Five staff advisers have abandoned Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) for neglecting Arizona constituents over opposing President Biden’s $3.5 trillion reconciliation proposal.
“You have become one of the principal obstacles to progress, answering to big donors rather than your own people,” the group of advisers publicly wrote to Sinema in the New York Times.
“We shouldn’t have to buy representation from you, and your failure to stand by your people and see their urgent needs is alarming,” they added.
Five veterans tapped to advise Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat, resigned from their posts on Thursday, publicly accusing her of “hanging your constituents out to dry” and “answering to big donors rather than your own people.” https://t.co/oSVqSoB72X
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 21, 2021
The group is apparently angered by Sinema’s opposition to nuking the filibuster, raising taxes, and enacting massive welfare subsidies not seen since the 1960s, when Lyndon Johnson enacted an agenda he called the Great Society.
Sylvia González Andersh, who signed her name on the letter obtained by the New York Times, complained to the publican that nobody knows where Sinema stands on far-left polices. “Nobody knows what she is thinking because she doesn’t tell anybody anything.”
“Democrats were out desperately trying to help her win the seat, and now we feel like, what was it for?” Andersh said. “It’s very sad to think that someone who you worked for that hard to get elected is not even willing to listen.”
Sinema responded to the staffer’s decision to leave the senator’s side by thanking the advisers for their work. “While it is unfortunate that apparent disagreement on separate policy issues has led to this decision,” she said, “I thank them for their service and will continue working every day to deliver for Arizona’s veterans who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe and secure.”
On Wednesday the Wall Street Journal reported Sinema opposes the massive tax increased proposed in Biden’s reconciliation package. “Her stance is now pushing Democrats to plan more seriously for a bill that doesn’t include those major revenue increases,” the Journal wrote.
Sinema, along with Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) position, has caused Biden to reduce the topline number of the reconciliation package from $3.5 trillion to around $2 trillion.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks to the press near the Senate subway on February 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
“Losing the rate increases would punch a significant hole in the Democrats’ plans for funding the package, now expected to cost around $2 trillion over a decade,” the Journal added.
The new number includes subsidized child care and universal preschool. Medicare would be expanded, and money would be allocated toward climate change programs.
The reduction of the topline number would reduce a few welfare priories. The extended child tax credit from the coronavirus package in March would only be lengthened for a year while subsidized family leave benefits would also be reduced from twelve weeks to four. Free community college is reportedly nixed, and the amount of money allocated towards subsidized housing would be reduced.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø
