Democrat gives standing ovation to Trump comments on opportunity zones

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) was one of the only Senate Democrats to visibly give a standing ovation as President Trump in his Tuesday State of the Union address discussed the “opportunity zones” created in the GOP tax reform bill.

Sinema stood and applauded as Trump touted the program and Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) role in creating it, while her colleagues, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), remained seated next to her.

Democratic senator Kyrsten Sinema gives a standing ovation after Trump commends GOP Sen. Tim Scott for work on opportunity zones. pic.twitter.com/CPjxbgfIIG

— Axios (@axios) February 5, 2020

Sinema, a centrist Senate Democrat, was threatened with censure last year by the Arizona Democratic Party, which introduced a resolution accusing her of “failing to support the tenets of the 2016 Democratic Party platform.”

The opportunity zone program grants capital gains tax breaks to investors in designated economically distressed areas. The idea was initially put forth in standalone legislation with bipartisan support, but congressional Democrats have been increasingly critical of the program as enacted, with some saying it lacks necessary safeguards.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who has introduced a bill to repeal the program, called the tax breaks “just another corporate handout that don’t actually help the communities that desperately need resources” in a tweet during the address.

Spoiler alert, Mr. President: opportunity zones are just another corporate handout that don’t actually help the communities that desperately need resources. That’s why I introduced legislation to repeal them: https://t.co/plcIBSDfwt #SOTU

— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) February 5, 2020