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An ad by the Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity urges Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to tank her party's new reconciliation bill. (Photo: Americans for Prosperity/YouTube Screengrab)
The Koch network, headed by billionaire oil and gas tycoon Charles Koch, is mobilizing its vast resources in an effort to convince holdout Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to tank the Democratic Party's new reconciliation package ahead of a possible vote this week.
Since the deal was announced last week, Sinema (D-Ariz.)--a frequent obstructionist of her own party's agenda--has been completely silent about the bill, a hodgepodge of renewable energy investments, tax provisions, oil and gas industry giveaways, drug price reforms, and other measures. The bill was negotiated principally by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), another right-wing Democrat.
Sinema ignored reporters' questions about the legislation on Monday, and her office told news outlets that she is reviewing the bill and awaiting the Senate parliamentarian's assessment of whether certain provisions qualify under the arcane rules of budget reconciliation.
The Koch network appears to have sensed an opportunity in the senator's refusal to endorse the bill, which has left Senate Democrats increasingly anxious about the legislation's prospects.
This past weekend, as CNBC reported Monday, the prominent Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity launched a digital ad imploring Sinema to block the reconciliation bill, joining the pharmaceutical industry, private equity, and other special interest groups lobbying against the measure.
Senate Democrats need the support of all 50 members of their caucus for the legislation to pass.
"Come on, Kyrsten," the 30-second ad states. "Say no for Arizona."
Watch:
Americans for Prosperity also unveiled an ad targeting Manchin, with more expected in the coming days.
While Sinema has claimed to support letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and investing in renewable energy production--key elements of the new package--she has repeatedly opposed efforts to raise taxes on the rich and large corporations.
In its current form, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would impose a 15% minimum tax on U.S. corporations with more than $1 billion in annual profits. The legislation would also take steps toward limiting the carried interest loophole, a notorious boon to private equity executives and ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers.
Sinema has previously blocked her party's attempts to close or mitigate the carried interest loophole, drawing outrage from progressives.
"The carried interest is the most intellectually-indefensible, morally-unforgivable loophole in the entire tax code, and Senator Sinema's defense of it is patently absurd," Erica Payne, president and founder of the Patriotic Millionaires, said in a December statement. "Every Democrat in the Senate, even Joe Manchin, is on board with closing this ridiculous loophole except for Senator Sinema. It's time for her to decide who she works for: Arizonans, or private equity billionaires."
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
The Koch network, headed by billionaire oil and gas tycoon Charles Koch, is mobilizing its vast resources in an effort to convince holdout Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to tank the Democratic Party's new reconciliation package ahead of a possible vote this week.
Since the deal was announced last week, Sinema (D-Ariz.)--a frequent obstructionist of her own party's agenda--has been completely silent about the bill, a hodgepodge of renewable energy investments, tax provisions, oil and gas industry giveaways, drug price reforms, and other measures. The bill was negotiated principally by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), another right-wing Democrat.
Sinema ignored reporters' questions about the legislation on Monday, and her office told news outlets that she is reviewing the bill and awaiting the Senate parliamentarian's assessment of whether certain provisions qualify under the arcane rules of budget reconciliation.
The Koch network appears to have sensed an opportunity in the senator's refusal to endorse the bill, which has left Senate Democrats increasingly anxious about the legislation's prospects.
This past weekend, as CNBC reported Monday, the prominent Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity launched a digital ad imploring Sinema to block the reconciliation bill, joining the pharmaceutical industry, private equity, and other special interest groups lobbying against the measure.
Senate Democrats need the support of all 50 members of their caucus for the legislation to pass.
"Come on, Kyrsten," the 30-second ad states. "Say no for Arizona."
Watch:
Americans for Prosperity also unveiled an ad targeting Manchin, with more expected in the coming days.
While Sinema has claimed to support letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and investing in renewable energy production--key elements of the new package--she has repeatedly opposed efforts to raise taxes on the rich and large corporations.
In its current form, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would impose a 15% minimum tax on U.S. corporations with more than $1 billion in annual profits. The legislation would also take steps toward limiting the carried interest loophole, a notorious boon to private equity executives and ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers.
Sinema has previously blocked her party's attempts to close or mitigate the carried interest loophole, drawing outrage from progressives.
"The carried interest is the most intellectually-indefensible, morally-unforgivable loophole in the entire tax code, and Senator Sinema's defense of it is patently absurd," Erica Payne, president and founder of the Patriotic Millionaires, said in a December statement. "Every Democrat in the Senate, even Joe Manchin, is on board with closing this ridiculous loophole except for Senator Sinema. It's time for her to decide who she works for: Arizonans, or private equity billionaires."
The Koch network, headed by billionaire oil and gas tycoon Charles Koch, is mobilizing its vast resources in an effort to convince holdout Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to tank the Democratic Party's new reconciliation package ahead of a possible vote this week.
Since the deal was announced last week, Sinema (D-Ariz.)--a frequent obstructionist of her own party's agenda--has been completely silent about the bill, a hodgepodge of renewable energy investments, tax provisions, oil and gas industry giveaways, drug price reforms, and other measures. The bill was negotiated principally by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), another right-wing Democrat.
Sinema ignored reporters' questions about the legislation on Monday, and her office told news outlets that she is reviewing the bill and awaiting the Senate parliamentarian's assessment of whether certain provisions qualify under the arcane rules of budget reconciliation.
The Koch network appears to have sensed an opportunity in the senator's refusal to endorse the bill, which has left Senate Democrats increasingly anxious about the legislation's prospects.
This past weekend, as CNBC reported Monday, the prominent Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity launched a digital ad imploring Sinema to block the reconciliation bill, joining the pharmaceutical industry, private equity, and other special interest groups lobbying against the measure.
Senate Democrats need the support of all 50 members of their caucus for the legislation to pass.
"Come on, Kyrsten," the 30-second ad states. "Say no for Arizona."
Watch:
Americans for Prosperity also unveiled an ad targeting Manchin, with more expected in the coming days.
While Sinema has claimed to support letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and investing in renewable energy production--key elements of the new package--she has repeatedly opposed efforts to raise taxes on the rich and large corporations.
In its current form, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would impose a 15% minimum tax on U.S. corporations with more than $1 billion in annual profits. The legislation would also take steps toward limiting the carried interest loophole, a notorious boon to private equity executives and ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers.
Sinema has previously blocked her party's attempts to close or mitigate the carried interest loophole, drawing outrage from progressives.
"The carried interest is the most intellectually-indefensible, morally-unforgivable loophole in the entire tax code, and Senator Sinema's defense of it is patently absurd," Erica Payne, president and founder of the Patriotic Millionaires, said in a December statement. "Every Democrat in the Senate, even Joe Manchin, is on board with closing this ridiculous loophole except for Senator Sinema. It's time for her to decide who she works for: Arizonans, or private equity billionaires."