AOC slams Kyrsten Sinema for potentially 'tanking' Democrats' $3.5 trillion reconciliation package
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said she does not support the $3.5 trillion price tag of Democrats' sweeping reconciliation bill, a new hang up sure to anger lower-chamber lawmakers who won't pass the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure framework without their accompanying budget package, The Arizona Republic and The Daily Beast report. In fact, one notable caucus member — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — has already come out swinging.
Sinema said that while she supports beginning the reconciliation process, she does not "support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion," per The Arizona Republic. Her reservations combined with those of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) bode poorly for the package as it stands, considering all 50 Democratic senators must be on board to move it forward. The package is expected to invest in climate initiatives, child care, heath care, and education, per CNBC.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As NBC News' Benjy Sarlin notes, however, Sinema's opposition may help her "shore up" some upper chamber Republican support ahead of Wednesday's infrastructure test vote. And that said, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) mused today that he was "very pleased" with the development.
It remains to be seen how this will affect negotiations overall, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has previously emphasized "she will not take up either measure until the Senate passes both of them," per CNBC.
-
31 political cartoons for January 2026Cartoons Editorial cartoonists take on Donald Trump, ICE, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Greenland and more
-
Political cartoons for January 31Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include congressional spin, Obamacare subsidies, and more
-
Syria’s Kurds: abandoned by their US allyTalking Point Ahmed al-Sharaa’s lightning offensive against Syrian Kurdistan belies his promise to respect the country’s ethnic minorities
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
