Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) may have just opened up the wrong door.
After reports broke that Senator Sinema (D-AZ) was willing to start talking turkey, making the reconciliation bill all but a certainty, at least in the Senate, Sanders pushed Senator Manchin (D-W.V.) a bit too far.
According to reports, Sanders and Manchin were heard behind closed doors in a loud and nasty argument over the spending bill.
Nothing
After telling voters that he would not back an infrastructure spending bill during the election cycle, Manchin caved.
When the Dems made it clear they were moving forward with a $3.5 trillion plan, Manchin drew the ceiling at $1.5.
He then went back on his word again (honestly, I have lost count) by saying that he could entertain something in the $2 trillion range.
Sanders is greedy, and he wants to go big, like $6 trillion big, but he will settle for the $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill and the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.
It was apparently too much for Manchin to handle, as those outside the room heard the two of them screaming at each other over the legislation.
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) told reporters, “Joe said, ‘I’m comfortable with nothing.’
Bernie said, ‘We need to do three-and-a-half [trillion dollars].’
“The truth is both of them are in different spots.”
Senator Coons (D-DE) added, “There was a vigorous, 10-minute discussion. Bernie said, ‘$6 trillion.'”
He stated that at one point, “[Manchin] said, ‘We shouldn’t do it at all.’
“This will contribute to inflation. We’ve already passed the American Rescue Plan.
“We should just pass the infrastructure bill and, you know, pause for six months.”
In reality, two people now control the final dollar amount and what is included, whether Joe Biden likes it or not.
Personally, I hope they keep pushing both Manchin and Sinema to the point one of both of them walk away.
I just do not want to see Biden able to flip this negative news cycle at the cost of sticking two, maybe three generations with the tab for him to get some positive press.
Source: The Blaze
