WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and his staff told Democratic leadership on Thursday that he’s not willing to support major climate and tax provisions in a sweeping Biden agenda bill, according to a Democrat briefed on the conversations.
Instead, the key centrist who holds the swing vote in the 50-50 Senate said he is only willing to back a filibuster-proof economic bill with drug pricing and a two-year extension of funding under the Affordable Care Act, the source said.
“Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas as inflation soars to 9.1%,” Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon said in a statement to NBC News. “Senator 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’s move upends lengthy negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., likely forcing the party to scrap climate change policies and new taxes, delivering a major blow to some of President Joe Biden’s priorities heading into an already challenging midterm election landscape for Democrats this fall.
Manchin “was explicit that he will not support a bill in August” with energy or climate provisions or on “closing tax loopholes exploited by the wealthiest” and large corporations, “despite his support for those specific things throughout the entire negotiation,” said the Democrat briefed on the discussions.
Democrats are hoping to pass a bill before September to prevent major insurance premium hikes under the Affordable Care Act that could be difficult to avert if they don’t act quickly.
A second Democratic aide familiar with the talks said Manchin conveyed to Democratic leadership that he could support a package that includes climate and tax provisions as long as they’re paid for — or that he’d just want a bill on prescription drugs and ACA money.
July 13, 202201:34
The negotiations have left party leaders deeply frustrated, with the source briefed on talks calling it a reversal for the West Virginia Democrat after he backed a provision last week to raise some taxes on high earners to extend the solvency of Medicare. “Manchin has now backed off of his support for this provision’s inclusion in the bill,” said the source, who requested anonymity to candidly discuss sensitive negotiations between Manchin and Schumer.
“Schumer and his staff have presented legislative text to Sen. Manchin and his staff for months,” the source added, including “major concessions and a willingness to include things that were not in previous bills.”
With no hope of winning Republican support for the package, Manchin’s position leaves Democratic leaders with a grueling choice: They can either drop the package entirely or pass the provisions he supports, which are overwhelmingly supported by congressional Democrats.
“We know what we can pass is basically the drug pricing — on Medicare. We know that one. Is there any more we can do? I don’t know. But I’m very, very cautious,” Manchin told reporters earlier this week.
Manchin told NBC News on Tuesday the policies to lower prescription drug costs are “going be a tremendous help.”
“Drug pricing is the most — that’s the one thing that everyone seems to agree on. Let Medicare negotiate, reduce the prices,” he said.
Democrats had insisted that funding to help combat climate change, a high priority for many, would be paid for.
“If we make a real commitment on the climate front, and we pay for it, by making big corporations pay their fair share in taxes, that’s going to help us,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
