Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.) gave another blow to Biden’s agenda, creating a fiscal line that would greatly undermine one of his touted family-related programs.
Manchin told the Biden Administration that the child tax credit proposal must have a “firm work requirement and an income cap within the $60,000 range,” Axios said, which would “greatly weaken” Joe Biden’s plan.
Conversely, Senator Manchin’s proposal would save American taxpayer money in the enlarged $3.5 trillion spending program. Manchin and Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) have withheld their support from the bill over this shocking price tag.
As Axios has said, progressive lawmakers — who demand more welfare spending, not less — will possibly oppose Senator Manchin’s idea. In the current form, Biden’s child credit program would cost around $1.6 trillion for 10 years.
Also, Manchin’s demand would even further complicate the existing law. The Hill explained:
“Manchin’s demands would also make changes to the child tax credit after Biden signed a $1.9 trillion relief bill in March that funded the program for another year. The program will now award most families up to $3,600 per year instead of $2,000 per year, and deposit these payments into their bank accounts.”
On the brighter side for Joe Biden, sources revealed that Senator Manchin is open to backing Biden’s plan to subsidize day care and pay for universal preschool. That proposal has an estimated value of $450 billion.
What has Manchin said?
Manchin has said his top concern about family-related spending is creating work requirements and testing.
In fact, during his interview with CNN last month, Senator Manchin said he supports the child tax credit, but wishes to “ensure we are getting it to the right Americans.”
“There is no work requirement whatsoever. There is no education requirement for better skills,” Manchin explained. “Don’t you believe, if we are going to help the kids, that these people should make more effort?”
Meanwhile, the Senator has also said the Clean Electricity Performance Program — a crucial progressive climate agenda — is a non-starter, along with any bill that excludes the Hyde Amendment. Manchin said to the National Review that a bill without the Hyde Amendment was “dead on arrival.”
Unfortunately for Dems, Manchin has an unusual amount of negotiating room. Because of the Senate’s now 50-50 split, Dems need Manchin’s support if Joe Biden’s program should turn into reality. Without it, Biden’s agenda will keep sinking.
Author: Blake Ambrose
