Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) checkmated House Dems Monday and demanded a vote on the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill while telling them he will not be signing their larger reconciliation bill until any time soon.
He also criticized the total incompetence from the House Dems telling them he has “never seen anything like it” before urging them to stop playing games, “the political games have to stop,” Manchin said.
He said he was shocked that Biden had to go talk to the House twice and that his assurances were not good enough for the left so he simply shut them down one last time.
Manchin said: “In my view, this is not how the US Congress should operate. Holding this bill hostage is not going to work in getting my support for the reconciliation bill.”
“I’m open to supporting a final bill that helps move our country forward. But I’m equally open to voting against a bill that hurts our country.”
“This is a recipe for economic crisis,” Manchin said of budget “gimmicks” the Dems are trying to stuff in the reconciliation bill before adding he won’t support a bill “without greater clarity.”
“It is time to vote on the BIF bill, up or down,” he demanded.
He added, “We must allow time for analysis and complete transparency” on the Build Back Better bill.
House Dems and Jen Psaki continued to be oblivious to reality.
“We intend to pass both bills in the next couple of days,” @PramilaJayapal says on CNN moments after Sen Manchin presser
— Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) November 1, 2021
A White House statement on the Manchin presser in which he said he was prepared to vote yes or no. pic.twitter.com/yCuZhVDXVf
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 1, 2021
So now @RepJayapal is going to send the infrastructure bill to Biden’s desk without assurances on BBB?
Progressives are in a much worse spot than they were last week. Manchin is saying he’d be fine voting against bbb.
What a bizarre turn. https://t.co/GqhlIAM6Za
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 1, 2021
