Democrat Senator Joe Manchin continued to be noncommittal after Monday’s discussions with the President about the social bill. He said that anything was possible about the $1.75T bill when asked if it could be passed before Christmas.
Joe Manchin said that he continued to be in discussions. While leaving the Capitol, the Senator, who holds the key to the bill, said he wasn’t about to commit to supporting the bill.
Joe Manchin said that he still needs to go through the details of the bill. He said that he needs to see the details before deciding.
Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader in the Senate has pressed for action before Christmas and the call between Manchin and President Biden assumes significance.
Joe Manchin has declared both publicly and privately that he is yet to agree on the climate and social spending bill.
Andrew Bates, the spokesman at the White House said that Joe Manchin and the President would continue to speak in the coming future. It is an indication that the negotiations are still in a fluid state.
Joe Manchin Remains The Only Opponent To The Social Bill Among The Democrats
The centrist from West Virginia continues to be the main barrier as the bill is delicately poised in a Senate split 50-50. Manchin has time and again expressed concerns about persistent inflation, rising debts, and the final cost of the bill.
He has termed a decade cost report from the Congressional Budget Office, requested by the Republicans, sobering.
Before his call to the President, it was apparent that he would not budge from his stance without a lot of changes to the legislation. He continues to be concerned with inflation.
Manchin said that the choice has to be linked to what can be sustained. It was a hint to fellow party men. Schumer has indicated that he would stick to schedule. He said that the Democrats would finalize the social bill by this week. He added that the Democrats are working hard to push through the bill before the festive holidays.
