Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Threatens to Tank Infrastructure Package, ‘Members of Color’ Excluded from Negotiations

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) threatened Wednesday to tank the $3.5 trillion reconciliation infrastructure package over Democrats excluding “members of color from negotiations.”

“Good luck tanking your own party’s investment on… infrastructure while presuming you’ll survive a 3 vote House margin – especially after choosing to exclude members of color from negotiations and calling that a ‘bipartisan accomplishment,'” Ocasio-Cortez retweeted a quote from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) that states she does not fully support the infrastructure package:

“Sen. Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t support Democrats’ $3.5 trillion bill, clinches bipartisan infrastructure deal,” Arizona Republic‘s political editor originally tweeted.

“I have also made clear that while I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion — and in the coming months,” Sinema continued in a statement, “I will work in good faith to develop this legislation with my colleagues and the administration to strengthen Arizona’s economy and help Arizona’s everyday families get ahead.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also was unhappy with Sinema’s comments, tweeting it is “Time for the White House to play hardball.”

“We didn’t elect Sinema as President and we won’t let her obstruction put a Republican in the Oval Office in 2024. It’s the reconciliation bill or GOP controlling every level of government again, period,” she stated:

Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib’s worries over Sinema’s statement come as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is writing the $3.5 trillion package, due in August, which will reportedly include items such as expanding Medicare, amnesty, global warming initiatives, and subsidized racial equity and environmental justice initiatives.

If Sinema was to not vote for such measures, it would crush President Joe Biden’s main plan of action and cause the Democrat Party problems heading into the midterms.

Meanwhile, the bipartisan infrastructure deal is seemingly back on track Wednesday with a vote advancing the bill “as early as tonight,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. But the bipartisan deal has yet to be fully written.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Wednesday she will not commit to passing the unwritten Senate infrastructure bill in the House without the bill’s text.

Her statement could mean she is pressuring Democrats and Republicans to go along with the bipartisan deal to forward the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package. Pelosi has previously stated that both infrastructure bills must pass on a two-track system: one through a traditional vote and the other through reconciliation.

Both bills signed into law would benefit Democrats by appeasing both moderate and radical ends of her party.