As Manchin pushes for speedy passage of new deal, Sinema stays quiet
Senate Democrats are aiming to pass a major spending bill this week that includes funding for climate change, health care and tax increases on corporations.
Senate Democrats are aiming to pass a major spending bill this week that includes funding for climate change, health care and tax increases on corporations.
The deal was unexpectedly struck last week by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and a key centrist, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., giving Democrats optimism that they'll have a robust agenda to run on in competitive races ahead of the midterm elections this fall.
Sen. Sinema reportedly found out about reconciliation deal ‘when the press release came out’July 31, 202200:54While Manchin appeared on five Sunday programs to defend the deal and call for its passage, another centrist who holds a swing vote in the 50-50 Senate, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., whom Democrats consider a difficult negotiator, has been quiet about whether she'll vote for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, released Wednesday.
Sinema's vote could make or break the bill. Democrats, with no hope of winning Republican support, need every member of their caucus to be present and voting — not guaranteed given recent absences of senators infected with Covid — for it to clear the Senate.
A spokesperson for Sinema said Sunday she had no comment on the bill, adding that "she’s reviewing text and will need to see what comes out of the parliamentarian process," referring to the Senate official who determines whether bills comply with the chamber's strict budget rules.
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