Never say never. There were many who thought that Joe Manchin was going to tank Build Back Better but that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. Maybe it was the folks kiyacking out to his houseboat “Almost Heaven” for an aqua version of a town hall. The Hill:
Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Tuesday signaled he is open to a budget reconciliation bill in the ballpark of $1.9 trillion to $2.2 trillion, above the limit he set just last week of $1.5 trillion.
Manchin and his fellow moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) are still far apart from liberals such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) who thought the upper chamber had a deal to spend $3.5 trillion on President Biden’s human infrastructure package, but the two sides are inching closer.
“I’m not ruling anything out, but the bottom line is I want to make sure that we’re strategic and we do the right job and we don’t basically add more to the concerns we have right now,” Manchin told reporters Tuesday.
It was a small departure from his position last week when he announced: “My top-line has been $1.5 [trillion].”
He also told reporters last week that he doesn’t want “to change our whole society to an entitlement mentality.”
I don’t know where he gets “entitlement” from when he represents one of the most dirt poor states in the country. They need everything back there, roads, health care, child care, you name it.
And of course the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits using federal funds for abortions, is about to become the focal point of negotiations. You knew that. It won’t be a real showdown unless the uber emotional topic of abortion is wrestled with for the umpteenth time. Elizabeth Warren’s complaint has been that the Hyde amendment disproportionately affects poor women because they need Medicaid to pay for abortions.
Manchin’s comments last week sparked a backlash from progressives, though his Democratic Senate colleagues have been careful not to criticize him for fear of angering a key vote.
But while Manchin has signaled some flexibility on the top-line number, there are a number of significant disagreements still to resolve with fellow Democrats.
One major sticking point is his insistence that the reconciliation bill include the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits using federal funds for abortion expenses.
Two steps forward, one step back. But at least some ground has been gained. This is most promising. And as I’ve said in the past and will now say again, as much as people criticize Joe Manchin, we wouldn’t even be having these discussions if McConnell was running the Senate. Let’s always bear in mind that politics is not a simple, black and white affair. Welcome to the Grey Zone, where all is actually negotiated. Maybe nobody literally smokes anymore, but the political air is still all back rooms and smoke nonetheless.
I still say its past time to open a 55 gallon drum of whoop-a$$ on Manchin and Sinema! They can do as their constituents demand, or be ejected (at mach 3 plus!) and banned from any and all elected or appointed positions anywhere forever!!
Well, you’re more than welcome to hold that opinion but, just bear in mind that Manchin’s on borrowed time politically as it stands now and the state is in a very interesting position when it comes to replacing a Senator. For starters, if Manchin were to be removed (somehow), his replacement would only serve until the next statewide general election (which happens to be 2022). The more interesting bit, though, is that the governor is required to appoint a replacement of the same party BUT there is absolutely nothing that would prevent a replacement Democrat from *suddenly* changing parties (as the current Governor did after HE was elected as a Democrat in 2016).
But even in the short time between Manchin’s departure from the Senate and the Governor’s replacing him, that would give McConnell control of the Senate once again (and, dollars to doughnuts, he’ll move to completely undo the current “power sharing” agreement on the basis that the GOP has an outright majority and even if the replacement Democrat remains a Democrat, McConnell will NOT return to the power sharing arrangement).
In other words, he’s caving. Forget the showboating he and Synema have been putting on. If push comes to shove, neither have enough muscle to tank this deal.
Entitlements: SS, Medicare, Medicaid. Not entitlements: tax breaks for corporations and rich people.
I wish the more conservative members of Congress (both houses, both parties) would have to live on the average SS check for six months, with access to not more than $5K in savings.
Also, someone tell him that abortion is a safe *and legal* medical procedure, no matter what the Rs want people to think.
“One major sticking point is his insistence that the reconciliation bill include the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits using federal funds for abortion expenses.”
As Pramila Jayapal pointed out, this is a totally BS issue: the Hyde amendment is already established law. There will be nothing in the reconciliation bill to repeal the Hyde amendment, so it’s not an issue.
I wonder if Manchin isn’t playing the game, like Susan (whatshername). You know, how she acts like she will vote with moderates on hot button issues and then votes lockstep with her republican compadres. Manchin might be holding out so he can posture for the conservatives in West Virginia, up until the last minute.
And with that comment, you have just shown an understanding of politics that continues to elude most of the media reporting on this. Noise is all it is. He knows that tanking the deal is as good as tanking his career.
The really unfortunate result of all this foot-dragging and mind-numbing he-said, she-said, they-said, is the slow start to all the pressing issues that are life-or-death to our planet AND the mostly human race …
The vile lies and drivel spilling from McConnell’s face in his monotone boomer voice has shown a contempt for the value of truth, when all the planned fixes of Biden’s budget FOR THE PEOPLE, are, indeed, a much needed boost in jobs, education and future security of the family units …
Desalination and purification of ocean waters would be a great startup, as the water tables are down and reserve lakes, ponds, and rivers are going low with changes in weather and man’s need to plant and water certain crops like almond trees …
Whatever happened to those days when you could wave to a neighbor and wish them and their family a good day?
Oh– that’s right, TRUMP, the complete idiot and his cult …
For like two weeks, the articles over at DK have had the tone and tenor of people running around their house naked while the drapes are on fire and the pets are drunk on summer wine.
(Actually, those sort of people would be far, far more measured and fun to hang with).
My take has been “give it a little time, let things play out, no need to order pitchforks on Amazon quite yet.” What I have learned is that somewhere in history some memos got crossed or something, because whoever decided to invent the word “hysterical” as a pejorative to women clearly meant for it to refer to heterosexual white men. Sheesh.
Ursula’s take is where I hoped we’d be, and where I think things really are, and fingers crossed we can get a deal soon and pass this MoFo.
On msnbc, ari clearly showed the TAX CUTS bush & Trump pushed through for the wealthy equaled 3.4 trillion with no benefit to anyone else. Biden is asking for 3.5 trillion over 10 years. And his plan saves all our collective asses. How can we be so stupid as to not vote them out.