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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.
Democrats should be on their knees thanking the Lord Joe Manchin finally said no. Every Democrat to the right of AOC and Bernie should be rejoicing at the defeat, and that they don’t have to have the American people find out all the lousy crap that was in that bill.
And I don’t care by whose hand this died, I’m just glad it died because it was really, really bad for the country.
Attacks by Bernie probably add ten points to Manchin’s approval rating.
It’s not over yet.
Frankenstein came back. Dracula came back. Marxism came back. So will this.
From Zerohedge:
Manchin: Biden Staff did “Inexcusable things”
Joe M :“They drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is, and that’s it. “
“They figured surely to God we can move one person. We surely can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough that they’ll just say, ‘OK I’ll vote for anything,'” Manchin continued. “Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia. I’m not from where they’re from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period.”
Saw this elsewhere on ricochet:
Well, he is a Democrat.
Actually I meant Arizona. Does the name Mark Kelly ring a bell?
The only thing that has been more consistent than Manchin’s statements that he would not support BBB has been the Democrats unwillingness to accept that he wasn’t fooling. Idiots!
Only a great fool!
Yes, Mark Kelly is from Arizona. Martha McSally completely wrapped herself in Trump’s embrace and lost 51.2% to 48.8%.
There’s your John McCain effect in Arizona.
I can’t trust anyone who claims to be certain of that.
I blame Arizona.
[Redact] you and the hobby horse you rode in on.
Stop dropping this into every thread. It’s selfish and lame.
It a malady that strikes those people in Arizona who aligned with McCain.
Come on, TBA, the guy isn’t important enough to waste keystrokes on.
Yes. Two steps forward, one step back.
McSally is a terrible campaigner. She stunk at constituent service. She was Mitch McConnell’s pick both times. McConnell and Ducey threw away two seats.
I can blame the Arizona voters for being so dumb to elect a Democrat who may have been a “good campaigner” but so what? As I recall, the Bible even says the same thing about Satan.
Not a winning strategy, and not helpful in fixing the problem. Here is the thing: Sinema is far more attentive and responsive to her constituents, Democrat, Republican, and independent. She always has been, which is how she gets reelected regularly. Mark Kelly came off better on camera and had no political career baggage. It was [Naval combat aviator and astronaut] against [Air Force combat aviator and lousy appointed senator.] McSally ran for the Senate the first time because she feared losing her increasingly blue House district in the Tucson (college town) area. She assumed she could win with the statewide balance in partisan voter registration and ran a prevent defense campaign.
Oh, and she was running to replace McCain, whose last act in office was to break his and his party’s pledge to repeal Obamacare. So, why would AZ voters reward any candidate favored by Mitch McConnell? I wrote about her troubled campaign at the time.
None of that excuses electing a Democrat. Any more than anyone can somehow claim to rationally justify voting for Biden instead of Trump.
You are coming from a Republican perspective. There are not enough Republicans in AZ to elect a senator on their own.
Now, persuade independent voters, who hold cross-cutting issue positions, some supported by Democrats and some by Republicans. Then get some Democrats to cross over.
Now, motivate volunteers to persuade others and to drive turn out.
If there aren’t enough Republicans in Arizona to elect a Republican senator on their own, that’s the fault of the Democrat voters too. They would be Republicans if they had any sense.
Unfortunately even Adam and Eve were suckered into casting a bad vote. ;)