President Joe Biden spoke of a broad social agenda in the message he gave to Congress for his State of the Union and although he asked for help from congressmen, the reality is more bitter for his administration after the speech.
And it is that the senator from Joe Manchin (West Virginia) made it clear that there is no step back on his rejection of President Biden’s social spending agenda, the so-called Build Back Better. .
“They just can’t help themselves,” Manchin told congressional reporters when asked how President Biden’s agenda would be achieved.
The Democrat, who has become the congressman from greater power by blocking or delaying the agenda, he stated that nothing has changed about his decision on the Build Back Better agenda.
“I don’t know where that came from… Nothing has changed,” he said. “There may be parts that they want to talk about. I do not know. That went a bit far”.
The president spoke of fiscal aid for children, families, reduction in the cost of medicines, even an immigration reform –contemplated in the Build Back Better proposal–, but Manchin made it clear that he has not had new negotiations on the $1.5 to $2 trillion package.
Manchin even remained “mocking” about the statements of President Biden, who asked to help families save and reduce production costs, instead of wages.
“I did not know that you can reduce costs by spending more,” he asserted.
According to a report by The Hill, Republican Senator Mitt Romney (Utah), considered one of the moderates, added to Manchin’s comment that there was no way to better explain a reaction to what they considered “nonsense” by President Biden.
The president dedicated a large part of his speech to the economic issue, even citing Nobel Prize winners, who considered that inflation could be reduced by supporting families and reducing production costs without lowering wages.
Manchin even pointed out on television that the sanctions against Russia impose new challenges on the US and that it was not the time to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
It should be noted that Manchin has not spoken out against immigration reform, but his position has not allowed the integrated plan to advance in the Rebuild Better agenda either.