Manchin Blocking Energy, Tax Provisions In Big U.S. Bill

Sen. Joe Manchin has stated that he will oppose an economic measure he has been negotiating with Democratic leaders if it contains climate or energy elements or greater taxes on the wealthy and corporations, dealing a surprise blow to one of the party's most important election-year aims, Alan Fram and Matthew Daly reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Many have called Senator Joe Manchin a Republican in disguise.

According to a Democratic official, Manchin told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, on Thursday that he will only back new legislation if its scope is confined to reducing pharmaceutical prices and prolonging federal subsidies for purchasing health care coverage.

Last December, after months of discussions and after the bill had passed the House, Manchin abruptly derailed his party's larger, more comprehensive social and ecological package.

The impartial Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that elements Democrats have already agreed to reduce prescription medication costs, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for the pharmaceuticals it purchases, will save $288 billion over the next decade.

This would be more than sufficient to pay for the extension of government subsidies for individuals who purchase private health insurance, a benefit that expires in January.

Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, referred to the Democrats' legislation as "our last chance to prevent the most catastrophic and costly effects of climate change."

However, he stated that the party must “salvage as much of this package as possible. The expression that failure is not an option is overused, but failure really is not an option here."

"The phrase 'failure is not an option is overused, but failure is truly not an option in this situation."

The founder of the liberal Center for American Progress (CAP), John Podesta, stated that Biden should use his executive authority to take action on climate change. “It seems odd that Sen. Manchin would choose as his legacy to be the one man who single-handedly doomed humanity. But we can’t throw in the towel on the planet,” he continued

Brett Hartl, Director of Government Affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, deemed it "outrageous" that Manchin and the Republican Party blocked climate legislation in this Congress and urged Biden to intervene.

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