Joe Manchin voices 'serious concerns' about $3.5tn budget after Senate approval

[Celerity]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/aug/11/senate-budget-bill-manchin-schumer-joe-biden-covid-coronavirus-latest-updates?page=with:block-6113c94b8f0892081f6d324d#block-6113c94b8f0892081f6d324d

Senate Democrats approved the blueprint for their $3.5tn budget bill early this morning, after a marathon session that included an hours-long “vote-a-rama” on the proposal. The 50-49 vote fell along party lines, as Senate Republicans continued to fiercely criticize the bill as a reckless spending spree. Because Democrats are advancing the bill using reconciliation, they do not need any Republican support to pass it.

“It’s been quite a night,” Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote. “We still have a ways to go, but we’ve taken a giant step forward to transforming America. This is the most significant piece of legislation that’s been considered in decades.”

But there are still serious hurdles ahead for the bill. One of the most centrist members of the Senate Democratic caucus, Joe Manchin, said after the vote that he has “serious concerns about the grave consequences” of another large spending package.

“Given the current state of the economic recovery, it is simply irresponsible to continue spending at levels more suited to respond to a Great Depression or Great Recession – not an economy that is on the verge of overheating,” Manchin said. If Schumer cannot keep Manchin on board, the bill will not pass the evenly divided Senate, so the stakes could not be higher.

Link to tweet

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Joe, why don't you and Susan put your concerns together and make baby concerns and fuck off.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Good one, Curt! I approve.

[CurtEastPoint]

6. Once again, I was inspired! LOL! They are both worthless.

[LenaBaby61]

8. "Joe, why don't you and Susan put your concerns together and make baby concerns and fuck off."

😂😂😂😂

[cilla4progress]

2. Ain't this what they refer to as

"performative"?

[FBaggins]

5. Not really

He could have just voted "no" and it would remain stalled and he would get all of the attention.

They convinced him to at least allow the process to continue.

[WHITT]

4. Majority Leader Schumer

should have "serious concerns" about sending any infrastructure funds to West Virginia.

[LenaBaby61]

9. THIS 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[Act_of_Reparation]

10. If it were only that easy.

People don't take kindly to being extorted. Our problem is we need to pass shit and keep WV, which at present seems to be impossible. The sooner we pick up another senate seat or two, the sooner we can dismiss Manchin's vaguely irritating "concerns".

[WHITT]

13. Indeed

People don't take kindly to being extorted

Tell it to Manchin.

[SharonClark]

11. Agree 100%

[tritsofme]

14. Not sure I understand your "threat", if Manchin tanks the bill, there are no funds to go anywhere.

[WHITT]

15. But All The Downside

would come down on him, which he doesn't want.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Nice little bipartisan bill you negotiated there, Joe; be a shame if something happened to it.

The CPC has all the leverage on this one. Manchin and Sinema’s precious bipartisan bill is going nowhere unless they pass the reconciliation bill first. Sure, they might whittle it down to say, $3 trillion, but they can’t block it completely, because all fingers will be pointed at them, not the CPC.

[WHITT]

12. Exactly

The Squad+ alone can sink Manchin's bill, with zero downside from their constituents, actually they would approve.

If Machin & Sinema sink the reconciliation bill, their bill is also down the drain, with ALL the downside on them.

And Sanders sez the reconciliation bill is $3.5T. Period. When a reporter asked if that was negotiable, he said THAT'S the number.

It's starting to look like a good 'ole fashioned shotgun wedding to me.