Senator Joe Manchin Announces Opposition to Democrats’ ‘Build Back Better’ Spending Plan

What’s the story?

• Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced Sunday that he remains opposed to the Build Back Better Act, dealing a major blow to Democrats’ signature legislative initiative given their need for the support of Manchin and 49 other Democratic senators in the evenly-divided Senate.
• In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Manchin told Bret Baier that, “I have always said, ‘If I can’t go back home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it.’ And I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation, I just can’t. I have tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.”
• Manchin also released a statement explaining that the concerns he has outlined over the last five and a half months “have only increased as the pandemic surges on, inflation rises and geopolitical uncertainty increases around the world.” He explained:

“My Democratic colleagues in Washington are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face. I cannot take that risk with a staggering debt of more than $29 trillion and inflation taxes that are real and harmful to every hard-working American at the gasoline pumps, grocery stores and utility bills with no end in sight. The American people deserve transparency on the true cost of the Build Back Better Act. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office determined the cost is upwards of $4.5 trillion which is more than double what the bill’s ardent supporters have claimed. They continue to camouflage the real cost of the intent behind this bill.”

• Manchin’s statement also cited concerns about the potential need to respond to geopolitical crises stemming from rising tensions with China and Russia or to further COVID-19 variants; energy security; and the threat posed by the rising national debt.
• White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying, “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.” She explained:

“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.”

• Psaki concluded her statement by saying, “The fight for Build Back Better is too important to give up. We will find a way to move forward next year.”

What’s next?

• It’s possible that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may force a vote on the motion to proceed to the Build Back Better Act even though it would fail barring a reversal from Manchin given his opposition and that of the Senate’s 50 Republican senators.
• The Biden administration and Democratic leadership in Congress may seek to rework the package further to reach an agreement with Manchin. But for the Build Back Better Act to clear both chambers, Democrats need the support of all 50 of their senators and can lose the support of no more than three members in the House, so there is very little margin for error with either the moderate or progressive wings of their party.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Senate Democrats via Flickr / Creative Commons)