Sanders Calls Out Manchin in WV Newspaper; Manchin Fires Back: ‘Out-of-Stater’ Telling West Virginians ‘What Is Best for Them’
The tension between Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) over the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda has once again spilled out into the open.
On Friday, Sanders published on op-ed in West Virginia’s largest newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-Mail. In it, he urged Manchin to support the president’s bill.
“The $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill,” wrote Sanders, “supported by President Biden and almost all Democrats in Congress, is an unprecedented effort to finally address the long-neglected crises facing working families and demand that the wealthiest people and largest corporations in the country start paying their fair share of taxes.”
Sanders hit upon the key provisions in the legislation, much of which Manchin as well Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) oppose. In the 50-50 Senate, the Democrats need their support in order to pass a bill.
Manchin has objected to many of the provisions that address climate change. On Friday, it was reported that the White House was dialing back many of those in the hopes of gaining Manchin’s support.
“Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for this legislation,” wrote Sanders. “Yet, the political problem we face is that in a 50-50 Senate we need every Democratic senator to vote ‘yes.’ We now have only 48. Two Democratic senators remain in opposition, including Sen. Joe Manchin.”
Manchin responded to Sanders in short order on Twitter, calling him an “out-of-stater.”
“This isn’t the first time an out-of-stater has tried to tell West Virginians what is best for them despite having no relationship to our state,” said Manchin in a statement. “Senator Sanders’ answer is to throw more money on already overheated economy while 52 other Senators have grave concerns about this approach. To be clear, again, Congress should proceed with caution on any additional spending and I will not vote for a reckless expansion of government programs. No op-ed from a self-declared Independent socialist is going to change that.”
