Democrats are still holding their breath as Senator Kysten Sinema continues to privately weigh how she'll vote on the latest $433 billion spending deal between Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin.
"Senate Democrats are growing more anxious over maverick Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-Ariz.) five-day silence on a sweeping proposal," the Hill reports. "Democratic lawmakers are privately worried that Sinema’s not happy about being left out of the negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), which resulted in a surprise announcement last week of a major deal. Sinema’s office said last week that she would carefully review the legislation before stating a position on it, leaving her Democratic colleagues anxiously waiting."
But given the deal raises taxes on Americans and corporations in the middle of a recession, while also making runaway inflation worse, comments Sinema made earlier this year to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce could indicate how she plans to vote.
“I had a couple guiding principles that still guide the work that I am doing today. And first and foremost is that I will only support tax policies that promote growth and economic stability particularly during a time of coming through this pandemic, rising inflation, and what we think is a coming recession," she said. "So I am unwilling to support any tax policies that would put a break on that type of economic growth, or stall business and personal growth for America’s industries."
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"I retain that position. Everyone knows it. Some people aren’t happy about it. But that’s my position. And so if conversations do start again – which I’m not sure if they will or not – I’ll be bringing that position back into the negotiations,” she continued. “You all know, the entire country knows that I am opposed to raising the corporate income tax. That was true yesterday and it is true today.”
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders is threatening to torpedo the deal and is arguing it doesn't go far enough.
I’m LIVE on the floor of the Senate to make clear that now is the time for MAJOR legislation that meets the needs of our people. Right now, the Inflation Reduction Act falls short of that goal. https://t.co/GCBPaqFa3H
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 3, 2022
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