Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Bernie Sanders has been calling on Joe Manchin to support President Joe Biden\u2019s full agenda for weeks. On Friday night, Manchin signaled he\u2019s had enough of that. <\/p>\n
In response to an op-ed from Sanders (I-Vt.) published in Manchin\u2019s hometown paper on Friday night, Manchin snapped back: \u201cThis isn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCongress 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,\u201d Manchin said in a statement on Friday evening shortly after the op-ed published. Sanders caucuses with Democrats but is still technically an independent. <\/p>\n
Sanders has taken his campaign to pass Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending proposal to media venues across the spectrum, including Fox News. Manchin has occasionally responded, albeit not in the fashion he did on Friday night. Sanders\u2019 move to land an op-ed in Manchin\u2019s backyard seems to have crossed the line for the West Virginia senator. <\/p>\n
In that piece<\/a>, Sanders lays out how his proposed Medicare expansion and drug pricing reforms would help West Virginia, a historically poor state that is aided by many federal programs. Sanders also makes the case for climate action, paid leave expansion and other programs in the bill that could face omission if Manchin insists on shrinking it. <\/p>\n Sanders also specifically targets Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who both oppose the $3.5 trillion number and are trying to shave it down. <\/p>\n \u201cPoll after poll shows overwhelming support for this legislation. Yet, the political problem we face is that in a 50-50 Senate we need every Democratic senator to vote \u2018yes.\u2019 We now have only 48. Two Democratic senators remain in opposition, including Sen. Joe Manchin,\u201d Sanders wrote. <\/p>\n Sanders\u2019 office ran a draft by Manchin\u2019s after the op-ed was submitted to the paper but before it published, according to aides in both offices. Both senators serve on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer\u2019s leadership team and come from polar opposites of the Democratic Caucus. They are often diplomatic, even when disagreeing in public. <\/p>\n Last week, however, Sanders began pressuring Manchin and Sinema to speed up their languid negotiations on the final piece of Biden\u2019s agenda, which also covers health care and education expansion. The two gave dueling press conferences, then Sanders held an availability with reporters last Friday to continue leaning on Manchin and Sinema.<\/p>\n The two are at odds over the scale of how to finalize Biden\u2019s agenda, a microcosm of the difficulties Democrats face in getting all 50 of their senators on board to pass anything through the party-line budget reconciliation process. Manchin has said he supports a $1.5 trillion spending program, viewing that as a compromise position. But Sanders initially wanted $6 trillion, and therefore views his deal with centrist Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) at $3.5 trillion as a concession.<\/p>\n Manchin and Sanders have plenty of history: Sanders won West Virginia\u2019s Democratic primary in 2016, defeating Manchin-backed Hillary Clinton in the state. And a year later Sanders\u2019 wife appeared<\/a> alongside Manchin\u2019s primary opponent in his 2018 reelection race.<\/p>\n Now, Sanders is imploring Manchin not to obstruct Biden\u2019s agenda. In his view, having just two senators reluctant to move forward is an unsustainable position that undercuts Biden.<\/p>\n Manchin sees things differently. And it doesn\u2019t make it any easier for Schumer to get the unity he needs to pass his agenda.<\/p>\n \u201cMillions of jobs are open, supply chains are strained and unavoidable inflation taxes are draining workers\u2019 hard-earned wages as the price of gasoline and groceries continues to climb. Senator Sanders\u2019 answer is to throw more money on an already overheated economy while 52 other Senators have grave concerns about this approach,\u201d Manchin said, lumping himself firmly with Sinema and the 50 Senate Republicans. <\/p>\n