West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said Sunday that he “cannot vote to continue with” President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, apparently signaling that he is pulling the plug on the massive spending bill. The announcement seems to have come as a surprise to Democratic lawmakers as well as the White House, which released a scathing statement that said Manchin’s comments “represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.”
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Manchin said his concerns surrounding both the size and basic shape of the $1.75 trillion economic and climate package remained unresolved. “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” the moderate Democratic Senator told host Bret Baier. “I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.” When asked by Baier if he was “done? This is a no?” — Manchin replied: “This is a no on this legislation.”
