Senate Democrats are likely to begin a climactic sequence of votes on their party-line energy, tax, and health-care measure this week, with no public indication of where Sen. Kyrsten Sinema stands and are ready to risk it.
While everyone in Washington waits for the Arizona Democrat, her track record on high-profile topics suggests she won't say much about how she feels about the compromise crafted by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer - at least not until it's on the floor.
Manchin Works on Sinema For Social Spending, Tax Agenda
If history is any guide, she'll be a wild card on amendments offered by Republicans in an attempt to change the law on the Senate floor during votes later this week. Manchin's drive to close a loophole known as carried interest, which some investors utilize to decrease their tax rates, is at the heart of the Sinematic mystery.
On Tuesday afternoon, a mask-clad Manchin talked to Sinema on the Senate floor for almost 10 minutes, animatedly flailing his hands during the somber exchange. Afterward, he summarized it as a pleasant chat and stated, "She'll make a smart judgment based on facts, and I'm depending on that," according to Politico.
Even though Sinema was instrumental in negotiating the bill's prescription drug reform component and establishing the broad boundaries of the tax chapter, she learned about the agreement at the same time as her colleagues and the wider public - via a news release.
Manchin stated that he is willing to examine improvements proposed by Sinema, including closing the carried interest tax loophole, which is one of his top goals.
When asked if he would amend the bill's carried interest clause, Manchin said, "Everyone is still discussing."
Sinema's Spokesperson Says Senator Has No Comment Yet
When asked whether Sinema is disappointed that she was not included in last week's negotiations with Schumer, which resulted in the unexpected agreement, Manchin said he didn't want to raise anyone's hopes when he didn't know whether an agreement was even feasible, The Hill reported .
A representative for Sinema told Fox News Digital that the senator has yet to make public comments on the social spending measure proposed by Manchin and Schumer last week.
The proposal is the result of more than a year of Democratic discussions to pass a package using a mechanism known as budget reconciliation to avoid a Senate filibuster. According to Democrats, Manchin and Schumer's proposed measure named the "Inflation Reduction Act," would spend $433 billion and earn $739 billion in tax revenue. That pales in comparison to last year's original $3 trillion "Build Back Better" pledges.
Manchin finally called off the previous Build Back Better discussions, citing growing inflation. However, he continued to negotiate with Schumer behind closed doors until the two presented their plan last week. Sinema was not engaged in the process, and her office said she is currently studying the wording.
Sinema's spokeswoman also stated that the senator is awaiting the conclusion of the "parliamentary process" before determining whether or not to endorse the measure. The parliamentarian runs over the bill, sometimes known as the Byrd Bath, to check that its parts meet with the Byrd Rule.
This rule essentially states that only proposals affecting federal revenue and expenditure may be included in reconciliation bills. The Byrd Bath is slated to wrap up later this week, though Manchin said Tuesday that he couldn't give an update, as per Fox News.
Related Article : Vladimir Putin Vows To Back Xi Jinping Over Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit; Joe Biden Calls on Russia, China To Engage Nuclear Arms Control Talks
@YouTube
