Sinema Wears Thin With Democrats

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's stances on two pieces of President Biden's domestic policy package are causing her fellow Democrats the most headaches: increasing corporate taxes and decreasing prescription drug prices. Both are longstanding priorities of the president's; the increase in the corporate tax is a big part of how the programs would be paid for. "I am very surprised that anybody would put themselves in that position," Sen. Bernie Sanders said Thursday. Biden first called for an increase to 28%, then House Democrats agreed on 26.5%, the Hill reports. The rate is 21% now.

Other Democrats have expressed frustration, if not bafflement, with the first-term Arizona senator. Sinema is refusing to support raising the tax rates set by President Donald Trump's cuts in 2017. "The hypocrisy of voting against Trump's tax cuts and then not being willing to restore rates in any way to what they were before the cuts is stunning," said Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, per the Washington Post. "It makes you wonder, what are the special interests that are driving that decision? It's obviously not conviction." Sanders was equally exasperated with Sinema's stance on drug prices.

"It is beyond comprehension that there is any member of the United States Congress who is not prepared to vote to make sure that we lower prescription drug costs," Sanders said Thursday. The frustration isn't limited to lawmakers. Five members of Sinema's Veterans Advisory Council resigned this week, criticizing her opposition to the president's agenda and calling the senator "one of the principal obstacles to progress." Biden needs every vote in the 50-50 Senate, and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin hasn't been much help to him, either. But a Democratic senator told the Hill that Manchin at least is being constructive.

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With her party calling her the only Democrat in the way of passing measures widely popular with Americans, Sinema has found comfort among Republicans. They're cheering her on, especially on corporate taxes. "She understands and gets the impact these tax increases have on businesses," said Republican Sen. John Thune. Throughout negotiations, Sinema has told Democratic leaders little about what she wants in the final package, per CNN. "There is a sense in which we no longer live in a democracy; we live under the tyranny of Kyrsten Sinema," said Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres. (Sinema won't budge on corporate tax rates, Biden said.)