Joe Manchin announced on Sunday that he would not be able to support President Biden’s massive social and climate change spending measure, dealing a major setback to Democrats’ agenda.
NO to the Spending Bill
In an appearance with “Fox News Sunday,” the West Virginia Democrat stated flatly that he opposes the $1.7 trillion bill.
“I can’t vote for it if I can’t explain it to the people of West Virginia. I’m afraid I won’t be able to vote to keep this bill alive. I’ve tried everything I can think of. I’m not going to be able to get there,” Manchin explained.
“On this piece of legislation, I vote no. I’ve tried everything I’m capable of.” Manchin’s announcement echoed his earlier reservations about the bill: inflation, mounting debt, and a financing imbalance between the plan’s 10-year budget and its shorter-term initiatives.
Manchin, on the other hand, has never expressed a firm stance on the proposal until Sunday. He’s spoken with Biden multiple times in the last week, with the administration and other Democrats pleading with him to back the plan.
Key US Senator Delivers Blow To Joe Biden's Social Spending Bill https://t.co/GbpvGtw8DK pic.twitter.com/i1vRD4YcW5
— NDTV News feed (@ndtvfeed) December 19, 2021
Because the Senate is evenly divided, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer needs every Democrat to support the bill.
That combination provides Manchin significant clout over Biden’s agenda, enabling him to single-handedly derail a priority that liberals have been working on for the better part of the year.
Democrats were enraged by Manchin’s appearance on Fox News Sunday. While Manchin’s staff notified the White House and Democrat staffers about the senator’s impending punch to Biden’s plan, some liberals were irritated Manchin hadn’t personally called Biden or Schumer.
One Democrat aware with internal discussions fumed, “Manchin didn’t have the bravery to call the White House or Democrat establishment himself ahead of time.”
A Split in the Democrats’ Ranks
At the same time, Manchin was irritated by Biden’s Thursday remark, in which Biden mentioned Manchin and asked for additional time to negotiate on the comprehensive package.
Manchin later added, “It’s his remark, not mine.”
Manchin says he won’t vote for mass spending, climate bill, dealing blow to Biden | Just The Newshttps://t.co/7MjuHOob74
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) December 19, 2021
Manchin’s apparent opposition to the package is a major blow for Democrats, who attempted to split Biden’s program into two bills in order to pass his jobs and families plan.
Now that Biden’s collaborative infrastructure plan has been signed into law, the party-line effort to fund education, healthcare, global warming, and tax reform has died in its present form.
The White House’s dissatisfaction with Manchin has risen considerably in recent days, following the failure of Manchin and Biden’s telephone conversations.
Biden has always gotten along well with the senators on a personal level, and he has long thought he should not put pressure on his former coworkers. Furthermore, White House advisers were content — if not overjoyed — that the party-line bill would be delayed until early 2022.
