After essentially torpedoing the agenda before Christmas, Sen. Joe Manchin (D.W.Va) has apparently resumed negotiations with President Joe Biden on President Joe’s “Build Back Better” agenda. Axios reports that sources have confirmed that Senator McCain has spoken with the White House about the climate and child-care provisions in President Biden’s signature piece. This is “if the White House takes the enhanced child credit out of the $1.75 trillion packages or drastically lowers income caps for eligible families.”
Sen. Manchin has not confirmed publicly whether or not he has resumed talks with the president. Sources familiar with the situation stated that many of his objections still stand. These include the “size” and scope of the bill, the $4 trillion price tag for the next ten years, and the possibility of higher inflation.
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish its next Consumer Price Index Jan. 12. Axios noted that the last month’s reading showed that inflation was 6.8% for the year, which is fueling Manchin’s opposition.”
Manchin’s opposition could be resolved by the elimination of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Manchin declared that he would vote “No” on “Build Back better” on December 19, last year. This effectively killed the president’s legislation and sparked a flurry of hatred from the bill’s largest backers.
Fox News reported that Manchin said, “I cannot vote to keep with this piece of legislation.” “I can’t.” The White House promised to continue pressing Manchin on this subject. Jen Psaki, Jen’s press secretary, stated that “The fight for Build back Better is too important not to continue.” “We will find a solution to our problems next year.”
According to reports, Senate Democrats have doubled their efforts in obtaining Manchin’s support for the bill. They believe that passage will increase their chances of winning the 2022 midterm elections.
A separate report by Axios stated that the Senate Democratic Caucus considers salvaging $1.75 trillion Build Back Better as key to increasing the party’s chances of winning the fall’s midterms. This is especially important considering President Biden’s declining popularity in polls.
A senior Senate Democrat aide stated that the holidays likely cooled everyone, allowing for further negotiations to continue.
