Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WVa. defended his role in approving President Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package in the “Special Report” on Tuesday after the bill passed the Senate without a single Republican vote.
Critics accused Manchin of abandoning his earlier promise not to vote against the party line in the final legislation, unless Congress could make it “work in a bipartisan way”.
“What happened?” Host Bret Baier asked.
Manchin insisted that there were “an enormous amount of Republican contributions to that bill I worked on and the things I was able to include in it,” pointing specifically to provisions involving direct funding to counties and municipalities. in addition to limiting unemployment insurance benefits to $ 300.
THE SENATE STRICTLY PASSES COVID RELIEF HELP WITH MANCHIN’S HELP
The Democrat acknowledged that the final price of $ 1.9 trillion was a far cry from the $ 1.4 trillion that Republicans were willing to support.
“I believed that we could have done an account, hopefully, in the range of $ 1.4, $ 1.5, but it was not meant to be,” he said. “At the end of the day, you basically had to look at what we were doing to help the United States, helping different people across the country and trying to get the country back on its feet.
“It was a bill that in my state helped so many people in so many different ways, and in the end, when we were able to make some adjustments here and there, it was a project that I was able to support.”
SENADO DEMS, MANCHIN REACH COVID-19 UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AGREEMENT
Manchin, a moderate with a reputation for working beyond party lines, was the key vote that Democrats needed to advance Biden’s proposal via budgetary reconciliation. With the 50/50 split of the Senate, Democrats had no margin for error.
Manchin’s willingness to step away from his party has been highlighted in recent months for his overt refusal to eliminate legislative obstruction, which requires 60 votes to end debate over a bill.
The legislator said on Tuesday that his position on ending the obstruction remains unchanged, but added that it should be more difficult to use.
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When Baier said that Machin’s apparent reversal in the COVID relief deal created some “cynicism about the bipartisan action you’re talking about,” the legislator doubled over, promising never to “abandon my belief that the minority should contribute”.
“Then you will stand your ground [on the filibuster]? “the Fox News presenter pressed again.
“Oh, yes,” said Manchin. “I think everyone knows that.”