The $1.8 trillion social-spending blueprint that Senator Joe Manchin proposed to the Biden White House in late 2021 has seemingly been shelved after the lawmaker hit turbulence in negotiations with the administration, according to The Washington Post.
Last month, the West Virginia Democrat proposed a counteroffer to the larger Build Back Better social-spending proposal sought by President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders, with the moderate lawmaker’s plan including critical investments for climate initiatives, an expansion of the Affordable Care Act, and universal pre-K.
However, Manchin is no longer supportive of moving that offer along after the breakdown in the negotiation process with the administration, according to three individuals with knowledge of the situation who spoke with The Post.
On Tuesday, Manchin said that he had not yet spoken with the White House about the social-spending bill this year.
“I’m really not going to talk about Build Back Better because I think I’ve been very clear on that,” Manchin told reporters at the time. “There is no negotiation going on at this time.”
In private, the senator has stated that he does not intend to back legislation modeled after the Build Back Better Act and wants the party to overhaul their approach to the bill.
Several senior Democrats expressed that Manchin would likely not back his earlier proposal even if the Biden White House sought to pass it in its original form — a result of the breakdown in talks last month — according to the newspaper.
Days before Christmas last year, Manchin made a bombshell appearance on “Fox News Sunday” where he announced his opposition to Biden’s signature domestic legislation and “refused to take a call from White House staff” before the interview despite their efforts to stave off his decision, according to a Politico report.
Less than half an hour before Manchin’s talk with host Bret Baier, Manchin sent an aide to inform the White House and congressional leadership of his intentions to fully oppose the bill.
After the appearance, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called out the senator for his stance in a statement.
