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A28 US NEWS
Dialuna 20 December 2021

Sen. Joe Manchin says no to $2T bill: ‘I can’t vote for it’

(AP) — Democratic Sen. Sunday. “Manchin is the one “We should be up front and
Joe Manchin said Sunday that is killing Biden’s agenda. pick our priorities,” Manchin
he cannot back his party’s said.
signature $2 trillion so- Even more centrist lawmak-
cial and environment bill, ers piled on, vowing to keep Democrats largely dismiss
seemingly dealing a fa- fighting for Biden’s bill. Manchin’s assertions that
tal blow to President Joe the bill would fuel inflation
Biden’s leading domestic “After months of negotia- and worsen budget deficits.
initiative heading into an tions, one Democratic U.S. Democrats say it would put
election year when Dem- Senator has now summarily money in peoples’ pockets
ocrats’ narrow hold on walked away from produc- to help them afford rising
Congress was already in tive negotiations. That is un- prices, and that strengthen-
peril. acceptable, and we cannot act ing child care, education
like this moment is the end,” and job training would help
Manchin told “Fox News said Rep. Abigail Spanberger, people get back to work and
Sunday” that he always has D-Va. find better jobs. That would
made clear he had reserva- increase productivity and
tions about the bill and that Last week, Biden all but ac- help employers fill empty job
now, after five-and-half knowledged that negotiations slots, both of which would
months of discussions and over his sweeping domestic work to keep price increases
negotiations, “I cannot vote
to continue with this piece Also included are funds for
of legislation.” His choice of caring for the elderly, hous-
words suggested an open- ing, job training and more
ness to continuing talks, but than $500 billion for tax
all but said the bill would die breaks and spending aimed
unless it was reshaped to his at curbing climate change.
terms. Nearly all of it would be paid
for with higher taxes on the
In an unusually confronta- wealthy and large corpora-
tional response to a senator tions.
whose vote is crucial, White
House press secretary Jen Manchin’s opposition puts it
Psaki called Manchin’s state- all on hold indefinitely. The
ment “a sudden and inexpli- West Virginia senator cited
cable reversal in his position” several factors weighing on
and “a breach of his commit- the economy and the poten-
ments” to Biden and con- tial harm he saw from push-
gressional Democrats. ing through the “mammoth”
bill, such as persistent infla-
“We will continue to press tion, a growing debt and the
him to see if he will reverse latest threat from the omi-
his position yet again, to hon- cron variant.
or his prior commitments
and be true to his word,” she “When you have these things
said. coming at you the way they
are right now, I’ve always said
The legislation’s apparent this ... if I can’t go home and policy package would likely in check.
collapse is sure to deepen explain it to the people of “If he doesn’t have the cour- push into the new year. But
the bitter ideological divi- West Virginia, I can’t vote for age to do the right thing for the president had insisted A report from the nonpar-
sions within the Democratic it,” he said. the working families of West that Manchin reiterated his tisan Congressional Budget
Party between progressives Virginia and America, let him support for a framework that Office earlier this month
and moderates. That would “I tried everything humanly vote no in front of the whole the senator, the White House said that if many of the bill’s
call into question whether possible. I can’t do it,” he world, “ Sanders told CNN’s and other Democrats had temporary spending boosts
Democrats will be able to said. “This is a no on this ”State of the Union.” agreed to for the flagship bill. and tax cuts were made per-
join together behind any legislation. I have tried every- manent, it would add $3 tril-
substantial legislation before thing I know to do.” It is rare for a member of On Sunday, Manchin made lion to the price tag. That
the November congressio- a president’s own party to clear those were Biden’s would more than double its
nal elections. And it adds a Though Manchin has been administer a fatal blow to words, not his own. The 10-year cost to about $5 tril-
note of chaos just as Demo- Democrats’ main obstacle all their paramount legislative senator criticized fellow lion. Democrats has called
crats need to demonstrate year to pushing the massive initiative. Manchin’s deci- lawmakers for a bill that the projections from the
accomplishments and show package through the narrow- sion called to mind the fa- “hasn’t shrunk” after he ini- Republican-requested report
a united front before the fall ly divided Congress, his dec- mous thumbs-down vote by tially agreed to a $1.5 trillion fictitious.
campaign. laration was a stunning re- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., framework and said social
pudiation of Biden’s and his that killed President Donald programs must be paid for But Democrats note that the
The bill carries huge invest- party’s top goal. A rejection Trump’s 2017 effort to re- over 10 years instead of just a CBO estimated that the leg-
ments for helping millions of the legislation had been peal the health care law en- few years to win his support, islation is almost completely
of families with children, seen by many as unthinkable acted under President Barack a nonstarter due to cost. paid for. Its tax boosts, more
including extending a more because of the political dam- Obama. aggressive IRS collection of
generous child tax credit, cre- age it could inflict on Demo- For instance, just extending revenue from higher earners
ating free preschool and bol- crats. “Infuriated,” said Rep. Jamaal the child tax credit program and other savings would add
stering child care aid. There’s Bowman, D-N.Y., among for the full 10-year budget around $200 billion to federal
assistance to help people pay Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the progressives fighting for a window would cost well over deficits over the coming de-
health care costs, new hear- criticized Manchin for with- more robust Biden bill. $1 trillion. That would con- cade, CBO has estimated —
ing benefits for Medicare drawing his support and sume most of Biden’s bill, a small percentage of the $12
recipients and provisions urged Democratic leaders “We’ve had concerns about crowding out other key ini- trillion in red ink CBO had
limiting price increases on to bring the bill to the floor trusting Joe Manchin tiatives on health care, child already projected.
prescription drugs. anyway and force Manchin to throughout the year,” Bow- care, education and more.
oppose it. man said by telephone on