A) Sanders: Sen. Joe Manchin wants to vote against the Build Back Better Act, he should have the opportunity to do so with a floor vote as soon as the Senate returns.
B) Sanders: He should have to explain to West Virginians and the American people why he doesn’t have the courage to stand up to powerful special interests and lower prescription drug costs; expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and eyeglasses
C) Sanders: He should also have to explain why he is not prepared to demand that millionaires and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes.
D) Sanders: I also find it amusing that Sen. Manchin indicates his worry about the deficit after voting just this week for a military budget of $778 billion, four times greater than Build Back Better over ten years and $25 billion more than the president requested.
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1) The Hitchhiker’s Guide To What Manchin’s Formal Decision to Oppose BBB Means
2) Here are some key points about the formal announcement Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) made today on Fox News Sunday with Bret Baier regarding his formal opposition to the social spending bill.
3) As I have noted, the Democrats’ legislative eyes were bigger than their parliamentary stomach. They were trying to pass this massive bill with the narrowest of margins in the House and Senate.
A) WH’s Psaki: Senator Manchin’s comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances.
B) Psaki: Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework “in good faith.”
C) Psaki: On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted—to the President, in person, directly—a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the same priorities.
1) Progressive Caucus Chair Jayapal: Delaying passage of Build Back Better until 2022 would have immediate and devastating consequences. It would place the monthly expanded Child Tax Credit at risk, plunging millions into poverty.
2) Jayapal: Progressives have worked diligently with the White House and Senate over the better part of this year to set up for this moment. The version of Build Back Better we passed out of the House was agreed to by nearly every Senator caucusing with the Democrats —
3) Jayapal: (W)e sent it to the upper chamber based on the President’s promise that he could deliver the 50 Senators needed to make it law. We trust the President to follow through on that promise, and that he and the Senate will continue working until he can.
A) Some context here on the Senate Parliamentarian ruling against inclusion of some immigration components in the social spending bill.
This is essentially the political version of “The Democrats and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”
B) This is a major blow to the left. One of several gut punches today:
C) To wit:
The President formally pulled the plug on BBB for the year.
Democrats have gotten nowhere on altering the filibuster to pass voting rights in the Senate.
Then, the Parliamentarian ruled the immigration provisions out of order for the social spending package
1) Biden: I had a productive call with Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer earlier today. I briefed them on the most recent discussions that my staff and I have held with Senator Manchin about Build Back Better.
2) Biden: In these discussions, Senator Manchin has reiterated his support for Build Back Better funding at the level of the framework plan I announced in September. I believe that we will bridge our differences and advance the Build Back Better plan
3) Biden: My team and I are having ongoing discussions with Senator Manchin; that work will continue next week. It takes time to finalize these agreements, prepare the legislative changes, and finish all the parliamentary and procedural steps needed to enable a Senate vote.
1) The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Fate of Build Back Better and Voting Rights in the Senate P
Chances for Democrats to approve the Build Back Better deal are dimming before Christmas.
2) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said for weeks the Senate would approve the measure before December 25. Schumer didn’t say that Wednesday.
Schumer doesn’t have the votes - even to launch a debate on the bill. They are running out of track.
3) And, the bill isn’t complete. It’s still undergoing the behind the scenes “Byrd Bath.” This is a mysterious, offstage process where the Senate Parliamentarian decides what is in and what is out of the bill - in order to qualify for special budget rules.