Sen. Joe Manchin isn’t exactly giving hope to proponents of President Joe Biden’s costly social spending proposal that he’ll support it any time soon.
Following a Labor Department report that found the highest rate of inflation in 30 years, the West Virginia Democrat on Wednesday dismissed claims that rising costs are “transitory.” Manchin, a linchpin of support for Biden’s agenda in the 50-50 Senate, suggested he’s still not sold on backing the president’s $1.85 trillion bill containing spending provisions on healthcare, climate change mitigation, and other areas.
The report found consumer prices rose to 6.2% in the year ending in October, well above expectations of 5.8%. The Fed has called the rate transitory as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, but the high rate is expected to fuel public concern about inflation, which is contributing to Biden’s dipping popularity rating.
INFLATION ROSE TO 6.2% IN OCTOBER, THE HIGHEST ANNUAL RATE IN 30 YEARS
Manchin, who objected to the size and scope of the president’s original proposed spending bill, has previously expressed concern about government spending leading to inflation. Liberal Democrats in the House and Senate want the Biden spending plan passed immediately — part of a deal to get through a smaller, bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.
After the release of the report, Manchin dismissed the argument that rising inflation is “transitory,” saying the problem is “instead getting worse.”
By all accounts, the threat posed by record inflation to the American people is not “transitory” and is instead getting worse. From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 10, 2021
“From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day,” Manchin tweeted.
Biden in a statement following the report said, “Inflation hurts Americans pocketbooks, and reversing this trend is a top priority for me.”
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Due to Democrats’ razor-thin majority dependent on Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote, Manchin has held enormous sway over how to craft the bill. It cannot pass the Senate without his support because no Republicans are likely to support the legislation.
