The Elected West Virginia announced Sunday that it would not approve of this crucial program for the mandate of the US President, judging it too expensive in times of inflation.
Le Monde with AFP
A senator is missing and your vote is decipient. West Virginia Democrat, Joe Manchin, puts the gigantic plan for Joe Biden’s social reforms after announced on Sunday, December 19, that he would not approve of this crucial program for the mandate of the US President, too expensive in times of inflation.
Obviously taking short, the White House immediately criticized this “unexplainable and sudden turnover”, while saying that it would continue to try to convince him to vote in favor of the project. The Elected West Virginia chose the Fox News chain, very critical of President Biden, to make an ad.
“I can not go further”, launched Mr. Manchin, who has been one of the main obstacles to this program of social and ecological reforms that aims to transform America. “I can not vote for that,” Manchin added, including the rise in prices and the extent of the debt. “I just can not. I tried everything that was humanly possible, I can not,” he repeated. “It’s not.”
Baptized “Build Back Better”, the $ 1,750 billion plan includes lowering the cost of childcare and medicines, tax credits for US homes and substantial investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Suddenly and inexplicable turnaround”
After a first vote in November in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats had overcome their internal disputes between centrists, worried about the effect on the debt, and the left wing, who wanted to go further in expenses, Its adoption in the Senate has been repulsed. The Senate is divided (fifty elected for each camp), any democratic or affiliate has in fact what is similar to a veto right on any bill if the Republicans tighten the ranks.
Senator Manchin’s statements “are in contradiction with his discussions this week with the president, with the staff of the White House and with his own public statements,” said the executive spokesman, Jen Psaki, In a long communiqué where a certain frustration was displayed.
“If his comments on Fox and his press release indicate the end of these attempts [to reach an agreement], then they represent a sudden and inexplicable turnaround of his position and a violation of his commitments to the President.”
Thursday, Mr. Biden had acknowledged that he could certainly not pass this project as quickly as he would like, referring to difficult discussions with Mr. Manchin. The honorable senator explained in a statement why he opposed this “colossal” law.
Manchin “Lack of Cran”, according to Sanders
“My Democratic colleagues in Washington are committed to profoundly reworking our society in a way that makes our society even more vulnerable to the threats we face, react. I can not take this risk, with a public debt. Faraminous of $ 29,000 billion and an inflation that is real and which hurts all Americans. “
Inflation reached 6.8% in November in annual slip, never seen since June 1982. Mr. Biden says that this plan “will reduce the deficit of more than $ 100 billion over ten years” and that ‘It will “lower costs, create jobs and rebuild our economy”.
Asked Sunday on CNN about Mr. Manchin’s statements, Senator Bernie Sanders, the left-wing of the Democratic Party, accused him of missing “Cran”. “It will be necessary to explain to the people of West Virginia why he does not have the courage to oppose pharmaceutical groups to lower the prices of drugs, why he is not ready to expand the coverage Social “said Sanders, calling for a vote in the Senate” as soon as possible “.
“It’s been months that it lasts with Mr. Manchin,” he added. “If he does not have the courage to do what it takes for the families of West Virginia and America, whom he votes not facing the world.”