Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Democrat Sinema's Views on Economic Bill Remain Shrouded
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
August 2, 2022

Share

 

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s views remained a mystery Monday as party leaders eyed votes later this week on their emerging economic legislation and both parties pointed to dueling studies they used to either laud or belittle the measure’s impact.

With Democrats needing all of their 50 votes for the energy and health care measure to move through the Senate, a Sinema spokesperson suggested the Arizona lawmaker would take her time revealing her decision. Hannah Hurley said Sinema was reviewing the bill and “will need to see what comes out of the parliamentarian process.” It could take days for the chamber’s rules umpire to decide whether the measure flouts procedural guidelines and needs changes.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced an agreement last week on legislation boosting taxes on huge corporations and wealthy individuals, bolstering fossil fuels and climate change efforts and curbing pharmaceutical prices. Overall, it would raise $739 billion over 10 years in revenue and spend $433 billion, leaving over $300 billion to modestly reduce federal deficits.

The legislation would give President Joe Biden a victory on his domestic agenda in the runup to this fall’s congressional elections. If Sinema demands changes, she would face enormous pressure to reach an accord with top Democrats and avoid a campaign-season defeat that would be a jarring blow to her party’s prospects in November.

Manchin is one of Congress’ most conservative and contrarian Democrats. He has spent over a year forcing his party to starkly trim its economic proposals, citing inflation fears, and his compromise with Schumer last week shocked colleagues who’d given up hope that he would agree to such a wide-ranging measure.

Sinema has played a lower-profile but similar role as Manchin — a lawmaker who can be unpredictable and willing to use the leverage all Democrats have in a 50-50 Senate. Last year, she lauded a proposal for a minimum tax on large corporations — which the new legislation has — but has also expressed opposition to increasing corporate or individual tax rates.

“She has a lot in this bill,” Manchin, citing her support for past efforts to rein prices for prescription drugs, told reporters Monday. He said she’s been “very adamant” about not increasing taxes, adding, “I feel the same way.”

Manchin has asserted the bill’s imposition of a 15% minimum tax on corporations earning over $1 billion annually is not a tax increase. He says it closes loopholes such companies use to escape paying the current 21% corporate tax.

Republicans mocked that reasoning and said its tax boosts would weaken the economy and kill jobs. They cited a report from Congress’ nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation that said about half of the corporate minimum tax would hit manufacturing firms.

“So in the middle of a supply chain crisis, Democrats want huge job-killing tax hikes that will disproportionately crush American manufacturing and manufacturing jobs,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Biden has said he will not raise taxes on people earning under $400,000 annually. Manchin has said the Democratic package honors that pledge.

Republicans recently distributed another Joint Committee on Taxation analysis that said the measure would raise taxes on people earning below that figure. Democrats criticized the study as incomplete, saying it omitted the impact on middle-class families of the bill’s health insurance subsidies and clean energy tax cuts.

Democrats touted a report by Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. It said the measure “will nudge the economy and inflation in the right direction, while meaningfully addressing climate change and reducing the government’s budget deficits.”

Schumer said he expected votes to begin this week in the Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris could cast the tie-breaking vote to assure its passage. The narrowly divided House has left town for an August recess, but Democratic leaders have said they would bring lawmakers back for a vote, perhaps next week.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump to Offer Automakers Some Relief on His 25% Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Take It Down Act Passes, Targets Deepfakes and Revenge Porn

DON'T MISS

How the State Sent Californians’ Personal Health Data to LinkedIn

DON'T MISS

Fresno Barbershop Shooting Suspect Arrested, Police Link Him to Separate Shooting

DON'T MISS

Equities Climb in Choppy Trade as Earnings, Data, Tariffs Gauged

DON'T MISS

UN Chief Urges ‘Irreversible Action’ on Israel, Palestinian Two-State Solution

DON'T MISS

More Than 50,000 Los Angeles County Workers Take to Picket Lines Demanding Higher Pay

DON'T MISS

Majority Disapprove of Trump’s Immigration Policies as His Approval Slides, Poll Finds

DON'T MISS

Fresno Again Attempts to Evict Granite Park Nonprofit

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested After Armed Robbery of Pokémon Cards

UP NEXT

Majority Disapprove of Trump’s Immigration Policies as His Approval Slides, Poll Finds

UP NEXT

Fresno Again Attempts to Evict Granite Park Nonprofit

UP NEXT

Numbers That Matter From the First 100 Days of Trump’s Second Term

UP NEXT

Trump’s Team Has Disrupted Some $430 Billion in Federal Funds, Top Democrats Say

UP NEXT

UPS Cuts 20,000 Jobs, GM Delays Investor Call as Trump’s Tariffs Create Corporate Chaos

UP NEXT

Trump’s First 100 Days: America First President Is Overturning World Order

UP NEXT

Selma Mayor Responds to Criminal Charge

UP NEXT

Trump to Sign Order Requiring List of Sanctuary Cities, States, Official Says

UP NEXT

US Sanctions Target Deliveries of Oil and Gas to Houthis

UP NEXT

Trump Says Putin May Not Want Peace and May Need to Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

Fresno Barbershop Shooting Suspect Arrested, Police Link Him to Separate Shooting

1 hour ago

Equities Climb in Choppy Trade as Earnings, Data, Tariffs Gauged

2 hours ago

UN Chief Urges ‘Irreversible Action’ on Israel, Palestinian Two-State Solution

2 hours ago

More Than 50,000 Los Angeles County Workers Take to Picket Lines Demanding Higher Pay

2 hours ago

Majority Disapprove of Trump’s Immigration Policies as His Approval Slides, Poll Finds

2 hours ago

Fresno Again Attempts to Evict Granite Park Nonprofit

3 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested After Armed Robbery of Pokémon Cards

3 hours ago

Irish Lawyer Details Israel’s UN Violations at International Court

3 hours ago

Sacramento State Hires Shaquille O’Neal as a Voluntary GM

4 hours ago

Mexico Has Received Nearly 39,000 Deportees From US Since Trump Took Office

4 hours ago

Trump to Offer Automakers Some Relief on His 25% Tariffs

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will sign executive orders Tuesday to relax some of his 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts, the White H...

8 minutes ago

8 minutes ago

Trump to Offer Automakers Some Relief on His 25% Tariffs

13 minutes ago

Take It Down Act Passes, Targets Deepfakes and Revenge Porn

54 minutes ago

How the State Sent Californians’ Personal Health Data to LinkedIn

Kobe Chantharangsy (left), 18, has been arrested on murder charges in connection with a fatal shooting at a Fresno barbershop, while Adrian Echeverria has been charged as an accessory in the case.
1 hour ago

Fresno Barbershop Shooting Suspect Arrested, Police Link Him to Separate Shooting

A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
2 hours ago

Equities Climb in Choppy Trade as Earnings, Data, Tariffs Gauged

The sun sets over the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
2 hours ago

UN Chief Urges ‘Irreversible Action’ on Israel, Palestinian Two-State Solution

Los Angeles County workers rally to demand higher wages Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP/Damian Dovarganes)
2 hours ago

More Than 50,000 Los Angeles County Workers Take to Picket Lines Demanding Higher Pay

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Pool via AP)
2 hours ago

Majority Disapprove of Trump’s Immigration Policies as His Approval Slides, Poll Finds

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend