Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The West Virginia Democrat will beat to his drum, and he couldn’t care less what you think about him. It’s an independent streak that has given members of his party heartburn for years. Manchin caused his party to melt down when he rejected the initial spending bill that included a deluge of cash to address global warming. Manchin, hailing from a coal-producing state, appeared to be a firm “no” vote on any of these measures.
He’s also concerned about inflation and the deficit. This deal supposedly addresses energy and focuses heavily on tax policy and deficit reduction. Politico added that Senate Democrats were going to try again on a new spending bill that didn’t have the climate change initiatives (via Politico):
Joe Manchin says he and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer have reached a deal on a bill that includes energy and tax policy, a turnaround after the two deadlocked earlier this month in talks on Democrats’ marquee party-line agenda.
Manchin said in a press release that his agreement with Schumer “would dedicate hundreds of billions of dollars to deficit reduction by adopting a tax policy that protects small businesses and working-class Americans while ensuring that large corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.”
Following Manchin’s stated interest in limiting a party-line domestic policy bill to health care and lowering prescription drug prices, Democrats were expecting to pursue a bill that did not include climate or energy provisions. The Senate is set to go on recess next week.
??MANCHIN says he’s reached agreement with Schumer on a reconciliation deal that deals with climate, energy, tax and health care. pic.twitter.com/v3fRxP5n70
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 27, 2022
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 27, 2022
I get that the Democrats need something to run on for 2022. Joe Biden needs a legislative win. He hasn’t had much in two years due to Democrats being grossly distracted on social issues. It got to the point where watered-down spending bills probably could have passed if everyone dialed down their inner communist a bit. Luckily, Democrats remain untethered to reality, so what we got from a unified Democratic government was nothing.
Oh, I mean, we did get a recession, high inflation, high gas prices, a baby formula shortage, and a southern border that’s chaos—but I was referring to exemplary accomplishments. A select committee on the January 6 riots and hauling in lying witnesses isn’t an accomplishment either.
This bill won’t help Democrats in 2022, but they’re in Bonzai charge mode.
Also, regarding the climate change portions, you know liberal Democrats aren’t going to like what Manchin considers a “realistic” global warming and energy policy. This deal could collapse.