What was considered a major win for Biden is quickly taking a turn for the worst.
House Democrats don’t want to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill without the reconciliation bill in hand.
And now, Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) expressed reservations regarding the massive $3.5 trillion package the Dems want to pass via reconciliation.
Going Up in Flames
I want to be excited about this, but Manchin has led us all down this road before, only to eventually cave.
For now, however, he is our beacon of hope to prevent both bills from going through.
AOC and her crew do not want to pass the bipartisan bill until they have the reconciliation bill in hand.
However, now Manchin says he has “serious concerns” about the bigger spending package, hinting that he may put up a fight on this bill.
He has, however, backed a procedural vote on reconciliation, something he previously said he would not support on infrastructure.
Manchin stated, “Early this morning, I voted ‘YES’ on a procedural vote to move forward on the budget reconciliation process because I believe it is important to discuss the fiscal policy future of this country.
“However, I have serious concerns about the grave consequences facing West Virginians and every American family if Congress decides to spend another $3.5 trillion.”
My statement raising concerns about the consequences of passing a $3.5 trillion budget: pic.twitter.com/gGsEXcVTxd
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) August 11, 2021
Schumer responded, “There are some in my caucus who might believe it’s too much there are some in my caucus who might believe it’s too little.
“I can tell you this: in reconciliation, one, we are going to all come together to get something done and two it will have every part of the Biden plan in a big bold robust way.”
Manchin knows he is on thin ice with his constituents here because he vowed not to allow free-for-all spending by the Democrat Party.
If he supports the package the way it sits right now, he will lose the support of virtually every moderate, which means he does not get re-elected.
I am concerned, however, that he even allowed the reconciliation procedural vote to move forward with the concerns he mentioned in his statement.
Like I said at the opening, I want to be more excited about this, but Manchin has caved before, so it would not be a surprise to see him cave again.
If Manchin does hold firm, though, it actually puts both bills in jeopardy, turning a huge Biden win into an epic loss, so we will continue to follow this story very closely.
Source: Fox News
