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Manchin Gives Thumbs Down to Build Back Broke [Updated]
Sen. Joe Manchin has been quite consistent for months. He was never going to vote for the left’s radical Build Back Broke bill. He could not stomach the price tag or expanding entitlement program contents, indigestible to West Virginians. Now he has gone from drawing red lines to killing the bill on “Fox News Sunday,” the week after the network added appeal by subtracting Chris Wallace. Bret Baier, a real reporter, got the scoop.
Reportedly, the Democratic Party leftist establishment is not taking the public rejection well. Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and instantly denounced his colleague. Sanders had been framing Manchin and Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema as two standing in the way of 48 senators, as if the 50 Republicans did not exist. Now he wants a show vote, thinking it will benefit his party faction to put every senator on the record as supporting the socialist scheme or not. Whatever the posturing of other senators, you may be sure they are thankful Manchin is saving them from having to defend that vote in their next reelection campaign.
A gleam of light in the late fall gloom.
Update: For more fun, enjoy Rep. Ilhan Omar on MSNBC:
"We all knew that Senator Manchin couldn't be trusted. The excuses that he just made, I think, are complete bullshit." @IlhanMN to @AliVelshi pic.twitter.com/qFQmqr1Wui
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) December 19, 2021
And the White House spokeswoman issued a statement, in which she all but calls Manchin a liar. This is extraordinary:
Published in GeneralStatement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki
DECEMBER 19, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Senator Manchin’s comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework “in good faith.”On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted—to the President, in person, directly—a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the same priorities. While that framework was missing key priorities, we believed it could lead to a compromise acceptable to all. Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground. If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.
Senator Manchin claims that this change of position is related to inflation, but the think tank he often cites on Build Back Better—the Penn Wharton Budget Institute—issued a report less than 48 hours ago that noted the Build Back Better Act will have virtually no impact on inflation in the short term, and, in the long run, the policies it includes will ease inflationary pressures. Many leading economists with whom Senator Manchin frequently consults also support Build Back Better.
Build Back Better lowers costs that families pay. It will reduce what families pay for child care. It will reduce what they pay for prescription drugs. It will lower health care premiums. And it puts a tax cut in the pockets of families with kids. If someone is concerned about the impact that higher prices are having on families, this bill gives them a break.
Senator Manchin cited deficit concerns in his statement. But the plan is fully paid for, is the most fiscally responsible major bill that Congress has considered in years, and reduces the deficit in the long run. The Congressional Budget Office report that the Senator cites analyzed an unfunded extension of Build Back Better. That’s not what the President has proposed, not the bill the Senate would vote on, and not what the President would support. Senator Manchin knows that: The President has told him that repeatedly, including this week, face to face.
Likewise, Senator Manchin’s statement about the climate provisions in Build Back Better are wrong. Build Back Better will produce a job-creating clean energy future for this country—including West Virginia.
Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word.
In the meantime, Senator Manchin will have to explain to those families paying $1,000 a month for insulin why they need to keep paying that, instead of $35 for that vital medicine. He will have to explain to the nearly two million women who would get the affordable day care they need to return to work why he opposes a plan to get them the help they need. Maybe Senator Manchin can explain to the millions of children who have been lifted out of poverty, in part due to the Child Tax Credit, why he wants to end a program that is helping achieve this milestone—we cannot.
We are proud of what we have gotten done in 2021: the American Rescue Plan, the fastest decrease in unemployment in U.S. history, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, over 200 million Americans vaccinated, schools reopened, the fastest rollout of vaccines to children anywhere in the world, and historic appointments to the Federal judiciary.
But we will not relent in the fight to help Americans with their child care, health care, prescription drug costs, and elder care—and to combat climate change. The fight for Build Back Better is too important to give up. We will find a way to move forward next year.
Much schadenfreude today!
I’m grateful for Manchin. We’ll see how it goes — maybe TPTB will simply “deem” it passed and implement it anyway. And he’s no conservative. But he has done this country a solid when the vote was his, coming through in the moment. He could have voted for it and been fine, but it was worth it to him to stand against this awful, radical bill.
So thank you Senator Manchin. We owe you.
But of course, his vote wouldn’t have been needed if the idiots in Arizona hadn’t “gone purple” or whatever it’s called these days.
You can trace it back to cell division if you want, but as things stand, I’m happy about Manchin.
Sure, we just shouldn’t be in a position where we have to depend on Democrats to do the right thing. Just the fact that only 2 out of 50 were willing to do so – and only in this particular situation, since they vote wrong just about every other time – shows that.
For balance on Manchin .
He voted both times to impeach Trump .
I agree 100%. At the same time, I try not to shoot at payers when they’re carrying the ball the right way. And this was a BIG play. We’ll see if we get the turnover. Not getting too happy too soon. Just grateful.
I know, I saw the haterade on PW. Given that, he could have been quite comfortable voting for just one more commie bill from this awful situation. But he didn’t. That took stones.
Or maybe just recognition that he’d probably lose his cushy job if he did.
I doubt Manchin is pleased with Biden’s actions related to fossil fuels.
Maybe, but that could also just be because he figures it will cost him his cushy job.
Gift horses. What do you want, a YES vote? Now if ever, take no for an aswer.
I take the no vote, but I don’t believe for a minute that it was “principled.”
A suggestion about the op title. How about “Manchin broke the Bernie-Biden Build Back Broker plan.
Use whichever definition of “broker” you prefer.
And so Build Back Babble hits a West Virginian ice berg and sinks faster than the Titanic. Too many metaphors in that one sentence but when writing and elated one goes overboard. ;).
Oh, it’s all I can do to avoid riffing on BrokeBack Biden etc. I’ll just behave.
I do like Broke Back Biden…lol. Kudos.
POSsibly ‘yellow’?
There’s this on Manchin.
I’m grateful for his “no” vote, but I won’t praise Manchin. His support of government spending and regulation are part of the reason we are in this mess. I’m glad he’s willing to stand up and stop it. But he isn’t willing to go far enough. I hope enough Americans will also see that it’s time to pay the piper and stop demanding a Santa Clause government.
I think he’s willing to stand up to keep his cushy job. That’s basically it.
Just what do you think you can build that will be better than my still on the hill?
LOL, completely irrelevant. If the voters of West Virginia vote him in, then he represents their interest. If he is supporting things against their interest, then they can vote him out. That’s how representative democracy works. That kind of attack piece is really garbage. But hey, it probably gets Liberals to donate money.
Seems to me that it could have been even worse. Speaking as a member of another “landlocked state”, I’m also happy with Manchin.
https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/17/democrats-offshore-oil-gas-drilling-ban-joe-manchin/
Maybe ask Clarence Thomas about Joe Biden’s troubled relationship with the truth.
Um, I think you mean the idiots in Georgia, and the person who suggested that people not vote in the runoff due to his losing an election in November. All of this did not need to happen.
This is really amusing for me since I have a connection to these two states and, in particular, the two counties that are involved. You must realize this, as characterized by Gary, is merely the continuation of the Trump/McCain feud and it’s turned two states purple.
This is the perfect example of what Ben Franklin and others were referring to when they designed our government saying that they didn’t want a system that put the best people in charge because all people are grossly flawed but they wanted a system where bad people could be forced to do good by their constituents.
Let’s all remember that Manchin didn’t do this. He’s not a good person or in any wat courageous. We owe our debt of gratitude to the people of West Virginia.
Senator Manchin habitually takes the role of the moderate holding back the forces of evil socialism…and then he, also habitually, succumbs when it is time to vote. The extra viciousness exploding out of the left and the White House against Manchin may indicate that this time the Senator is actually for real. I pray that is so. Some are saying he may be the Democrat savior for President in 2024. Time will tell. Talk is cheap. I hope they do bring the bill to a vote. Every citizen should see who the Congresspeople really are.