Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) is calling for House Democrats to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill separate from a $1.75 trillion social spending package.
During a press conference on Monday, Manchin said, “I would like to make an attempt to clear up any confusion on where I stand on the legislation that’s making its way through Congress.”
“In all my years in public service, I’ve been around for a long time, I’ve never seen anything like this. The president of the United States has addressed the House Democratic caucus twice recently to urge action on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is sometimes referred to as the BIF bill. Last week, Speaker Pelosi urged the importance of voting and passing the BIF bill before the president took the world stage overseas, and still no action,” he continued.
Finally, the West Virginia senator said, “In my view, this is not how the United States Congress should operate or, in my view, has operated in the past. The political games have to stop. Twice now, the House has balked at the opportunity to send the BIF legislation to the president.”
He noted progressives have said they want a firm commitment that he will support the $1.75 trillion social spending package before they agree to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House.
“It is time to vote on the BIF bill up or down and then go home and explain to your constituents the decision you made,” Manchin said.
Watch the video below:
“In my view, this is not how the United States Congress should operate…The political games have to stop,” Sen. Joe Manchin says while urging the House to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package. https://t.co/hi29tu0lxM pic.twitter.com/A5lqOBl4pc
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 1, 2021
Manchin also accused progressives of holding the infrastructure bill “hostage” to get his support for the spending package. However, he said, “Holding this bill hostage is not going to work in getting my support for reconciliation.”
On Thursday, the White House unveiled the framework for a $1.75 trillion spending package which progressives are hoping to pass along with the infrastructure bill, as IJR reported. Shortly after the framework was unveiled, House Speaker Pelosi said she wanted to hold a vote on the infrastructure bill.
However, progressives have insisted that both bills move through Congress together and rejected the push to vote on the infrastructure bill without the larger social spending package.
The Senate has already passed the infrastructure bill but has not taken up the spending bill. Democrats need all 50 of their senators for that package to pass the chamber. Without Manchin or Sinema’s votes, it would fail.
The progressives’ opposition to a vote on just the infrastructure bill prompted Pelosi to delay the vote and Democratic leaders are now hoping to vote on both bills as early as this week.