whatever divide we have two find that compromise and that middle ground. my work with the colleagues is almost identical. the one difference is i cannot correct the spelling of my colleagues. i attempted to do so, but i do not. it turns out, that will tick

them off. >> what is more difficult, running for state office or running a marathon? sen. sinema: running a fast marathon is difficult. iran won a couple of weeks ago. i could barely walk -- i ran one a couple of weeks ago. i could barely walk. in the senates, that is fine. most have trouble walking anyway. it is fine. the truth is, there's a lot of similarities between trade for a hard marathon and running for statewide office. it requires a lot of discipline. i get to pay attention to nutrition and hydration. you do not want to get dehydrated or run out of energy. it is about focus. it is about setting a goal. my advice to young people, set a goal that is harder than what you can achieve. such something that is too hard,

a little bit outside of your reach. if you set a goal like that, then you have the vacation in the focus to achieve that goal that is beyond your reach, you are willing to listen to others to learn a skill that you do not have, you can achieve that goal. when you do that, you gain confidence, that allows you to set the next goal. that is what i have been doing my entire life. when i ran, no one has ever ran for senates in the history of arizona as a woman. when i first ran, people rely, there is no way she is going to win. i knew i was going to win the race. i knew i was setting a goal that was slightly outside of my reach. that is the whole pattern of my life. years of my life that were setting goals outside of my

reach and focusing in with dedication and discipline. and being willing to do the work to reach the goal. the only difference is, when he finally actually do run a marathon, you are done in under three and a half hours. a senate race, they go on forever. i envied the u.k. were there races go on for six weeks or stuff like that. hours are more like 18 months or two years. it is a longer cycle appeared the longer cycle, the same principles apply. >> if you can give one bill a priority into the finish line into the law today, what will it be? sen. sinema: that is a hard question. we have got so much done in the last two years. i am very proud of what we have done. there is a challenge that i still want to accomplish.

it is close to home for me. i was born and raised in southern arizona. for my entire lifetime, the federal government has absolutely failed. absolutely failed in its charter to protect our border. we have not had a secure border my entire life. right now in our country we have a shortage of workers. we need to bring immigrants in this country to meet jobs from the very basic, like picking lettuce in arizona, where 90% of the lettuce in this country comes from. we will also need geniuses who are going to do the physics and engineering to help us be competitive in this global economy. right now we can't recruit the talent that we need in this country through legal means because the immigration system is broken. i would love to be able to just

our immigration system so we are bringing in good people who want to be a part of this country to fill those jobs across our spectrum. also, to ensure that we actually have security in our border. right now we do not. you probably have seen the news on television. over 2000 people a day are coming in illegally through the border in a tiny part of our state called, yuma, arizona. it is a small town. we have won a bus stop, no shelters. you can imagine 2000 people coming across the border illegally every single day, we can't manage it. we have nowhere for them to go. we are facing illegal crisis. we cannot tell who is good and who is bad appeared some of those folks want to do good, some of them want to do bad. you cannot tell the difference by looking appeared where hoping

it allows us to bring in the talent of workers we need while keeping in -- out the bad guys. we're are also facing a humanitarian crisis. we do not have the ability to care for all of these children, including children who are coming across the border every single day. if i could, i would love to tackle this challenge. i expect, as a get to this election is going to be a hard six weeks or so ahead of us. as we get through this election, i intend to reach back out to my good friend, senator john cornyn , also born in raised in texas. the two of us from different political parties by sharing the same core values. we recognize the crisis and we want to solve it. one party demands only border

walls and security, another party that demands -- in the state for millions of people. we have to address security needs and our workforce. i hope to be able to partner with my friend and deliver something within the next few months and a couple of years. thank you. >> senator sinema. [applause] >> 19 so much for sharing the story of working together. -- thank you so much for sharing the story of working together. if we can come together we will get much more done. i want to thank you for sharing your personal story. you would have been a student u

of l would have recruited. we want students that bring passion, talent and dedication to change their lives and the lives of their families and country. you are an example of the perfect cardinal. i want to give you this pin so you understand that you really are. she also says she drinks wine but not bourbon. who can come to kentucky and not get a bottle of bourbon. do not try to get it from her, she has cast secret service around her. we know you're going to come back to us again. thank you so much.

>> c-span's "washington journal," every day we take your calls live on the air, on the news of the day, and we discuss policy issues that impact you. coming up tuesday morning, the senior correspondent for government advocate discusses the government respond to hurricane fiona and ian. and the national energy association mark wolf on energy prices this winter, and assistance for lower income families. watch washington journal live at 7:00 eastern tuesday morning on c-span, or c-span now, our free mobile app. join the discussion with your phone calls, facebook comments, text messages, and tweets.

with congress facing a september 30 funding deadline, but the house and senate are expected to work on a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown. the house returns wednesday at noon eastern. members will vote later in the week on veterans affairs. the senate returns tuesday at 3:00 eastern and will vote on the short-term spending bill. and streamlining the federal permitting process on energy process -- projects. you can also watch on our free video app, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. the january 6 committee returns wednesday for its ninth hearing ahead of the release of the written report, expected by the end of the year. you can watch the hearings live beginning at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span3, c-span now, or

anytime online at c-span.org. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including medco. ? -- ♪ midco supports c-span as a public service, along with these other providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> transportation secretary pete buttigieg was said -- was a keynote speaker at a recent dinner, he talked about the importance of down ballot races