Senator Joe Manchin has suggested fellow Democrats call a strategic timeout in their plans to advance a historic budget plan worth $3.5Tn. This has effectively endangered one of the most ambitious plans by President Biden to balance the economy while helping the middle class.
Joe Manchin Thinks The Pace Is Hypocritical
On Thursday, Joe Manchin had stated his opinions in WSJ. The senator from West Virginia criticized his colleagues for being hypocritical and short-sighted in their approach to getting the reconciliation budget plan passed. To Democrats, the plan is vital for fair housing, affordable child care, and climate change.
Joe Manchin said currently various unprecedented challenges are being faced by the nation. However, it is wrong to believe that the nation’s money supply is infinite. He disagrees with the decision to spend trillions of dollars without any care for any possible negative future consequences.
He clarified that the nation is facing a high rate of inflation. Pairing that with the pandemic’s unpredictable nature, means that Democrats should be extra careful with spending to fix the current woes of the nation. Joe Manchin thinks that lawmakers should rather think up long-term plans which would take into account the impact on future generations.
Democrats have claimed that tax increases and other proposals will pay for the budget. The increased taxes will be levied on the wealthy and corporations. Under the process of reconciliation, the Senate can pass budget bills without the supermajority requiring 60 votes. In 2017, Republicans had used it to pass Trump’s tax plan. Democrats had heavily criticized the act as pushing through legislation that was deeply partisan.
Joe Manchin said that the act was wrong in 2017. And thus, it remains wrong now that his party is doing it.
