Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) doesn’t appear to have any more friends within the Democratic Party due to her refusal to support the Build Back Better plan, which has drawn a rebuke from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Despite overwhelming support from her own constituents, Sinema has chosen to oppose the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill, which would be paid for via taxes on the wealthy and corporations over a period of ten years.
“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 declared in July.
However, if Sinema truly supports helping Arizona families, she would support the Build Back Better plan, which includes policies such as making childcare and housing more affordable, increased education funding, paid family leave, and expanding Medicare coverage. But she is standing in the way of all of these measures because she’s clearly been bought and paid for by greedy corporations. Of course, Sinema is now finding out that her allegiance to corporate America comes with a steep price because Democrats are withdrawing their support from her, support she’ll need if she wants to serve another term in office.
Sinema, along with Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), are the main obstacles to getting the package passed because both of them could help Democrats pass the bill through reconciliation or end the filibuster. Neither is willing to do the right thing for working Americans, which is why Bernie called them out.
Do I believe in an “entitlement society”? Yeah, I do.
I believe that all Americans are entitled to a quality education, to affordable housing, to a decent standard of living.
I do not believe that 2 people are entitled to block what the majority of the American people want.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 7, 2021
Bernie went on to outline what Sinema and Manchin are blocking and pointed out that a majority of Americans overwhelmingly support the Build Back Better policies.
88% of the American people want us to lower the price of prescription drugs
84% support expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing
73% support guaranteeing paid family and medical leave
67% support universal pre-K for kidsGood policy is good politics. Let’s do it.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 12, 2021
Working class people in America have waited for decades while their needs were neglected by their government. I will not ask working parents, the children, seniors, the sick, and the poor to continue to wait just to satisfy the wants of a handful of billionaires and corporations.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 13, 2021
It is a travesty that Sinema and Manchin have chosen to be puppets for the rich rather than champions for the people. Make no mistake, Republicans are equally to blame for Build Back Better not advancing, but Sinema and Manchin no longer belong in the Democratic Party and they certainly should be ousted from office as soon as possible and replaced by real Democrats who want to get things done.
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