Bernie Sanders blasts 'arrogance' of fellow Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema for 'torpedoing' Biden's Build Back Better bill in Congress unless things are done their way
Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed the 'arrogance' of the two Democratic senators keeping Joe Biden's signature social spending bill from passing, arguing that most Americans actually agree with its key tenets.
Republicans in the Senate are united in opposition to the Build Back Better bill. Fifty Democrats must be in favor for it to pass, with Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema still opposed for various reasons.
On Thursday, Sanders told MSNBC host Chris Hayes: 'I respect other people's points of view, but I do not respect the arrogance of any member of the senate who says, "You know what? I'm going to torpedo this entire bill, supported overwhelmingly by the American people..."
'You've got two people saying, "You know what? Hey, if you don't do it my way - I don't care what the president wants, I don't care what 48 of my colleagues want - it's my way or the highway.” And that, I regard as arrogance.'
Sanders' comments came as President Biden admitted that it's unlikely that Democrats will reach their end-of-the year-goal of passing the $1.75 trillion social spending bill.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont slammed Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema on Chris Haye's MSNBC show Thursday for their 'arrogance' in holding back the Build Back Better bill
Manchin (D-W.Va., left) and Sinema (D-Ariz) are the two Democrats reserving concerns on the social spending bill. Without their support, the legislation cannot be approved by Congress
'We will advance this work together over the days and weeks ahead; Leader Schumer and I are determined to see the bill successfully on the floor as early as possible,' Biden said in a statement Thursday.
'We will – we must – get Build Back Better passed, even in the face of Republican opposition. At the same time, we must also press forward on voting rights legislation, and make progress on this as quickly as possible.'
Biden added he and fellow party members would continue to persuade Manchin, with whom Biden has interacted with at least three times this week alone, to support the measure.
In response to being asked whether differences could be set aside to hold a vote on the bill before Christmas, Manchin said, 'We haven't even gotten anything back from the parliamentarian, so just procedurally we have nothing to vote on.'
Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sinema (D-Ariz.) possess the party's key votes to pass the Build Back Better bill - and without their support, the legislation fails.
Manchin has repeatedly disagreed with fellow Democrats on the legislation's cost, warning a high spending package would be 'fiscally irresponsible' due to rising signs of inflation.
Sinema opposes abolishing the filibuster, according to Mediaite, which requires 60 votes to begin and end debate on most bills.
On Thursday, Hayes questions Manchin's motives for holding back the bill.
'I guess there’s two ways to interpret it,' he said. 'One is, Joe Manchin is essentially acting in bad faith and kicking the can until it can die. And the other is, the fact he’s still talking, the fact he’s still engaging on details means that there’s an actual negotiation ongoing.'
Sanders said: 'You've got two people saying, "You know what? Hey, if you don't do it my way - I don't care what the president wants, I don't care what 48 of my colleagues want'
President Joe Biden admitted that his administration's end-of-the year-goal to pass his estimated $2 trillion social spending bill in Congress will be unlikely
Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (left) and Rep. Cori Bush (right) voiced frustrations that Sen. Joe Manchin has seemingly held up a vote on President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill until next year
Sanders, an Independent senator from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, accused Manchin of not acting like a Democrat.
'You have 48 people in the Democratic caucus who are prepared, and a president of the United States prepared to think big. And you have two Democrats who, in my view, are kind of acting like Republicans,' the democratic socialist said.
Earlier, progressives were grumbling that Manchin had stalled the bill.
'God bless Sen. Manchin, but he does love to keep everyone guessing until the very end,' Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Wednesday.
Rep. Cori Bush, who was among the six House Democrats who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure package over fears BBB would die in the Senate, sent out a statement Wednesday complaining about how much power Manchin has.
'I put my reputation on the line to make it clear that if we want to deliver the entire, much-needed, and long overdue Biden agenda, we must not undermine our power as a government nor the power of the people by placing the fate of Build Back Better at the feet of one Senator: Joe Manchin,' Bush said.
On Wednesday, Manchin snapped at reporters after it came out that his opposition to the Child Tax Credit killed Biden's hopes for the Senate to pass the legislation by Christmas.
'This is b******t. You're b******t,' the West Virginia senator yelled at Arthur Delaney, a reporter for HuffPost Politics, who asked him about reports that the Child Tax Credit has become a major sticking point in his talks with the White House.
'I'm done, I'm done,' Manchin fumed as the questions continued.
'Guys, I'm not negotiating with any of you all. You can ask all the questions you want. Guys, let me go,' he told the press as he walked through the basement of the Capitol, muttering 'God almighty' as he walked away.
It was the second blow up from the day from the senator, who is taking the blame from Democrats for the failure to move forward on Biden's signature legislation. Manchin has refused to support the bill as it stands and, in the evenly divided Senate, the president needs every Democratic vote.
He's become an object of intense focus in the past few months. Reporters stalk him out in every nook, cranny and hallway of the Capitol building; protesters wait for him outside the Capitol building and around his house boat; and his is being perpetually wooed by both parties for his vote.
On Wednesday he snapped.
Sen. Sinema is opposed to ending the filibuster, which requires 60 votes to end and begin debate
Tensions are rising as the clock ticks to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer's Christmas deadline. With only 10 days to go, signs point that deadline being missed, with a vote on Build Back Better being punted into the new year.
'Manchin has talked with Biden and they are still miles apart,' a person familiar with the talks told DailyMail.com.
Manchin, speaking with another group of reporters, denied reports that child tax credit was the issue and said reporters are hearing 'a lot of bad rumors.'
'I'm not opposed to child tax credit, I've never been opposed to child tax credit,' he insisted.
At issue is Manchin's insistence on cuts in Biden's massive social safety net bill that funds education, health care, and climate programs.
The West Virginia senator was objecting to reports he wants to defund or limit the expanded Child Tax Credit, which most Democrats want to keep in Biden's signature legislation.
Compounding matters, the state of West Virginia is one of the biggest benefitters of the Child Tax Credit, which was expanded earlier this year in a COVID relief package.
An estimated 346,000 West Virginia children - 93 percent of all kids in the state - live in households that qualify for the tax credit, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.
But comes down to Manchin's belief that the cost of Build Back Better bill should not more than $1.75 trillion, a source familiar with his thinking told Politico.
On Thursday, MSNBC host Chris Hayes wondered if Manchin was negotiating and 'engaging on details' of Biden's Build Back Better bill or 'kicking the can until it can die'
Sen. Joe Manchin is the pivotal 50th vote Senate Democrats need for passage of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill
'Senator Manchin is not telling President Biden what to include or not include. He has always been supportive of the' child tax credit, the source said. But the cost for extending the Child Tax Credit 10 years, which is the ultimate goal for Democrats, is about $1.4 trillion.
But any proposal to strip the child tax credit from Biden's bill would likely be met with strong opposition from other Democratic lawmakers, who like the credit.
Democratic senators told The Hill newspaper that frustration with Manchin is rising, and many of them are fed up with his refusal to sign off on Biden's signature domestic social spending proposal.
Talks are continuing, but the Senate on Wednesday wrapped up its list of legislation it must pass by year's end when it approved the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Pentagon. With the government funded until February 18th and the debt ceiling raised, lawmakers have done what needs to be done to keep the government running.
So, Schumer will, instead, shift the chamber's focus to trying to pass voting rights legislation, NBC News reported, as talks with Manchin continue.
Reporters surround Senator Joe Manchin in his car on Tuesday night outside the Capitol
Biden, himself, admitted on Wednesday that his Build Back Better bill was not a done deal.
'It's going to be close,' Biden said when asked if his legislation will pass by the end of the year.
He said 'some' progress has been made but didn't offer any additional details. The president and Manchin spoke on Monday and Tuesday as negotiations continue.
Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that lawmakers would 'continue working on getting the Senate into a position where we can vote on the President's Build Back Better legislation.'
But he conceded the talks may not come to fruition.
'If we can't make too much progress, we will need to stay and hold votes on nominees this weekend and next week until we do,' he noted.
He also said voting rights legislation remains a priority.
'We're also continuing to hold conversations as Senate Democrats on the urgent work of advancing the Freedom to Vote Act & John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,' Schumer noted.
A group of moderate Democrats is trying to negotiate a rules change on the voting rights bill that would allow it to move forward in the legislation process with just a simple majority - bypassing the Republican ability to filibuster. Talks continue on that matter.
Wednesday marks the final day roughly 36 million families will see a payment from the IRS on the child tax credit. The monthly payments, which began July 15, were limited to 2021, and the last one is set for Wednesday.
The Build Back Better version passed by the House would extend the advance payments through next year. Manchin wants that cut from the Senate version, arguing it contributes to inflation.
The next pay date for the child tax credit would be January 15, but lawmakers would need to pass something before December 28.
The credit went from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child over the age of six and $2,000 to $3,600 for children under six. The bill also raised the age limit from 16 to 17, so all minors were included.
All working families were doled out the money if they made up to $150,000 per couple or $112,500 for a family with a single parent.
Earlier Wednesday, the White House stayed hopefully a deal can be made with Manchin.
'We believe the senator wants what we want, which is to deliver for the American people,' deputy White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
No Republican senator is expected to support Biden's bill, which contains funding for education programs, paid family medical leave and to fight climate change.
The bill passed the House last month.
Compounding matters, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema also has not pledged her support for the House-passed bill, which clocks in at 2,100 pages.
Democrats have negotiated with her on her opposition to several of the tax increases they originally had proposed, increasing the difficulty of raising revenue to pay for the bill.
The House-passed version of the legislation contains over $500 billion for clean energy projects plus tax incentives for utilities turning to less polluting fuels and people buying electric vehicles. There's money for child care, job training, housing, free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds, in-home care for seniors and new hearing benefits for Medicare recipients.
There would be extended tax credits for families with children, for some low-earning workers and for people purchasing private health coverage.
In language that helped win support from lawmakers from high-cost coastal states, the bill would increase federal deductions people can take for state and local taxes. The provision, which would largely benefit affluent earners, would cost above $220 billion over the next five years, making it one of the legislation's costliest programs.
The measure would also finance a new requirement for four weeks of paid family leave and create temporary work permits so millions of immigrants could remain in the U.S. up to a decade.
Most of the bill's costs come from mountains of new spending, though there are also hundreds of billions in tax credits for encouraging certain goals.
Most of the bill would be paid for with tax boosts on the country's highest earners, biggest corporations and companies doing business abroad. That includes new surtaxes on people earning over $10 million annually and a corporate minimum tax.
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