President Joe Biden and the Dem’s agenda took a hit yesterday.
First, there was the news of the potential death of the Build Back Better (BBB) bill, shortly after it became clear that Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin still was not on board in the wake of the very troubling CBO numbers. Reports were that the BBB bill was being delayed until possibly March because they weren’t able to get the votes needed for it to pass, despite the Dem’s’ claim that they wanted to pass it this year.
Then, when the Dems thought they could switch from the Build Back Better to their election law reform gambit to gain even more control over the elections that would help ensure they remain in power, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema popped that trial balloon, stating again that she wouldn’t go along with getting rid of the filibuster, “to protect the nation from continuous radical reversals in federal policies.” So, Dems would need 60 votes which they wouldn’t have.
The news might have pushed him too far. Manchin has a long fuse and normally has a very genteel reply to things, but he has been hounded and stalked by activists and news reporters from all corners. He finally snapped at a news reporter this week when the reporter claimed he was rejecting the Build Back Better bill because of the child tax credit portion of the bill.
“This is b******t. You are b******t,’” Sen. Manchin yelled at Arthur Delaney, a HuffPost reporter, who questioned him about the reports that the child tax credit was the main sticking point during his talks with the Biden administration.
“I’m done, I am done,” Manchin fumed as the questions kept coming.
“Guys, I am not negotiating with any of you. You could ask all the questions that you want. Guys, let me go,” he told the media as he walked through the Capitol basement, muttering “God almighty” as he was walking away.
Manchin said he wasn’t ever against the child tax credit. What he was opposed to was the huge cost of the bill, especially with the increased inflation that we are currently seeing. Sinema has also not said that she would support the bill.
But they just keep pushing him, as though that is going to make him want to go along with it instead of just making him stand his ground even more. He has been very clear with them. Even the Dems in power finally seem to have gotten the message that he isn’t on board with the BBB bill as presently constituted. But the news still does not get the message.
There are some rumors that the moderates are attempting to find a way of getting around the filibuster that would let them pass a voting rights bill. That is still a danger if they find something that allows them to pass anything that results in even more federalizing of the elections. But they don’t seem to have anything yet.
Author: Steven Sinclaire