Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced Wednesday that she will not support the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package that her partyâs leadership hopes to pass via reconciliation.
The announcement is a major setback for the furthest-left members of the Democratic Party, who have frequently criticized Sinema for her efforts to forge a bipartisan bill on infrastructure and support for the filibuster. Sinema met Tuesday with President Joe Biden to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure deal, describing their discussion as âproductive.âSinema has worked alongside Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Rob Portman of Ohio on the infrastructure agreement.
Biden announced in June that he will only support the bipartisan agreement âin tandemâ with a reconciliation package. That approach has been endorsed by prominent left-wing Democrats, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Tlaibâs fellow âSquadâ member Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar.