Manchin Lays Out a Bill He Can Support

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) “laid out a basic party-line package that could win his vote, lower the deficit and enact some new programs, provided they are permanently funded,” Politico reports.

“It may be Democrats’ best and last chance to get at least some of their biggest domestic priorities done before the midterm elections, but would require everyone in the party — particularly liberals — to concede that what’s possible doesn’t come close to the $1.7 trillion package Manchin spurned in December.”

“Manchin said that if Democrats want to cut a deal on a party-line bill using the budget process to circumvent a Republican filibuster, they need to start with prescription drug savings and tax reform. He envisions whatever revenue they can wring out of that as split evenly between reducing the federal deficit and inflation, on the one hand, and enacting new climate and social programs, on the other — ‘to the point where it’s sustainable.'”