Joe Manchin Traded His Vote on Massive Wasteful Spending Bill on a Promise to Pass His Legislation

I told you so, Joe. You never make a deal with Democrats where they will pay you back later. Being a Democrat, you must have seen Pelosi and Schumer break promise after promise and now you are in danger of losing your Senate seat in 2024. Your vote for Schumer shuts down large swaths of the coal industry, which will cost your constituents, and their livelihood and you got nothing in return.

Dozens of left-wing Democrats have spoken out against the bill and have threatened to shut the government down if Manchin gets what he was promised. And Manchin has said he will side with the Republicans if his initiatives are dropped from the government spending bill. That means the government could shut down no matter how the budget is written.

As part of the Inflation Reduction Act negotiations, Schumer promised Manchin provisions for speeding up approval for mines, oil wells, and gas pipelines would be included in the government funding bill. But, it is Manchin’s own fault. Did he really believe the same people pushing the Green New Deal would ever accept these provisions? You would have to be incredibly stupid to believe anything Schumer promises.

72 House Democrats wrote in a letter to lower chamber leadership:

“We urge you to ensure that these provisions are kept out of a continuing resolution or any other must-pass legislation this year.”

From The Daily Caller

Sanders has similarly threatened to shut down the government if Manchin’s permitting proposal is included in a continuing resolution. “You’re talking about the future for the planet,” Sanders told reporters, according to ABC News.

Federal funding runs out on Sept. 30, and Congress is expected to attempt to pass a continuing resolution rather than a full funding package before the November midterms.

Schumer said on Wednesday that it was his “intention” to include the permitting reform in the continuing resolution. “Permitting reform is part of the IRA and we will get it done,” he explained.

The Inflation Reduction Act included $369 billion in green energy subsidies and tax credits. The bill includes a tax credit of up to $7,500 per electric vehicle. Automobile companies including Hyundai and Ford are expected to benefit from the reconciliation package, and Ford raised the price of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck shortly after the bill’s passage.

Surprisingly, Chuck Schumer is actually trying to keep his promise to Manchin and he is prepared to put his bill in with the spending bill to keep the government open. That may not be easy to do as the far-left in the Senate do not plan on voting for the bill and many Senate GOP members say they will not vote for the bill if Manchin’s amendment is left in it. We still have not heard from Joe Biden or his handlers walking back anything he says.

This means that Schumer will likely not get the 60 votes he needs to override the expected filibuster. Nancy Pelosi has not weighed and remember, the Democrats have a very small lead in the House and it would not take much to keep it from passing that chamber. It may take some pretty hefty bribes disguised as amendments to secure enough votes to pass it. That could cost them votes for the bill.

Anyway you cut it,  this bill is in serious trouble.