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U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat on whom President Joe Biden had pinned his hopes of passing a $ 1.75 trillion domestic investment bill, said Sunday he would not support the package.
“I can not vote in favor of this legislation,” said Senator Manchin in an interview with Fox News Sunday, citing inflation concerns.
In a statement issued after the interview with Fox News, Mr. Manchin said that increasing US debt would “drastically impede” the country’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical threats.
“My fellow Democrats in Washington are determined to dramatically transform our society in a way that leaves our country even more exposed to the threats we face,” he said in a statement.
“I can not take the risk of a dizzying debt of more than $ 29 trillion and inflation taxes that are real and detrimental to every American,” he said.
The White House said the lawmaker last week offered a framework for a compromise on legislation and “promised to continue talks in the coming days and work with us to reach a common denominator.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that if Senator Manchin’s comments “mark the end of this effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable change in his position and a violation of his commitment to the President.” and the senator’s colleagues in the House of Representatives and the Senate. “
She dismissed Mr. Manchin’s claims that the legislation would increase consumer goods prices in the United States, the highest in nearly four decades, or that it would increase the country’s long-term debt, which is currently over $ 29 trillion, because spending the new ones would be covered through tax increases for corporations and wealthy individuals.
The senator’s comments sparked outrage among the Liberal Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who helped draft the bill and called for a vote despite Mr. Manchin’s opposition.
Mr Sanders said Manchin “did not have the courage” to go against the particular business interests that would be most affected by the legislation.
He told CNN’s “State of the Union” that he wanted the Senate to vote on the measure anyway, even if it went to a loss, to force Mr. Manchin to give a public account of his vote.
“He will have to give a lot of explanations to the people of West Virginia,” Sanders said.
Senator Manchin has been one of the main obstacles to the White House plan, which aims to strengthen the social security network and fight climate change, and is central to Mr. Biden’s legislative program.
Mr. Manchin’s support is vital in a time when Democrats have a narrow lead in the Senate and Republicans are united in their opposition to the bill.
Democrats had hoped to pass the bill with 51 votes in favor and 50 against before Christmas, securing a majority with the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. The House of Representatives has approved a version of the bill.
But even if the West Virginia senator had been persuaded to support the bill, the White House would have had to convince Senator Kyrsten Sinema, another moderate Democrat who has vowed not to support it./VOA
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