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A question arising from Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va.,’s newfound support for a massive welfare spending and tax bill is whether he will push for Republican input and support, as he has previously done with other high-profile bills pushed by Democrats.
Last year, Manchin announced that any legislation affecting voting rights, something Democrats said was “under attack” at the time, would have to include input and support from Republicans to win his support.
Ultimately, he refused to support the Democratic-backed People Act, citing a lack of bipartisanship, and criticized fellow Democrats for “partisan politics,” claiming it would “destroy” American democracy.
“The right to vote is fundamental to our American democracy, and protecting that right should not be tied to party or politics. At the very least, defending this right, which is a value I share, should never be done in a partisan way,” he wrote in a statement at the time.
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U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) delivers remarks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2021. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
“The truth is, there is a better way – if we seek to find it together,” he added later.
Every Republican member of the Senate is expected to oppose the Lower Inflation Act, the official name of the reconciliation spending bill reached in the closed-door deal between Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
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Unlike his previous demands for bipartisanship, Manchin appears ready to help pass the bill without any help from Senate Republicans. The legislation would pass with a simple majority, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break a 50-50 tie in favor of Democrats.
Fox News Digital reached out to Manchin’s office for comment and received a statement from a spokeswoman that touted his past efforts at bipartisanship but did not mention any desire for Republican input on the bill.
“For years, Senator Manchin has worked in a bipartisan way to ensure we produce more energy domestically and pay down our national debt, and much of that work is reflected in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Communications Director Samantha Runyon in the statement.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York speaks to the media after a Democratic policy luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
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The Senate will reconvene on Saturday and is expected to vote to begin debate on the bill.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.
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