A centrist U.S. Democratic lawmaker, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, said Sunday he is definitively opposed to President Joe Biden\u2019s roughly $2 trillion social safety net spending plan, likely dooming its passage without further sharp revisions in its scope and cost.<\/P>
Manchin\u2019s vote was essential in the politically divided Senate for passage of one of the key elements of the Democratic president\u2019s legislative agenda. None of the 50 Republicans in the 100-member chamber supports the plan to expand health care for older Americans, provide universal pre-kindergarten classes, authorize new funding to combat climate change and offer more financial support for low-income Americans.<\/P>
Democrats had hoped to push through the legislation on a 51-50 vote before Christmas, with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaking vote. The House of Representatives has already approved a version of the bill.<\/P>
But Manchin, who discussed the measure at length last week with Biden, told the \u201cFox News Sunday\u201d show, \u201cIf I can\u2019t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can\u2019t vote for it. And I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation.\u201d<\/P>
\u201cI just can\u2019t,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cI\u2019ve tried everything humanly possible. I can\u2019t get there. This is a \u2018no\u2019 on this legislation.\u201d<\/P>
The White House said the lawmaker last week offered a framework for a compromise on the legislation and \u201cpromised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground.\u201d<\/P>
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that if Manchin\u2019s comments \u201cindicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator\u2019s colleagues in the House and Senate.\u201d<\/P>
She rebuffed Manchin\u2019s claims that the legislation would add to the surge in consumer prices in the United States, the highest in nearly four decades, or add to the country\u2019s long-term debt, now more than $29 trillion, because the new spending would be paid for with higher taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals.<\/P>
One of the key Senate architects of the legislation, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, reacted angrily to Manchin\u2019s refusal to support fellow Democratic colleagues and vote for it. Sanders said Manchin \u201cdoesn\u2019t have the guts\u201d to take on special business interests who would be impacted most by the legislation.<\/P>
Sanders told CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d show he wants the Senate to vote on the measure anyway, even if it is headed to defeat, to force Manchin to publicly account for his vote.<\/P>
\u201cHe\u2019s going to have a lot of explaining to do with the people of West Virginia,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cLet him vote \u2018no\u2019 and explain it to the world.\u201d<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
Source: Voice of America<\/P>
<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A centrist U.S. Democratic lawmaker, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, said Sunday he is definitively opposed to President Joe Biden\u2019s roughly $2 trillion social safety net spending plan, likely dooming its passage without further sharp revisions i…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n