Sen. Manchin: Reconciliation bill a ‘recipe for economic crisis’

Amber CoakleyNovember 2, 2021

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., pauses while speaking with reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:44 AM PT – Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has thrown yet another wrench in the Democrats’ massive spending plans. In a press briefing on Monday, the moderate Democrat said he would not support the Democrat-devised reconciliation package and stressed it’s time to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Manchin then took aim at progressives in the lower chamber for holding the infrastructure bill hostage in an attempt to tie their massive social spending proposals to the much needed legislation. Additionally, he condemned Democrat leaders for trying to jam the bill through Congress swiftly to score political points for the Biden administration.

Joe Biden had hoped to pass his massive spending agenda before his international tour at the G20 and COP26 summits, but his agenda remains stalled in Congress.

Since Biden took office, the price of gas has spiked more than 50%. It’s gone up for 27 days straight. Some areas are paying $7.59 a gallon!

The Dem’s Reconciliation Bill includes a NEW TAX on domestic energy that will drive costs higher. It’s the last thing we need.

— Congresswoman Tenney (@RepTenney) October 28, 2021

Manchin also criticized his fellow Democrats for trying to ram the massive spending package through without fully understanding the consequences. He said every elected representative needs to know what they are voting for and called for more transparency on the impact of Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better proposal.

The West Virginia senator warned the bill doesn’t address the mounting economic problems brought on by the Biden administration, including skyrocketing inflation, debt and interest rates on the verge of running away. Manchin added, based on what he has seen, the bill will actually cost double what Democrats say it will or around $3.5 trillion.

The moderate Democrat ended by saying he will continue to negotiate in good faith and demanded that his colleagues reach across the aisle to pass a “sensible reconciliation package.”

After Manchin’s briefing, the White House released a statement saying it’s confident the senator will “come around” and reiterated talking points that the bill will actually combat inflation and create jobs.