Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) seems to have changed from potential presidential spoiler to a position resembling irrelevance in the Senate.
During Sunday’s Senate “vote-a-rama” Democrats hoped would end with passage of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, another senator shushed Sanders.
The Vermont senator proposed an amendment that would have raised the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent in an effort to restore the Child Tax Credit.
“This is the wealthiest nation on Earth, we should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any country,” Sanders said in floor remarks.
Sanders pushed for the $300 per month tax credit for the next five years after it lapsed near the end of 2021. His effort drew irritated Democrats he caucuses with because the measure would have cost the support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
“The arrangement is that all 50 Democrats support this,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said. “We know that this is a fragile arrangement, and we’ve got to pass it — as much as I’d like to do [a corporate tax increase].”
Brown’s allotted time elapsed but he muttered a parting shot captured by a hot mic.
“Come on, Bernie!” Brown said, according to a Mediaite report.
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Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) agreed that voting with Sanders “could lose the underlying bill.”
The Vermont senator’s proposed amendment failed by a vote of 1-97 with only Sanders voting in favor.
As it was, the final legislation required the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris to pass 51-50. It now heads to the House of Representatives.
Sanders saw other amendments proposed by him get shot down by similarly lopsided margins. Among his proposals were amendments to greatly expand the number of prescription drugs Medicare could negotiate prices for. Another would have expanded Medicare coverage for eyeglasses, dental care and hearing aids.
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