AGAIN

Joe Manchin, of Course, Blocks Biden Plan to Tax Rich, Increase Climate Spending

The West Virginia Democrat punches a big hole in Biden’s domestic plans, after working with Majority Leader Schumer on a deal for weeks.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told Democratic leaders late Thursday that he won’t support any new programs that would spend money on climate-change mitigation or raise taxes on the rich. The setback in negotiations on the Biden administration’s economic package comes after Manchin sank the $2 trillion Build Back Better Act seven months ago. The lawmaker did say that he would be open to provisions aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs for older people, however, according to two unnamed sources cited by The Washington Post. “Senator Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, re-evaluate and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire,” Sam Runyon, his spokeswoman, told the paper.