During an interview with CNN, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona did not commit to vote in favor of President Biden’s massive spending proposal, the Build Back Better Act.
The bill passed in the House last month without the backing of any GOP members.
“[Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer has said he wants to vote on Build Back Better, that broader social safety net bill, before Christmas break. Are you prepared to vote yes when that comes to the floor?” CNN’s Lauren Fox asked Sinema.
The lawmaker said that she is “always prepared to vote, and to vote for what’s right for the interests of Arizona.”
She said that she wants to make certain “that if we are crafting legislation, we’re doing it in a lean and efficient way that’s fiscally responsible and doesn’t impact things like inflation or make our businesses less competitive.”
At a time when Americans have been facing significant inflation, Democratic proponents of the proposal have contended that passage would actually alleviate inflation.
“I have a plan to lower costs and ease inflation — my Build Back Better Act,” a tweet on the @POTUS Twitter account states.
Despite controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, Democrats have been unable to swiftly pass the legislation because they need the votes of every Senator in the Democratic caucus in order ram the legislation through without Republican support.
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been a persistent obstacle in his party’s path toward passing the legislation, and the proposed price tag of the plan has come down significantly from the $3.5 trillion figure that Manchin and Sinema both opposed.