Manchin declines to say if he'll support Biden in 2024: 'I'm not getting involved in that'
Markus Schreiber/AP Photo
- Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday declined to say if he would back President Biden's 2024 reelection bid.
- "Everybody's worried about elections. That's the problem," he said during an ABC News interview.
- Manchin and Schumer earlier this week broke a legislative logjam with climate and tax bills.
Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday declined to say if he would back President Joe Biden's expected reelection bid in 2024, days after clinching a deal that revived much of the administration's long-sought climate goals.
During an interview on ABC's "This Week," the West Virginia Democrat told Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl that he didn't want to entertain questions regarding whether he'd back Biden if the incumbent president was renominated and stood for reelection.
"Everybody's worried about elections. That's the problem," Manchin said.
He continued: "It's a 2022 election ... a 2024 election. I'm not getting involved in that."
Manchin — who throughout Biden's White House tenure has played a highly consequential role in the 50-50 Senate since his vote can sink or swim everything from reconciliation legislation to judicial appointments — said that he appreciated the president's engagement as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was hashed out behind the scenes on Capitol Hill.
The legislation, a more condensed version of previous Democratic-led spending bills, would greenlight a three-year extension of subsidies for individuals to buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. It also provides nearly $370 billion for climate and energy programs and $300 billion to reduce the federal budget deficit.
The bill would also generate roughly $739 billion in revenue over the next decade, aided in part by a 15% corporate minimum tax on companies with net income exceeding $1 billion.
"This type of legislation wouldn't happen unless the President of the United States was involved — and he gave his blessing and signed off on it. I can assure you of that. And I appreciate that more than anyone knows because this has been tough," Manchin said.
"I'm not getting into 2022 or 2024. Whoever is my president, that's my president. And Joe Biden is my president right now," he added.
When Karl asked Manchin if he'd rule out backing a Republican in 2024, the senator dismissed the question.
"I'm not getting into the 2024 election," he said.
Manchin, who represents one of the most conservative states in the country, has served as a check on the administration's ambitions since last year, with the lawmaker stymieing efforts to pass the Build Back Better Act in part over its pricetag while also expressing concerns about inflation as it related to Democratic spending plans.
Earlier this month, it appeared that a breakthrough for climate and health care investments had again fallen apart, but Manchin insisted at the time that he had not walked away from further negotiations.
Over a two-week stretch, Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York privately worked out a plan that would address climate change while also tackling the inflationary concerns that the West Virginian raised, and in turn breathing back life into what could become a defining part of the Biden presidency.
Contributer : Business Insider https://ift.tt/NVaHZlF
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Monday, August 01, 2022
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