Thread by @CPDAction

NEWS: Numerous West Virginia organizations have released a strongly worded joint statement calling on Congress to pass #BuildBackBetter.

In it, they condemn @Sen_JoeManchin for shrinking the bill and call on him to stand with Democrats to pass it now. 🧵1/

2/ "West Virginians are counting on Democrats to ensure the #BuildBackBetterAct is passed. West Virginia needs the President’s full agenda to pass and we cannot count on our Senator to make sure it does.

3/ "For months now all eyes have been on @Sen_JoeManchin, one of only two Democrats in Congress who have opposed President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.

Senator Manchin could have used that attention to shine a spotlight on the struggles of families across West Virginia.

4/ "Our senator could have fought for the one in five children in West Virginia living in poverty, or to protect the 170,000 children here who have benefitted from the expanded Child Tax Credit. wvgazettemail.com/news/politics/…

5/ "As a senator from a state with the highest number of adults who have lost all of their natural teeth, Senator Manchin could have stood with his Democratic colleagues in endorsing the expansion of Medicare to include vision, hearing and dental coverage for our seniors.

6/ "He could support West Virginians eager to join the workforce with investments in community college, childcare, paid leave. He could've brought 17,000 new jobs to WV each year, including employment in a growing, sustainable 21st century energy industry. wvpolicy.org/scaling-back-t…

7/ "Instead of using his platform to bring home these necessities to WV, Manchin has insulted us and pushed Democrats to cut many of these popular priorities. He accuses us of having an 'entitlement mentality' because we demand an economy that allows us all to live with dignity.

8/ "Meanwhile, he's working to protect billionaires--not one of whom lives in WV--from being taxed. Instead of protecting us, he is working to protect fossil fuel subsidies to a dying industry from which he gains an annual average of $521,115 in dividends. salon.com/2021/10/02/joe…

9/ "The concerns Manchin expresses about inflation and a sense of entitlement do not seem to extend to the wealthy or corporations. And his claim #BuildBackBetter will result in higher inflation contradicts over a dozen Nobel Prize-winning economists who epi.org/press/nobel-la…

9/ "explained how investing in working families strengthens our economy. @Sen_JoeManchin owes his platform to the West Virginians who have been voting for him for nearly 40 years. Yet for months now, he has ignored our calls and emails, siding with Republicans to block progress.

10/ "Even kayaking out to meet him on his yacht couldn’t convince him to work for his constituents.

West Virginians are entitled to a senator who fights for us, not against us. If Joe Manchin is not up to the job, we will find someone who is. theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

11/ "Signed,

Call to Action for Racial Equality
Indivisible Greenbrier Area
NAACP WV
Our Future WV
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
Race Matters WV
Rise Up WV
West Virginia N.O.W.
Women's March Greenbrier Area
WV Family of Convicted People
Young WV"

cc @Sen_JoeManchin