Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) announced Wednesday that she would not support the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget bill after Senate Republicans and Democrats secured a deal for her bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Sinema told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that she does not support such an expensive infrastructure bill. In comparison, her and Republicans’ infrastructure bill costs $1.2 trillion.
“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, 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,” Sinema said in a statement.
Sinema’s statement throws off the delicate balance between the two infrastructure bills; many thought that securing Democrat support for the bipartisan bill would also secure her and Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) support the multi-trillion dollar bill, which focuses more on social spending, climate change carveouts, and leftist provisions.
Schumer said Wednesday morning that the Senate could vote to advance the bipartisan infrastructure bill as soon as Wednesday night.
Sinema continued, saying that she remains committed to revitalizing America’s infrastructure.
“While bringing both parties together can seem impossible these days, Arizonans elected me to do the hard work,” she said. “Our historic legislation would make the strongest investment in America’s critical infrastructure in a century — creating Arizona jobs, expanding economic opportunities for our state, securing our water future, and protecting our communities from wildfires.”
McCain had infamously bucked the GOP by voting against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare.
The Arizona Democrat mimicked McCain’s infamous thumbs down that killed Republicans’ years-long effort to repeal and replace Obamacare when she voted against a minimum wage bill.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.