Manchin Praises Himself For Not Giving in to “Pressure” from Dems on BBB Plan

Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) hit back at Democrats, saying they had miscalculated in their efforts to court his vote on the Build Back Better plan, a landmark social spending bill that appears to have died in the Senate since he withdrew himself from negotiations.

“They figured surely to God we can move one person. We surely can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protestors to make that person uncomfortable enough that they’ll just say, ‘OK I’ll vote for anything,’” he said during a radio interview with West Virginia MetroNews’ Hoppy Kercheval.

“Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia. I’m not from where they’re from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period,” Manchin added.

Manchin did not blame President Joe Biden for the failed negotiations.

“They know the real reason, what happened. … It’s staff-driven. I understand it’s staff. It is not the president. This is staff. And they drove some things, and they put some things out, that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is,” Manchin said, though he would not elaborate on what these issues were.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that talks between Biden and Manchin will continue, hurting plans to pass the “Build Back Better” plan before the holiday recess.

Schumer did not offer a timeline in his remarks on the Senate floor.

“The president requested more time to continue his negotiations and so we will keep working with him, hand in hand, to bring this bill over the finish line and deliver on these much-needed provisions,” Schumer said.

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.