Kyrsten Sinema is our last defense against reckless spending. She must say no again

Last year, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema refused to commit to the Build Back Better plan and its massive proposed $3.5 trillion cost.

Her approach turned out to be more than a little prudent – spending trillions of dollars we don’t have would have poured gasoline on the fire of this year’s historic inflation rates.

Now, we need Sen. Sinema to stand up for Arizona again. Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate recently released a new reconciliation package stuffed with some of the same tax and spending policies she said “no” to last year.

It’s time for Sen. Sinema to put Arizonans first and stop this bill.

Inflation already has Arizona on the ropes

Arizonans are hurting enough thanks to the Biden administration’s reckless inflationary economic agenda.

Nationally, the rate of inflation is 9.1%, but in some parts of Arizona, costs are up by as much as 12.1%. Gas now costs about $4.60 per gallon in our state, and Arizonans are struggling to afford basic necessities like food and rent.

Overall, inflation is costing the average Arizona household $688 a month.

It’s the same story across the country; Americans are paying more for everything thanks to inflation, and economists across the board are calling on the government to reverse course.

One panel of financial experts agreed that inflation numbers are “catastrophically bad,” and now, top Democratic advisers like Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are pushing the Biden administration to pursue deflationary measures.

Bill includes bits that Sinema once rejected

Despite record-high costs, the Democratic leadership recently unveiled a new version of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, an economic plan that includes new spending with money we don’t have and taxes that could hurt folks who are already struggling.

The bill includes some of the same provisions that Sen. Sinema balked at last year, including a proposed new tax on private capital, which would discourage investment in small businesses and startups.

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The legislation also includes the similar types of spending measures that have pushed costs here in Arizona to record highs – costs that will get worse under this bill in the near-term, according to a recent Penn Wharton analysis.

While responsible leaders like Sen. Sinema have time and again warned against new spending, it seems like President Biden and Democratic leaders in Washington haven’t learned their lesson. Since the White House seems set on this approach, Sen. Sinema should do the responsible thing and end any spending measures before they ever get close to the Oval Office.

When asked whether she would support Build Back Better last year, Sen. Sinema told CNN that “I am always prepared to vote and to vote for what’s right for the interests of Arizona.”

And it’s true.

Sinema should reject this package, too

Since her election in 2018, she has consistently done what’s best for the people of Arizona by protecting our businesses and our economy. Even when she faced unwarranted pressure from some of her progressive colleagues to vote “yes” on Build Back Better, the senator held her ground and kept a bill that could have harmed Arizonans from passage.

Sen. Sinema has always put our interests above those of her party, and she’s built up credibility as a politician who’s not afraid to stand up for the right thing. If she approves this reconciliation bill, it would undermine all of that success.

We call on Sen. Sinema to put a stop to this package packed with new taxes and wasteful spending before it sends the Grand Canyon State into a new world of hurt.

Arizonans don’t need an even heavier burden on our families.

Christopher Glover served eight years on the Mesa City Council, including as vice mayor. Reach him at christopher.j.glover@icloud.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema must stop another reckless spending bill (again)