West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a Republican, argued on Monday that fiscal concerns should be put aside as the country struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, putting pressure on the centrist senator. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinManchin ‘couldn’t believe it’ when he saw Harris’ interview on TV West Virginia Democrats in Congress are on the wrong side of impeachment policy. Progressives promote a controversial proposal on budget reconciliation MORE (DW.Va.) to support a major COVID-19 relief bill.
“We need to understand that trying to be, on its own, fiscally responsible right now, with what is happening in this country – if we really throw away some money now, so what?” Justice told CNN in an interview.
“We really have to change and take care of people,” he said.
Justice doubled his statement in a follow-up interview with MSNBC, in which he asked Congress to “grow”
“I absolutely believe we need to grow,” he said, punishing lawmakers in Washington during the standoff months before Congress passed a $ 900 billion aid package in December.
“I have always believed that it was ridiculous beyond belief to have Democrats and Republicans fighting and not being able to approve a stimulus package for months,” he said. “It was terrible. That is all there is to do. You had people who were suffering who needed to pay the electricity bill, pay the rent or pay the car.
“Right now in this country, we need to grow. We need to stop counting the egg-sucking legs in the cows and count the cows and just move. And move on and move on now, ”he added.
Punctual statements from the court pressured Manchin, who has been negotiating with a group of Senate Republicans to approve a smaller aid package, to support President Biden’s request to approve a $ 1.9 trillion package.
Vice President Harris told WSAZ, an NBC affiliate in Charleston, last week that West Virginia would benefit from Biden’s plan.
“For you, in West Virginia, 1 in 7 families is describing your home as starving, 1 in 6 cannot pay rent and 1 in 4 small businesses is permanently closing or has already closed, so it’s a big problem in West Virginia and across the country, ”said Harris. “And that is why the president and I are offering the American Rescue Plan.”
Manchin was irritated by the pressure, later telling WSAZ that he could not believe that Harris made his statement in his own home without telling him.
“I saw [the interview]. I couldn’t believe it. Nobody called me [about it], ”Manchin said WSAZ. “We will try to find a bipartisan way forward, but we need to work together. This is not a way of working together. “
Manchin raised concerns about the tax impact of sending checks for $ 1,400 to individuals across the country, which, when combined with a project approved in December, would increase the total discount amount to $ 2,000.
“I don’t know where the hell $ 2,000 came from,” said Manchin earlier this month. “I swear to God, no. Another $ 400 billion. “