Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema switches to independent

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., center, gestures during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, July 28, 2021, while working on a bipartisan infrastructure bill with, from left, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. Though elected as a Democrat, Sinema announced Friday, Dec. 9, that she has registered as an Independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow majority in the Senate. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)