Enlarge image
Joe Biden in a speech on Friday: "Sudden and inexplicable change of heart"
Photo:
Carolyn Kaster / AP
According to his own statements, the Democratic US Senator Joe Manchin will not agree to the trillion dollar social and climate protection package from US President Joe Biden.
"I can't vote for it, I just can't," the West Virginia senator told Fox News on Sunday.
Manchin's approval is crucial as the Democrats in the upper house of Congress have only a gossamer majority and cannot allow themselves a single deviator if they want to pass the law.
Manchin's announcement that it will reject the plan is a severe blow to Biden.
He had long negotiated with Manchin, who found the $ 1.75 trillion package known as "Build Back Better" too expensive.
In his own words, the senator fears an increase in inflation and national debt.
In view of Manchin's opposition, Biden had already cut the $ 3.5 trillion social and climate protection package to half.
The legislative package is one of the US President's most important domestic political projects.
"I've tried everything I can"
The Democrats have been wrestling for months over the social and climate protection package, which the Republicans unanimously rejected. Among other things, there are plans to expand childcare, care for the elderly and statutory health insurance, as well as tax cuts for families. More than $ 500 billion has also been earmarked for the fight against the climate crisis, including investments in renewable energies and tax incentives for the purchase of electric cars. The House of Representatives passed the package in November with a narrow majority of the Democrats. The approval of the other Congress Chamber, the Senate, is missing.
When asked whether his decision was final, Manchin replied to the astonished Fox News host: “This is a no to this legislation.
I've tried everything I can. ”Manchin has already blocked several important climate policy projects by the Democrats.
The oil and gas industries play an important role in his state.
Observers also criticize the fact that Manchin personally benefits from investments in coal businesses.
Sharp criticism from the White House
The White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki reacted in an unusually sharp tone: Manchin had promised to hold further talks in the coming days and to look for a compromise. Should this mean an end to these efforts, it would be "a sudden and inexplicable about-face and a breach of his obligations to the President and the Senator's colleagues in the House and Senate."
A White House spokeswoman sharply criticized Manchin for his "sudden and inexplicable change of heart." Manchin had promised to hold further talks in the coming days and to look for a compromise. Should this mean an end to these efforts, it would be "a breach of his obligations to the President and the Senator's colleagues in the House of Representatives and in the Senate."
President Biden had already admitted on Thursday after talks with Manchin that the package could not be approved before the turn of the year, as hoped. But Biden also stated that he reckons that the "differences can still be overcome." Other Democrats reacted angrily to Manchin's announcement. Democratic MP Ayanna Pressley accused him of irresponsibly hindering the president's agenda. Senator Bernie Sanders told CNN that Manchin would have to explain to the people of West Virginia why he was depriving them of important social improvements.
It is unusual that a core project of the president is being torpedoed from within his own ranks and is likely to exacerbate the inner-party dispute among the Democrats.
Biden has thrown all his political weight into the scales in order to get the project through.
The social and climate package, as well as the package of major infrastructure investments that has already been agreed, are among the core concerns of his presidency - they should be something like his legacy.
How exactly the negotiations on the legislative package will continue, the White House initially left open.
"We'll find a way to get ahead next year," said spokeswoman Jen Psaki simply in general.
hpp / afp / dpa
