Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) delivered a blow to President Biden’s “infrastructure” plan, which is already facing a steep challenge in the Senate. Manchin said publicly that he opposes an increase in the corporate tax rate, to 28 percent, that is included in the plan proposed by the administration.
The “swing vote” Democrat lawmaker said that the increase was a non-starter for him.
Manchin says more revenue needs to be collected from high income earners, but he says the corporate tax rate should be at 25%.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) April 5, 2021
He says he would not support raising the corp tax to 28%.
"If I don't vote to get on it, it's not going anywhere," Manchin tells @HoppyKercheval on @WVMetroNews.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) April 5, 2021
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is considering using budget reconciliation to pass the hefty infrastructure plan, in order to sidestep the 60-vote threshold, as Democrats did to pass the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. If Schumer took this route, only 51 votes would be necessary to pass the plan. Manchin warned the administration that he is not alone in opposing such a steep increase to the corporate tax rate.
"There’s six or seven other Democrats who feel very strongly about this. We have to be competitive, and we’re not going to throw caution to the wind,” he continued in the interview.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the administration's infrastructure plan mandates that corporations pay their "fair share" of taxes.
WATCH: "The vision the president has put forward is fully paid for," says @SecretaryPete of Pres. Biden's infrastructure plan. #MTP
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 4, 2021
Buttigieg: "We're just asking corporations to pay their fair share at a rate ... that would be lower than it's been for most of my life." pic.twitter.com/YrWLnCMzny
Like other plans put forth by the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats, the infrastructure plan is receiving blowback from Republican lawmakers for inclusion of line-items that are completely unrelated to infrastructure.
The Administration’s non-infrastructure “infrastructure bill” looks like another Trojan horse for far-left demands. Rolling back Right to Work laws. Imposing the biggest new tax hikes in a generation — killing jobs and slowing wage growth when workers need a fast recovery.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 31, 2021
There would be bipartisan support for a serious, targeted infrastructure plan. Unfortunately, less than 6% of this massive White House proposal would go to roads and bridges. It would spend more on electric cars than on roads, bridges, ports, airports, and waterways combined. pic.twitter.com/WjIvBSwpsg
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 31, 2021
The Biden "infrastructure plan" is not about improving America’s infrastructure. It's yet another Trojan horse for the far Left’s agenda.
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) March 31, 2021
Crushing tax hikes & killing jobs is the last thing our country can afford right now.
Enough with the partisan games. Let’s work together.
Biden’s disastrous tax & spend agenda is killing America. My statement on @POTUS’s “infrastructure” plan funded by his broken promise not to raise taxes ???? pic.twitter.com/Sn8gPJshBo
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) March 31, 2021