Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) refused to commit to supporting a sprawling Democratic climate and spending plan, putting the party’s hopes for an election year breakthrough in serious doubt.
The moderate Democrat was tight-lipped on Wednesday about the grand compromise cut by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) as she arrived at her Capitol Hill office.
“Taking my time,” Sinema said as she speed-walked past reporters camped out in a congressional hallway.
Sinema may want changes: More at The Hill
Sinema’s decision to stay on the fence poses a serious concern for Democrats and the White House because they need the support of all 50 Democratic senators to push the $700 billion measure through on a party-line vote in the evenly split chamber.
She is the only known holdout as Schumer seeks to win final approval for the surprise agreement by the end of the week, a deadline that now looks shaky at best.
Known for taking her time, Sinema says she definitely won’t make any decision about supporting the bill until the Senate parliamentarian rules if all of its provisions can be passed using the complicated reconciliation process that allows the majority party to avert a filibuster.
Sinema also has expressed opposition in the past to two popular planks of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, namely the move to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and scrapping a tax loophole that mostly benefits wealthy hedge fund managers.
Schumer and Manchin shocked power players on both sides of the partisan aisle by reviving the sprawling deal after the West Virginia lawmaker himself had all but killed it earlier.
The move is seen as a key victory for Democrats heading into the midterm elections.
Republicans have trumpeted their hopes of sweeping victory that would give them control of Congress, but Democrats believe a series of political wins and economic improvements give them a fighting chance of limiting the damage.
Sinema, who prides herself on an independent streak, has previously shown willingness to back Manchin in fights with their party’s leaders. Now Democrats will find out if she will take a lonely stand against them.
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Hopefully Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) will have the honor, ethics and intelligence to vote AGAINST this Con and Deception by the Treasonous, destructive, immoral, unethical, socialist Democrat Party.
The treachery of the treasonous, socialist Democrat Party know no bounds
I HOPE to god, she holds the line. BUT WE THought manchin would too..
Hopefully she will have the courage to vote for what’s good for the people and not what’s good for crying Chuckie and the rest of the left wing liberal democrats. Why to they have to try and hide all these other things in a bill that most people can accept.? They know that there wouldn’t be enough votes to pass those socialist spending bills on their own so they try and sneak them past the other party, and the American people. The democrats just keep giving the American citizens more and more reasons to vote them out of office. If we don’t purge them from office they will destroy our constitutional republic and replace it with their version of a socialist government, with them in control of course.
I’m Surprised Manchin deferred to HER the potential of getting the larger payoff to betray the best interests of THE PEOPLE, but promoting the worst interests of a corrupted Democrat party. Everyone now sees how corrupted Washington works, i.e. never let a crisis opportunity go to waste to enhance campaign donations or personal enrichment laundered money under the table. We shall soon see wheither Sinema values her party first or her country, and there is plenty of corrupt Soros and Chinese money floating about to tempt even the most patriotic.
“Now is the time for all good women to come to the aid of their country!”
Lot of wishful thinking going on here. If you followed the link to that article in The Hill you’d see the things she wants.
Manchin got the promise (probably empty promise) of a pipeline for W. Virginia. I bet Sinema will sell the country out and get more than he did.
Remember these are Democrats. Some Republicans will probably vote for it. We have at least a dozen RINOs that ask how high when Schumer says jump.
Sinema apparently wants to keep her seat; Manchin not so much. I see many donations coming to Manchin’s next opponent.
I live close to WV, in western PA. I don’t know how Manchin managed to hang onto his seat last election. Lots of angry, out of work coal miners, who got shafted by the Dems. The same Dems are coming for the gas workers now.
LETS HOPE the folks there, WISE UP next time.
So disappointed in Manchin but then politics is dirty business. I am guardedly optimistic about Sinema’s vote but not holding my breath.
Politicians have long since forgotten who they work for.
Keep it that way—PLEASE !!!!!
Right now she sounds like she is really taking her time to review all this and will make the right decision. Her decision is hers alone and should not be done by undue influence.
Please! She’s only taking her time to she what Schumer will offer her to vote yes. It’s sad we’re at the point we have to rely on her to save us from this bill.
Unfortunately, it seems her “weirguild’ has been paid.
Look…either she’s for the bill, or she’s not. Why the drama? Are we supposed to believe she’s still “undecided”? She’s a democrat…that’s all you need to know. She’s looking for goodies for her state…just like Manchin did. These people disgust me.
Hate to say I told you so, but…. Well several others here and myself…
From The AP,
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a centrist who was seen as the pivotal vote, said in a statement that she had agreed to changes in the measure’s tax and energy provisions and was ready to “move forward” on the bill.
The only question is what did it take to pay her off?
Even Fox news isn’t saying..