WATCH: Manchin slams Biden on Inflation Reduction Act and debt ceiling negotiations
Get ready for some political fireworks! Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is not holding back in his criticism of President Joe Biden and his administration. In fact, he’s accusing them of breaking their promises to the American public on the Inflation Reduction Act and calling out the president’s failure to negotiate the debt ceiling with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
During his appearance on Fox News’s Hannity, Manchin went so far as to say he would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act because, as he sees it, the Biden administration is not keeping its word. “This legislation was balanced. In the next ten years, we are going to have enough fossil fuel to run our country and to help our allies around the world. We will also be investing in new technology for the future. Now, the Biden administration has disregarded this completely,” Manchin told Sean Hannity.
Manchin claimed that the bill was about energy security, but he has not heard the White House reference this once since the law was passed, instead only talking about the environment. “Let me be very clear. If the administration does not honor what they said they would do and continue to liberalize what we are supposed to invest in over the next ten years, I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. And if they don’t change, then I would vote to repeal my own bill,” Manchin said.
But that’s not all. The West Virginia senator also used his time on the popular cable news show to criticize Biden for his failure to figure out the debt ceiling with House Republicans. “He can’t play Russian roulette with the debt and debt ceiling. That would be disastrous for our economy and for the American people … this is the United States, not the divided states. You have got to get in a room and work out the differences for the sake of our country.”
Manchin and the White House have had their fair share of differences in recent months, and the debt ceiling has been the most recent cause of contention. Last week, Manchin claimed Biden was showing a “deficiency of leadership” in not meeting with McCarthy and “compromising” on the debt ceiling. The West Virginia Democrat even wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal late last month denouncing Biden’s “betrayal” on the Inflation Reduction Act and explaining how it affects the debt ceiling.
It’s clear that tensions are high, and the stakes are even higher. Economists have warned that a default would have disastrous consequences on the economy. Biden has not budged in three months on his refusal to negotiate over the debt limit, and White House officials have criticized McCarthy and House Republicans for demanding spending negotiations be tied to the debt ceiling increase. McCarthy has not secured the support of his entire caucus for his plan to raise the debt ceiling over the next year either by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first. The debt ceiling, or the top amount the federal government can borrow, will either need to be raised or abolished sometime this summer to avert a debt default.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story!
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