WATCH: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema ignores a woman asking about her opposition to Biden's social spending bill: 'Your constituents are suffering'
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- Sen. Kyrsten Sinema ignored a woman at the airport asking her questions about Biden's Build Back Better plan.
- "Sorry about this," Sinema told GOP. Sen. Tim Scott, who was walking beside her at the airport.
- Sinema is a key Democratic vote to pass Biden's massive spending bill.
A video posted to Twitter Monday night shows Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic lawmaker who's resisted President Joe Biden's economic agenda, ignoring a woman asking her questions about Biden's Build Back Better plan.
The Build Back Better plan includes massive investments in education, healthcare, the environment, and other policy areas. All 50 Democratic senators, including Sinema, need to sign on to pass the bill on a party-line vote through a process called budget reconciliation.
The woman approached Sinema while she was walking with Republican Sen. Tim Scott at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to a video on Twitter.
"I'm from Tucson, Arizona and I'm wondering, I know you've met with dozens of lobbyists," the woman is seen telling Sinema, before being cut off by the Arizona Democrat.
"Please don't touch me," Sinema said.
"I did not touch you," the woman responded before asking about Biden's bill. "I know you're meeting with dozens of lobbyists and talking with corporate donors about the package. How many times will you meet with constituents? How many times have you met with constituents in negotiating Build Back Better?"
Sinema refused to answer and apologized to her GOP colleague, Scott, over the encounter.
"Sorry about this," Sinema told Scott.
"I think it's par for the course," Scott replied. The two senators are then seen laughing off the confrontation.
-jordan (@JordanUhl) October 25, 2021
The woman continued to ask Sinema questions. "Every single year in Arizona, it's getting hotter and hotter. We're breaking records," she said. "People are suffering. Your constituents are suffering. What are you going to do about climate change?"
The senator did not reply and walked away from the woman to board an escalator.
Sinema's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Scott's office also did not respond.
This isn't the first time voters have confronted Sinema over her holdout on Biden's package. Earlier this month, activists followed the senator into a bathroom at Arizona State University, urging her to pass the legislation. Sinema did not interact with them.
Sinema is one of two key moderate senators involved in the package's negotiations. The other is Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The pair previously opposed Biden's plan because of its high price-tag, which has been lowered to around $2 trillion. Sinema has since reportedly expressed concerns with proposals to raise corporate tax rates and invest in climate programs.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that she expects Democrats to reach an agreement soon on the social spending plan.