Sen. Joe Manchin offered to support a $1.8 trillion version of President Biden’s Build Back Better spending package that included 10 years of universal pre-K, an expansion of ObamaCare and billions to fight climate change, according to a report.
However, the proposal from Manchin (D-WV) was rejected because it did not include an expansion of the federal child tax credit that the White House has touted as greatly reducing the child poverty rate and has made a linchpin of its economic agenda, the Washington Post reported Monday.
The West Virginian’s offer was made just days before a massive falling-out between Manchin and White House officials, leading to the senator going on “Fox News Sunday” to announce he could not support the Build Back Better Act — dealing a possibly fatal blow to the legislation.
Manchin, who holds a crucial vote in the 50-50 Senate, told host Bret Baier that he had reservations about the effects Build Back Better would have on inflation, the national labor shortage and legislative gimmicks that would have increased the national debt.
In a Monday morning radio interview with West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval, Manchin said constant pestering by White House staff to get him on board with the measure left the senator at his “wit’s end.”
