Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) won’t support provisions in Democrats’ proposed economic legislation that would allocate spending toward climate change or increase taxes for the wealthy.
The announcement, following months of negotiations, deals a blow to Democrats as they attempt to advance a key part of their agenda before the midterm elections in November when their majorities in Congress are at risk. Manchin, who is not up for reelection this cycle, blasted the left-wing members of his party for prioritizing “political headlines” over “economic realities.”
“Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas as inflation soars to 9.1%,” Sam Runyon, a spokeswoman for Manchin, told the Washington Post. “Sen. Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, reevaluate, and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire.”
Manchin also rejected proposals in the economic bill that would implement tax hikes for the wealthy, dealing another blow to Democrats who sought to undo tax cuts enacted by former President Donald Trump in 2017. That stance was also adopted by fellow centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), provoking ire from other members of the party.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat my disappointment here, especially since nearly all issues in the climate and energy space had been resolved,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in a statement. “This is our last chance to prevent the most catastrophic — and costly — effects of climate change. We can’t come back in another decade and forestall hundreds of billions — if not trillions — in economic damage and undo the inevitable human toll.”
“Siri, show me what ‘moderate’ leadership looks like,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet.
Manchin has been in talks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) over the last several weeks to make a deal on economic legislation as the party seeks to fulfill campaign promises that secured Democratic control of Congress in 2020. The centrist’s support is necessary to advance the legislation in the evenly divided Senate.
Democrats had already made a series of compromises aimed at winning over Manchin, including eliminating proposals for paid family and medical leave. However, Manchin has grown more uneasy in recent weeks as inflation soars, noting he is “cautious” about any increases in spending.
The most recent iteration of the bill addressed climate change as Democrats seek to achieve President Joe Biden’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions significantly over the next 10 years. The senator from West Virginia, which produces more coal than most other states in the nation, has been hesitant to enact climate-related provisions that would severely punish polluters. The compromise from Schumer and other Democrats would have offered to scale down their proposals, proposing incentives that would encourage drivers to purchase electric cars and enforce some penalties for companies that pollute methane gas.
Still, Manchin signaled he is open to continuing negotiations on other portions of the bill, including provisions that would lower prescription and health insurance costs.
Lawmakers will attempt to renegotiate the bill ahead of the midterm elections, after which Democrats are widely expected to lose control of the House.
