Manchin Tells Democrats to 'Pause' on Biden's $3.5T Plan

[wellst0nev0ter]

Key moderate Senator Joe Manchin said fellow Democrats should “hit the pause button” on a $3.5 trillion package incorporating the bulk of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda -- presenting a clear challenge to the effort by party leaders to get the tax-and-spending plan through the evenly divided Senate in the coming weeks.

The West Virginia Democrat, who often splits with his party and works with Republicans, said this week that “runaway inflation” along with national security uncertainty after the troubled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan necessitates a go-slow approach and possible rethinking of the plan.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-02/manchin-tells-democrats-to-pause-on-biden-s-3-5-trillion-plan?srnd=premium-asia&sref=s7XlsKat

Meanwhile, this was the New York subway system yesterday:

Link to tweet

What in God's name is his problem? Serious question.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. ignorant old twat

[Walleye]

2. Really. He's not gonna get reelected anyway if Jim Justice runs

[FoxNewsSucks]

4. He's just being a sore loser in advance.

Now that I think of it, maybe that's the real reason he won't let voting laws pass. If he still lost anyway, he couldn't blame it on republicon dirty tricks.

[lagomorph777]

6. He'd have a much better chance, if he funneled some cash to WV projects.

Apparently there's something more important to him than voters. Perhaps his Holy Filibuster.

[Walleye]

10. I'm starting to think it's corruption with him. Nothing else makes sense

[lagomorph777]

14. Ya think?

[bearsfootball516]

15. He's not gonna get reelected in any case.

He's lucky as hell he was up in 2018 in a blue wave year, and he still barely survived. He has 0 chance in 2024 with a Republican at the top of the ticket. It's the same situation as Doug Jones in Alabama last year.

[Walleye]

19. I completely agree. So I guess he's feathering his nest for when he gets out of the Senate

[MiHale]

3. DINO ass. Nt

[leftieNanner]

5. What's his problem?

He's a Senator from a small state and he's reveling in the power he has!

Some folks here have suggested that he would become a Republican. I don't think so, because then he's be just another cog in Mitch McConnell's machine.

[wellst0nev0ter]

28. You would think he'd be up for a bunch of infrastructure names after him

Just like how his predecessor Robert Byrd has his own Wikipedia page dedicated to listing the structures named after him

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_after_Robert_Byrd

But nope, some higher power is somehow guiding this man.

[WHITT]

7. Such Bullshit

[gratuitous]

8. Sen. Manchin: Up-to-date infrastructure IS national security

And if you're all concerned about inflation ( ), then the time is NOW to start locking in those contracts to fix and improve roads, modernize schools, and all the rest.

Your "concerns" are invalid on their face.

[PoliticAverse]

9. Manchin - Sinema tag team in action. n/t

[Walleye]

20. Maybe Putin has some compromat on these two we can use (kidding)

[Blaukraut]

11. He's been feeling neglected these last few weeks

So he had to make some noise to get back into the headlines. If he wants to pause on the 3.5 Trillion, fine. But the bipartisan piece of junk will get paused, too.

[FoxNewsSucks]

12. One can only imagine the level of outraged screeching,

gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments that would be going on around here from certain posters if it were AOC or some other "leftist" type who was constantly getting in the way.

But apparently it must be acceptable to them when it's their pet conservadems, establishment, corporate dem types or whatever they're called.

[Walleye]

16. You can call him a corporate Democrat or whatever. I just called corruption

[lagomorph777]

17. Really? You see even one pro-Manchin post in this thread?

[FoxNewsSucks]

26. Sorry, my post was unclear

so I edited it

[wellst0nev0ter]

38. Yes, I See That Pattern Too All Too Often Here

The difference is that the squad stands up for actual principles while this is just naked posturing.

[Celerity]

44. there is one weak, fail of a reply down thread, but not when you asked the question

The reason it is a fail is becuase Manchin is not even up for re-election until 2024, and we are very likely going to lose at least the House (90% likely, just the redistricting alone, when net impact is weighed up, gives the Rethugs control, and we have 15 to 20 at risk seats overall than the Rethugs do, pre-redistricting) and perhaps the Senate (coin-toss) in 2022, so unless we get a tonne done in the next 13, 14 months (only a year when you take into account multiple recesses), it probably will not get done, period.

[Haggard Celine]

13. I'm tired of him.

He's the GOP's spending cop. Anytime the Democrats try to get some legislation through that helps average Americans, he's there to question it. 'Do we really want to help those people? They'll just try to better themselves and have more economic security. Keep them hungry and working their fingers to the bone, I say.'

[Walleye]

18. I am tired of all tightwads and cheapskates, dammit we are in the majority!

[Carlitos Brigante]

21. Could someone give this asshole a big bag of cash already? Maybe offer his daughter an

even more lucrative gig. Something!!

[Mad_Machine76]

22. Exploiting the Afghanistan withdrawal are we?

[Haggard Celine]

32. That got me too.

I expect that from Republicans, but no Democrat should be saying things like that about the President. That was pretty low of him.

[Mad_Machine76]

34. I think all of the power he wields

has gone to his head. Probably to Sinema's too.

[GoodRaisin]

23. Runaway inflation is not my primary concern right now Mr. Manchin.

I’m sorry, but fuck that.

[budkin]

24. SO OVER HIS BULLSHIT

ENOUGH

[VarryOn]

25. Well, then use the time to follow the Speaker's suggestion...

To codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. In light of the last two days, it should be a huge priority.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Runaway Inflation?

His knowledge of economics wouldn't fill a COVID syringe.
First, 5.7% annualized for a quarter isn't r runaway.
Next, adjusted for deflation seen in some industrial sectors during the pandemic, it calculates to 2.37%.
That's what the rate was in 2019, and he wasn't whining about inflation then.
Finally, the expectations are that by end of year, actual inflation will be under 3, about 2.1 adjusted.
He clearly doesn't know what he's talking about.

[BlueNProud]

35. He's just vomiting up GOP talking points. His objections are never coherent.

[GoodRaisin]

47. I know. You'd never know it by the way my cost of living adjustments

in my Social Security have looked the last few years. WTF?

[ProfessorGAC]

48. Yeah, But The Bad Part Is...

...even if there were runaway inflation the COLA would look like it does now!

[GoodRaisin]

49. True that. The COLA is a joke. nt

[global1]

29. Sit Manchin Down In Front Of A TV Monitor And Continuously Play The Footage Of.....

the destruction we've experienced the last few days because of IDA.

Don't let him up until he's ready to vote for this bill.

Think of all the money we're gonna save by pulling out of Afghanistan.

[Carlitos Brigante]

30. I somehow don't think that would move him. Unfortunately that kind of tragedy,

doesn't have the same pull as a big fat brief case full of cash, for some people.

[left-of-center2012]

31. Anxiously awaiting word from Susan Collins

Has she expressed 'concern' ?

[BlueNProud]

33. There's no "Runaway Inflation" and Afghanistan has nothing to do with it.

Jesus this a hole just spews GOP talking points all day.

[BlueCheeseAgain]

36. I guess I won't be too alarmed until he actually does something.

Manchin, and to a lesser part Sinema, always seems to signal concerns and doubts, but votes with the Dems in the end. He was the 50th vote for the initial American Rescue Plan, and the 50th vote for the budget resolution that's enabling this $3.5 trillion package in the first place. It's always going to be an issue of herding cats.

[msongs]

37. does he know or care that joe biden won? by 8 million votes? evidently not nt

[NurseJackie]

39. Ahem...

[wellst0nev0ter]

41. Ahem...

Representing a trumpanzee state is not an excuse to be trumpanzee-lite.

[NurseJackie]

50. You failed to show the map of Ohio. Here's one for you...

Notice that Ohio isn't SOLID RED ... West Virginia is solid red.

[msongs]

42. joe manchin & mitch mcconnell agree. Joe Manchin will oppose a $3.5 trillion budget bill

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/joe-manchin-says-he-will-oppose-3-5-trillion-budget-n1278407

[0rganism]

40. If we do have "runaway inflation" seems to me we should be spending as much as we can quickly

Spend it fast, so we can get the most "bang for the buck" possible.
Even if Manchin's objection is in good faith (which I doubt) it seems like a foolish one.

[sarcasmo]

43. President Manchin has hijacked President Biden's agenda.

[FBaggins]

46. He's boosting the House moderates' strategy

They have a commitment from Pelosi to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill by the 27th. That’s already before the reconciliation bill can come to a vote, but Biden could hold it for a few days and threaten to only sign it if he received both together. This “pause “ would take that strategy off the table.