The $1.8 trillion social-spending blueprint that Senator Joe Manchin proposed to the Biden White House in late 2021 seems to have been shelved after the lawmaker has hit turbulence in negotiations with the administration, according to The Washington Post.
The West Virginia Democrat proposed a counter-offer to the larger Build Back Better social-spending proposal sought by President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders last month, with the moderate plan including critical investments for climate initiatives, an expansion of the Affordable Care Act, and universal pre-K.
Three people with knowledge of the situation who spoke with The Post said that Manchin is no longer supportive of moving that offer along after the breakdown in the negotiation process with the administration.
On Tuesday, Manchin said he had not spoken to the White House about the social-spending bill this year.
I'm really not going to talk about Build Back Better because I think I've been very clear on that, Manchin told reporters at the time. There is no negotiation going on at this time. The senator wants the party to overhaul their approach to the bill, because he has stated that he does not intend to back legislation modeled after the Build Back Better Act.
Several senior Democrats expressed that Manchin would not back his earlier proposal if the Biden White House tried to pass it in its original form - a result of the talks last month, according to the newspaper.
On Sunday, Manchin made a bombshell appearance on Fox News where he announced his opposition to Biden's signature domestic legislation and refused to take a call from White House staff before the interview, despite his efforts to stave off his decision, according to a report by Politico.