Bernie Sanders Calls Manchin's Attempt to Tank $3.5 Trillion Package 'Not Acceptable'
Vermont independent says it's not a matter of him vs the West Virginia conservative
Sen Bernie Sanders came out fighting Sunday for the $3.5 trillion spending package he crafted to help enact much of President Biden and the Democrats' agenda after conservative Democratic Sen Joe Manchin came out earlier this month to tank the legislation.
Sanders, the Vermont independent, and Manchin, the West Virginia, appeared in dueling television interviews Sunday. Manchin seemed at times to struggle to articulate just what his objection to the package was, while Sanders warned of dire consequences both for the $3.5 trillion package, as well as the trimmed-down bipartisan infrastructure plan should the $3.5 trillion bill go down.
Manchin's stance appears to have angered Sanders’ who assembled the $3.5 trillion package as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and in consultation with other Democrats.
The bill would accomplish much, from more-muscular efforts against global climate change, to enhancements to Medicare coverage.
“No, it's absolutely not acceptable to me. I don't think it's acceptable to the president, to the American people, or to the overwhelming majority of the people in the Democratic caucus,” Sanders said of Manchin's last-minute efforts to scuttle the bill. “Look, we worked with Senator Manchin to pass the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was enormously consequential and helpful to working-class families in getting us out of the economic disaster that befell us as a result of COVID.
“I believe we're going to all sit down and work together and come up with a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill which deals with the enormously unmet needs of working families,” Sanders added. “You know, we have got to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people. We have got to expand Medicare to include dental, hearing aids and eyeglasses.”
Democrats are working to pass the $3.5 trillion package under a budget process known as “reconciliation,” which is immune to filibustering.
But that means that they are carrying this without a single congressional Republican's support, the Vermont senator told CNN host Dana Bash.
"Well, but, Dana, please understand that, within the context of the Democratic caucus — and I hope everybody in America knows we have no Republican support for this. You know, we're talking about Mr. Manchin, but the real outrage is that you got not one Republican who are prepared to extend the $300 direct payment for working parents so that they can raise their children in security and dignity,” Sanders said of child tax credits. “Not one Republican is prepared to help us take on the existential threat of climate change. Now, in terms of taxation, at a time when you have billionaires and large corporations in this country, in some cases not paying a nickel in federal income tax, you know what, we should and can pay for this entire $3.5 trillion bill, which, by the way, extends over 10 years — we should pay for it by demanding the wealthiest people, largest corporations in this country to start paying their fair share of taxes.
“And if Mr. Manchin wants to pay for it completely, I am delighted. I know that Sen [Ron] Wyden, chairman of the Finance Committee, delighted to work with him. We can do that,” Sanders added.
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