It appears that Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), might not be the only Democrat with common sense. After learning that Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ bill may in fact increase taxes across several income brackets, more Democrats are giving the media the silent treatment signaling they may not support the bill.
While it was announced last Wednesday that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) made a deal with Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Build Back Better Lite, passing the bill is far from a done deal. It doesn’t matter how much support Senate Democrats give this bill, all it takes for the bill to be dead on arrival is for Kyrsten Sinema to shoot it down, a gesture that Republicans would be greatly appreciative of.
Sinema, however, isn’t the only Democrat that Schumer and Manchin need to be worried about.
The bill also needs support from the House and based on several radio silent responses to inquiries from Fox News on whether they support the bill, many have reason to believe they too not be happy putting their names to it especially when it will raise taxes by billions of dollars, including for middle-class Americans.
According to TownHall.com, the 20 Democrats Fox News reached out to in order to see if they would support the bill, and if they found it wise to raise taxes during a recession included Reps. Sharice Davids (KS), Jared Golden (ME), Elissa Slotkin (MI), Dan Kildee (MI), Angie Craig (MN), Annie Kuster (NH), Chris Pappas (NH), Dina Titus (NV), Susie Lee (NV), Steve Horsford (NV), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Matt Cartwright (PA), Elaine Luria (VA), Abigail Spanberger (VA), Kim Schrier (WA), Cindy Axne (IA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Susan Wild (PA), Tom Malinowski (NJ), and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ).
None of them provided a response to Fox News.
“If Democrats believe their tax and spending plan is a win for Americans, why don’t they want their constituents to know that they support it,” said Cally Perkins, the press secretary for the Congressional Leadership Fund, about their silence. “Every House Democrat needs to answer if they’ll vote to double down on more of the same reckless spending that set off inflation to begin with.”
Sen. Sinema is also facing pressure from her Republican colleagues as well. Senate Minority Whip June Thune (R-SD) had also chimed in earlier in the week when it comes to Sen. Sinema’s fierce independence, and how it’s expected she’ll decide for herself on the bill.
According to Aris Foley from The Hill, Republicans plan to not only emphasize how the bill will increase inflation and raise taxes, but offer amendments:
Republicans are strategizing and laying the groundwork to make things as difficult for Democrats as possible, and they are reaching out to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who has yet to back the deal.
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“This bill shouldn’t pass and become law. It’s going to cause a lot of pain for the American people,” Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the upper chamber, told The Hill on Tuesday while hinting at the GOP efforts to slow things down. “I don’t care about what pain it may cause members of the Democratic Party.”
Republican leaders are anticipating filing hundreds of amendments to the measure, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. The amendments will touch on immigration, health care and taxes as the Senate buckles up for a marathon voting session known as a vote-a-rama in the days ahead.
The vote-a-rama is just one of several hurdles that Senate Democrats must clear to use the complex budget reconciliation process to bypass a filibuster.
During the typically lengthy procedure, the minority is permitted to offer amendments to the legislation before leaders bring the measure to the Senate floor for a vote. This will allow Republicans to make last-minute changes to the partisan plan, if any of the amendments are approved. They can also make Democrats take tough political votes.
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But as Democrats plow forward with the plan, Republicans have been on offense, arguing the bill will contribute to higher taxes and add to inflation, as rising prices have surged to the top of voters’ minds in recent months.
“If you look at all the analysis that’s been done, the distributional analysis and everything else shows that this hits a lot of lower-income Americans, contrary to what the Democrats have said,” Thune charged on Monday.
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Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who helped craft the bill along with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), has said he is reaching out to Sinema amid concerns about her support for the overall bill.
But Republicans are pitching her too.
“We’re going to argue to her, and everybody else for that matter, that it’s just that this is a bad time with inflation and a wobbly economy to be raising taxes,” Thune said.
