It suggests the threat of a refusal to support the Build Back Back plan because of its concerns about the impact of these plans on public debt and inflation.
Le Monde with AFP
Once again, Joe Biden’s projects go on Joe Manchin. This Democratic Senator of the Mining State of West Virginia, which is defined as a “moderate conservative democrat”, refused, Monday 1 er November, to guarantee his vote for the passage of the two gigantic plans Joe Biden’s investments, suspended for weeks at Congress. The perfect division of the Senate places it in a position of force in many debates.
The fate of the two programs by which the US President intends to rebuild and transform the United States is the subject of intense mapping at the Capitol. The first component, an envelope of $ 1,200 billion (€ 1,033 billion) to renovate the country’s roads, bridges and transportation, is supported by Democrats and some Republicans.
Approved by the Senate in August, the program has, since then, blocked in the House of Representatives by the progressive democrats claiming to vote at the same time a social and climate component called “Build Back Better” (“rebuilding better” ), an initial amount of $ 1,750 billion (€ 1,500 billion). They fear that centrists do not refuse to support this very expensive project, after getting the check for infrastructure.
Democrats divided
The invoice of the social plan, which provides 555 billion for the climate, has already been reduced by half to rally the most moderate democrats, of which Joe Manchin who has, despite everything, not yet wanted to give him his explicit support. .
“I have always been clear: if I can not go home and justify [these expense programs], I can not vote for,” he said at a press conference, Sharing its concerns about the impact of these plans on American public debt and inflation. “The political quarrels must stop,” he added.
The White House, anxious to offer a political victory in Joe Biden, whose popularity is down, reacted in the wake. “Senator Manchin says he’s ready to support a Build Back Better plan that fights inflation, is fiscally responsible and will create jobs. The plan that the House is finalizing meets these criteria”, supported the spokesperson for the American executive, Jen Psaki.