The Senate has adjourned until next year without passing Biden’s expensive “Build Back Better” bill thanks to Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Senator Chuck Schumer did not have the votes needed to pass the bill with Manchin holding out.
Speaking to Fox News’ Bret Baier on Sunday, Baier asked Manchin directly about his position:
Manchin: I’ve always said this, Bret. If I can’t go home and explain to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it. And I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.
Baier: You’re done? This is a no?
Manchin: This is a no on this piece of legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.
The Senate has adjourned until next year.
National Review reports “Senator Manchin has said that the bill cannot exceed $1.5 trillion in size” for his support. “But the bill the House passed spends $1.95 trillion. Senator Manchin has said that he does not want to see any accounting ‘gimmicks’ underpinning the project.”
Manchin has also expressed concern that the “shell games” will “make the real cost of the so-called $1.75 trillion bill estimated to be almost twice that amount if the full time is run out.”
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) did an analysis which backs up Manchin’s assumptions. Manchin said “spending trillions more on new and expanded government programs, when we can’t even pay for the essential programs, like Social Security and Medicare, is the definition of fiscal insanity.”
