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Joe Manchin is considered one of the most conservative politicians within the US Democrats: He is against the recognition of same-sex marriages as well as against abortions. No Democratic senator voted against Barack Obama’s bills as often as the former head of a carpet business and showed such open sympathy for Donald Trump, whose protectionist economic policy Manchin repeatedly praised.
Often times, some were so close to Republicans that there was constant speculation as to whether the West Virginia senator might one day switch sides. According to the US media, he was even in talks for Trump’s cabinet in 2016. The 74-year-old always countered such speculations by emphasizing that he would remain a democrat for life.
One demolition master is enough
But Manchin has now taken a step that is a gift for the Republicans and a fiasco for his own party. He has refused to approve President Joe Biden’s climate and social package. After repeatedly expressing reservations about the project in recent months, Manchin said on television that he could not vote for it. “I just can’t do it. I’ve tried everything humanly possible.” When asked whether his decision was final, he replied: “This is a no to this legislation. I’ve tried everything I can.”
Because no Republican will approve the package and the Democrats in the Senate are dependent on every single vote due to their wafer-thin majority, the veto of Manchin brings the project in its current form down.
Manchin announced his decision in a conversation with Fox News, the Republican in-house broadcaster and far-right commentators. He then followed up with a written statement in which he said the package would increase the US debt mountain to such an extent that it would limit the country’s ability to face geopolitical challenges or the corona crisis.
In any case, Biden had already trimmed his plan due to pressure from moderate and conservative forces in his party. Of the targeted $ 3.5 trillion, only 1.75 trillion was left in the end. But Manchin had always emphasized that 1.5 trillion was his red line.
Nothing could go on for Biden now. – © AFP / Getty Images / Getty Images via AFP / Drew Angerer
The package should have brought a lot of social relief: For example, it should have reduced the often immense costs for childcare in the USA, tax relief for families, expanded health services and reduced the cost of medication. In addition, more than $ 500 billion were earmarked for the fight against the climate crisis, including investments in renewable energies or tax incentives for the purchase of electric cars.
In the House of Representatives, the Democrats had already given their approval to the project. Together with the infrastructure package adopted in November, which enables massive investments in rail, road or Internet expansion, it should have become the core project of Biden’s presidency. The fact that it is now being torpedoed by a single senator caused correspondingly harsh reactions.
Low blow for Biden
The White House accused Manchin that if he ended the search for a compromise it would be “a sudden and inexplicable about-face” and “a breach of his obligations” to the president and party colleagues. Numerous Democratic MPs also reacted angrily. The accusation was repeatedly in the room that Manchin had bowed to lobbyists from the pharmaceutical and mining industries who are storming against the proposed law. Especially since Manchin also has stakes in the coal sector, which, according to the US media, bring him around half a million dollars a year.
The state of West Virginia, which Manchin represents, is one of the most important coal locations in the country. In addition, since the turn of the millennium, the Republican candidate has won a majority in every presidential election. Manchin therefore argued that there would be too little acceptance in his state for such a comprehensive social and climate package.
With his current behavior, however, he is now torpedoing Biden’s agenda and seriously damaging his authority. The 79-year-old was previously considered a politician who managed to unite different camps for large projects.
Party before the ultimate test
In addition, Manchin is confronting his already divided party with one of its most difficult ordeal: It had already cost many left democrats to come to terms with the fact that the social package for the conservative wing was being cut more and more.
In addition, many of the so-called progressives only wanted to vote on the infrastructure and social package together, because they feared that MPs like Manchin would blow up the social project once the money for the infrastructure was released. You see yourself betrayed now.
The climate and social package should also have become the centerpiece of the Democrats’ campaign for this year’s congressional elections. Now, however, the Republicans can present their opponents as a quarreling bunch that does nothing.
Unless Manchin, with whom Joe Biden and other Democrats have had hours of conversations over the past few months, changes his mind. In order for the stubborn senator to do that, his party colleagues now want to increase the pressure on him. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic parliamentary group leader in the Senate, announced that the package would still be voted on at the beginning of next year. Then every MP would have the chance to explain his position to the public in the Senate and not just on television. It was clear to everyone who was meant by that.
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