Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia does not care about black people, Latinos, immigrants, women, or the poor, according to freshman Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York.
Bowman made the remarks during an interview on CNN when he questioned Manchin's decision not to endorse the Build Back Better proposal. The Biden administration and Democrats have been attempting to get the bill through without Republican backing, although doing so would need the approval of all 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus, as per The Blaze.
Rep. Bowman rips Joe Manchin's refusal to vote
On Monday night, Bowman attacked West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, accusing him of not caring about women, minorities, or the poor. He is the latest Democrat in the House to openly attack Manchin for voting against President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better package.
"White man" Manchin's revelation on Sunday essentially destroyed Democrats' effort to enact Biden's massive social reform and climate change proposal before the new year, according to Bowman, who was infuriated but not surprised by it. He said that Manchin and his backers, including notable interest organizations and wealthy contributors, did not want this law to pass.
Bowman's district includes sections of the Bronx and New York City's northern reaches. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the US, despite its predominantly white population. Its economy is ranked 48th out of 50 countries. With the Senate divided 50-50 and no Republican backing, Biden needed every Democrat in the upper chamber to vote yes for his measure to pass.
Because of Manchin's reservations, as well as those of Arizona Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema, lawmakers have had to dramatically reduce the package's original $3.5 trillion price tag. When Manchin abruptly told Fox News Sunday that he'd done everything humanly possible to support the plan but couldn't, Democrats in Congress and the White House thought they were on the verge of reaching an agreement with him.
Democrats thought Manchin would be persuaded to support the spending plan
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, released a lengthy, scathing statement on Sunday, describing Manchin's abrupt and unexplained flip as a betrayal of his pledges to the President.
Washington Post reported on Monday that Manchin gave Biden an alternate proposal that featured a decade of free universal pre-K, an Obamacare expansion, and a significant climate investment - with the glaring exception of Biden's popular Child Tax Credit, which is set to expire this year.
Progressives behind the package believed that significant changes to climate legislation, many of which Manchin opposed, would be enough to persuade him to support it. The watered-down version included $320 billion for wind, solar, and nuclear power generation and purchase, as well as a $12,500 tax credit for electric vehicles and $6 billion to make buildings more energy-efficient.
Manchin had previously opposed sanctions against the fossil fuel sector but was more open to clean energy incentives. Bowman, a self-described Democratic Socialist, wasn't the only Squad member who was enraged by Manchin's defiance, as per Daily Mail.
Related Article: Sen. Chuck Schumer Vows To Keep Fighting To Pass Joe Biden's Agenda Despite Manchin's Fierce Opposition
