Democrats and climate activists were left outraged on Thursday when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) refused to go forward with his party’s economic package, citing its climate and energy programs as well as its raising of taxes on wealthy Americans.
Manchin’s decision to pull the plug comes after weeks of negotiations with Democrats to craft a bill that he would support and seven months after he killed President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan.
“Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas as inflation soars to 9.1 percent,” said Sam Runyon, a spokeswoman for Manchin. “Senator Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, re-evaluate and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire.”
