Joe Manchin Overrules Nancy Pelosi, Won’t Back Big Spending Plan: “We already put close to $6 trillion out to people, our economy is coming back”
Joe Manchin overruled Nancy Pelosi on MSNBC and shut down her big spending wish list leaving no doubt he will not go along with the more radical parts of what Biden and Pelosi want to do. Stephanie Ruhle asked Manchin: “When is the last time you spoke to Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Progressive members of the Senate to work on this?”
Manchin said he spoke to them every day, is open to a Dem only reconciliation bill but he won’t go along with Pelosi’s big numbers: “I am not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination, and not a conservative, ultra-conservative. I tell people, I am fiscally responsible, socially compassionate. Put me anywhere you want in the political spectrum, I am centrist in the middle where most are, pragmatic enough to figure I understand, you identified the need on this side.
“We already spent how many trillions of dollars attending to a lot of the needs. How much more can we afford. You want more debt. I looked this morning, we’re at $28.5 trillion of debt. How much more can we add on and pass onto your children, the next generation?
“We’ve always said, we’re writing checks our kids can’t cash and it is a shame to put the burden. Let’s consider that.”
Ruhle asked about Democrats blaming him for “standing in the way of President Biden’s agenda.”
Manchin stood his ground saying: “I hear from like you said, I hear from everybody, I get attacked from different sides.
“Also, we get some praise from different sides trying to take a pragmatic, centrist approach. People are concerned about the debt, nobody is speaking about the debt.
“We have a tremendous amount of debt that could cause inflation.
“You understand the financial market and understand it as well as anybody, what we are teetering with here.
“Let’s get this right.
“We already put close to $6 trillion out to people. Our economy is coming back, comes roaring back.
“Now we’re not able to meet demand by supplying what the economy wants. The demand says give me more workers, more products.
“We’re having a hard time. If you do another 2, 3, $4 trillion, we may have a hard time with the tax code, adjustments I believe need to be made.
“I didn’t vote in 2017 for the tax code, I thought it was weighted for the wealthy.
“I didn’t think the average working person got their due share. Let’s make some adjustments. “On the other hand, we’re in a global market, not isolationist, never going to be isolationist.
“We have to be in the global market and lead the world.
“If you’re going to do that, you better be competitive.
“Can’t be out of the realm of not being competitive, people want to invest or come to your country or manufacture here.”
Sen. Joe Manchin supports a Democratic-only reconciliation bill on infrastructure, which means that Republican hopes of stopping the Biden agenda have been likely dashed. pic.twitter.com/6fTABwzMI7
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 29, 2021
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on a reconciliation package: “I’ve agreed that can be done. I just haven’t agreed on the amount.” pic.twitter.com/FRKXG8D67r
— The Recount (@therecount) June 29, 2021