Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) took a swipe at Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) over their response to President Joe Biden’s agenda.
When asked about Manchin and Sinema, Omar told CNN’s Manu Raju, “I would actually like them to make their demands clear so that we can engage with that. It is saddening to see them use Republican talking points. We obviously didn’t envision having Republicans as part of our party.”
She added, “And I hope that they will understand that Democrats need to be united behind the President’s agenda and we need to have urgent conversations on how to get this agenda done.”
She added: “And I hope that they will understand that Democrats need to be united behind the President’s agenda and we need to have urgent conversations on how to get this agenda done.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 28, 2021
Axios recently reported that despite meeting with Biden, Manchin remained stuck on the price tag of the president’s $3.5 trillion spending package.
According to Manchin, he would support spending $1.5 trillion. On Saturday, the House Budget Committee voted to pass the $3.5 trillion spending bill.
The senator received criticism for his opposition to the bill from Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), claiming he has “weekly huddles [with] Exxon” and “gives lobbyists their pen to write so-called ‘bipartisan’ fossil fuel bills.”
Manchin replied during an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” “I keep my door open for everybody. It’s totally false.
He continued, “And those type of superlatives it’s just awful and continue to divide, divide, divide.”
Sinema received her own criticism from members of the “squad” for her opposition to the spending bill.
“While I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion — and in the coming months, I will work in good faith to develop this legislation with my colleagues and the administration to strengthen Arizona’s economy and help Arizona’s everyday families get ahead,” Sinema said.
Ocasio-Cortez responded, “Good luck tanking your own party’s investment on childcare, climate action, and infrastructure while presuming you’ll survive a 3 vote House margin – especially after choosing to exclude members of color from negotiations and calling that a ‘bipartisan accomplishment.'”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) added, “Time for the White House to play hardball. We didn’t elect Sinema as President, and we won’t let her obstruction put a Republican in the Oval Office in 2024. It’s the reconciliation bill or GOP controlling every level of government again, period.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed his support for both Manchin and Sinema, as IJR reported.
“We’re down to two who are resisting: Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona. I pray for them every night. I wish them well. We give them lots of love,” McConnell previously said.