Senator Joe Manchin derailed momentum for a $1.85 trillion social spending package on Monday, telling reporters that it was filled with “budget gimmicks” and he needed more time to assess its impact on inflation.
“I’m open to supporting a final bill that helps move our country forward, but I am equally open to voting against a bill that hurts our country,” Manchin said.
“Simply put, I will not support a bill that is this consequential without thoroughly understanding the impact that it will have on our national debt, our economy and most importantly all of our American people,” he added.
Manchin said the framework for the social spending released by President Joe Biden is filled with “shell games” and seriously underestimates the cost of many programs. He’s been consulting with experts at the University of Pennsylvania’s business school, who’ve provided vastly different estimates regarding the bill’s true cost. For example, Axios reports: “the White House puts the cost of day care subsidies and universal preschool at $400 billion; Penn Wharton estimates it at $700 billion over 10 years.”
“As more of the real details outlined in the basic framework are released, what I see are shell games, budget gimmicks that make the real cost of the so-called $1.75* trillion bill estimated to be almost twice that amount, if the full time is run out, if you extended it permanently,” Manchin said Monday. “And that we haven’t even spoken about. This is a recipe for economic crisis.”
The West Virginia Democrat also excoriated progressives for refusing to pass a separate $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill until an agreement was reached on the larger social spending package.
“The political games have to stop. Twice now the House has balked at the opportunity to send the [infrastructure] legislation to the president. Holding this bill hostage is not going to work in getting my support for the reconciliation bill.”
“While I have worked hard to find a path to compromise, it is obvious compromise is not good enough for a lot of my colleagues in Congress,” Manchin added. “It’s all or nothing, and their position doesn’t seem to change unless we agree to everything. Enough is enough.”
ABC News provides context:
Monday’s remarks from Manchin are especially remarkable, coming with Biden on the world stage and his economic agenda hanging in the balance. Manchin said he’s attempting to clarify “mischaracterizations” of his position he said have been made since Biden met with House Democrats last Thursday — just before heading overseas.
The New York Times adds:
…some Democrats worried aloud that the senator’s complaints had further inflamed mistrust over a fragile accord in the final stages of negotiation.
“You don’t want to keep throwing up roadblocks — if you do, it’ll never be passed,” said Senator Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana, who helped negotiate the infrastructure bill. Asked if liberals had made a mistake in opposing a planned vote on that bill last week, Mr. Tester said, “of course, but I think Joe made a mistake today by going out and making the news conference.”
In a statement, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) said Manchin opposition’s to the social spending package “is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant.”
“Joe Manchin does not get to dictate the future of our country,” she added.
But the White House expressed confidence that Manchin would eventually support the bill, saying in a statement “Senator Manchin says he is prepared to support a Build Back Better plan that combats inflation, is fiscally responsible, and will create jobs. The plan the House is finalizing meets those tests—it is fully paid for, will reduce the deficit, and brings down costs for health care, child care, elder care, and housing. Experts agree: Seventeen Nobel Prize-winning economists have said it will reduce inflation. As a result, we remain confident that the plan will gain Senator Manchin’s support.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the powerful chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, also sounded a note of optimism on Monday, saying “”We trust the President that he will get 51 votes for this.”
CNN adds:
House Democratic leaders are considering putting the social spending and infrastructure bills on the floor as soon as Wednesday night or Thursday for the final votes, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Although there is still a possibility that timing could slip.
*Editor’s Note: Many outlets list the social spending package’s cost at $1.75 trillion. We follow the lead set by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others who list it at $1.85 trillion. The discrepancy is related to $100 billion that would aid undocumented migrants.