Major Part of Biden Climate Plan Reportedly Being Cut from Budget Bill Due to Manchin Opposition
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A major part of President Joe Biden’s plan to address climate change is reportedly being cut from the $3.5 trillion spending bill because of opposition from Joe Manchin.
The New York Times broke news Friday night that the West Virginia Democrat is ardently against the provision that would replace coal and gas-fired power plants with wind energy, solar, etc., and so White House staffers are rewriting the bill without it.
In recent days, Mr. Manchin indicated to the administration that he was now completely opposed to a clean electricity program, people familiar with the discussions said.
As a result, White House staffers are scrambling to calculate the impact on emissions from other climate measures in the bill, including tax incentives for renewable energy firms and tax credits for consumers who purchase electric vehicles. Unlike a clean electricity program, tax incentives tend to expire after a set period of time, and do not have the market-shifting power of a more durable strategy.
Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have been frustrating Democrats over their opposition to the $3.5 trillion package in its current form. The negotiations are continuing on Capitol Hill.
Biden himself was asked earlier Friday night if Biden had a message for the two moderate Democrats. He simply said, according to reporters, “Yeah, I’m about to deliver it.”
.@josh_wingrove asked President Joe Biden on the South Lawn if he had a message for Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema as his legislative agenda remains stalled in Congress. "Yeah, I’m about to deliver it," Biden said, pointing to the residence.
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) October 15, 2021
