Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on September 30, 2021.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
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J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on September 30, 2021.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin railed against President Biden’s roughly $2 trillion in social and climate spending, called Building Back Better on Sunday, told Fox News in in an interview that he could not support that.
“If I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it and I can’t vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything possible. “I can’t get there,” Manchin said.
When pressed that it was a company, Manchin added: “This is forbidden in this law. I’ve tried everything I know how to do and the president has worked diligently. He’s been amazing. to work with.”
Manchin has expressed reservations about the bill’s cost in recent weeks, after previously forcing Democrats to downsize their climate goals in the bill. The president and Democratic leaders acknowledged a few days ago that they would miss the deadline to vote on the bill in the Senate before the holiday season, but Manchin’s comments made the bill seem unlikely. accepted.
Democrats have been trying to pass special budget law rules that would allow them to pass the Senate 50-50 without a Republican vote to pass the 60-vote threshold on the law. But they would need every member of the Democratic caucus on board to pass it by 50 votes and Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie.
Without Manchin’s support, the law would fail.
