Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema accused House Democrats on Saturday of holding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act hostage.
“I have never, and would never, agree to any bargain that would hold one piece of legislation hostage to another,” Sinema said.
Sinema and Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin are the only Democrats who oppose the $3.5 trillion spending bill. Republicans in both the House and the Senate have voiced opposition to it. (RELATED: Biden Heads To Capitol Hill As Manchin And Sinema Threaten To Derail Reconciliation Bill)
Canceling the U.S. House vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act denies Americans millions of new good-paying jobs and hurts everyday families.
Full statement ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/BM7hrUL3KK
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) October 2, 2021
Sinema said that tying the $3.5 trillion spending bill to the bipartisan infrastructure package was “inexcusable” and “deeply disappointing for communities across the country.”
“Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity, and better broadband only hurts everyday families,” she wrote.
“Good-faith negotiations, however, require trust,” she added. “Over the course of this year, Democratic leaders have made conflicting promises that could not all be kept—and have, at times, pretended that differences of opinion within our party did not exist, even when those disagreements were repeatedly made clear directly and publicly, canceling the infrastructure vote further erodes that trust.”
On Thursday, amid the still-raging battle over infrastructure and the reconciliation package, President Joe Biden signed a bill funding the federal government through Dec. 3, averting a government shutdown for another few months. The House and Senate passed the continuing resolution Thursday.