The West Virginia Democrat and his staff have been engaged for weeks in intensive negotiations with the chairs of key Senate committees ahead of his party's release of a
sprawling bill to expand the social safety net, laying down his demands on a wide-range of issues: health care, education, child care and taxes, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
And Manchin is making clear he won't cave
on aggressive climate provisions sought by many Democrats, throwing a wrench in his party's efforts to make the bill key to combating global warming.
With Democrats needing every vote in their caucus to get the bill through the Senate along straight party lines, Manchin has received more attention than any other Democrat, even as others -- like Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema --
have also balked at the $3.5 trillion price tag. Indeed, as committee chairs have held regular meetings with their members over the summer recess to shape key provisions of legislation under their jurisdiction, they often will later have individual meetings with Manchin, even if he doesn't serve on their respective committees.
As she met with her members on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who chairs the panel, also talked privately with Manchin to hear his concerns about provisions on free community college and universal pre-K -- issues that are also central to President Joe Biden's agenda. Her staff has since been in contact with Manchin's aides, while Murray has been in constant communication with other members as well.
Manchin and his staff have been in consistent talks with Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon, a committee where the two powerful Democrats have clashed over several key provisions central to financing the proposal, including on corporate tax hikes, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Wyden has had weekly Zoom meetings with his committee members on individual areas of their proposal, but has made sure to have regular talks with Manchin -- either with him directly or through his staff.
And Manchin has engaged in long discussions with rank-and-file Democrats as well, including Sen. Michael Bennet over the Colorado Democrat's push to broaden and bolster
the child tax credit, which the West Virginian wants to bring down to a level far lower than what many in his party want, multiple Democrats said.
On education, Manchin is trying to limit the Democrats' efforts to provide universal pre-K and tuition-free community college. He's talked to Democrats about limiting the number of Americans eligible for pre-K by setting income thresholds, while also discussing ways to measure students' performance for community college assuming their tuition is paid for over two years. And on health care, Manchin has suggested substantially reducing funding for home-care services, a key priority of many Democrats.
But those warnings are falling on deaf ears in the Democratic leadership and the broader Democratic caucuses.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday brushed off Manchin’s threat and told reporters that negotiators are still planning to unveil a bold and ambitious proposal.
“In our caucus — there are some in my caucus who believe $3.5 trillion is too much, there are some in my caucus who believe it’s too little,” Schumer said on a press call Wednesday morning. “I can tell you this: In reconciliation we’re all going to come together to get something big done and, second, it’s our intention to have every part of the Biden plan in a big and robust way.”
Asked about Manchin’s call for a “strategic pause,” Schumer insisted “we’re moving full speed ahead.”
“We want to keep going forward. We think getting this done is so important to the American people for all the reasons we have outlined,” he said. “We are moving forward on this bill.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday that colleagues putting together the legislation will stick with the $3.5 trillion goal, though she acknowledged the final number might be different.
“I don’t know what the number will be. We are marking at $3.5 trillion,” she said.
A senior Democratic staffer said Senate and House committees, which face an end-of-week deadline to finish their elements of the reconciliation package by the end of this week, haven’t received any indication the final version will be pared down from the $3.5 trillion top-line spending goal laid out in the budget resolutions passed last month by each chamber.
“We’re working our asses off,” said the aide. “All we’re doing is working. We have been under orders to get to agreement with our House counterparts by close-of-business Friday.”
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has primary jurisdiction over the reconciliation process, says the spending target agreed to by congressional Democrats already represents a significant compromise with moderates.
“The overwhelming majority of members of the budget committee — and I think a good 80 or more percent of Democratic members of the Senate — supported a $6 trillion bill,” Sanders said of the spending number he originally floated ahead of the budget debate.
Sanders argues that $3.5 trillion is what needs to be spent on transforming the nation’s energy economy to address climate change and “dealing with the needs of the working class.”
“To my mind, this bill at $3.5 trillion is already a major, major compromise. And at the very least this bill should be $3.5 trillion,” he said Wednesday.
If you are one of Manchin or Sinema’s constituents, they need to hear form you and let them know you support the full $3.5 trillion package.