Here’s the Ultimate Message That Joe Manchin Could Send to Chuck Schumer – Opinion

Joe Biden, and the Democrats, have dealt with Sen. Joe Manchin’s objections to the Build back Better bill in a very poor manner.

They’ve tried to browbeat him into submission in public, thinking that that will get him to agree with them. He had requested that the White House not release a statement calling him out because of family harassment. They put it up anyway. So much so that the White House made a false statement, calling him a lie. Then Biden lied that Manchin had said he, Manchin, misled people and the White House had to issue a statement to clean up Biden’s lie. But all this seems to have had the opposite effect, making Manchin finally say he’d had enough and was at his wit’s end with the negotiations.

They learned their lessons. They just decided to pursue him even more. The Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threatened then to put the bill up for a vote in the Senate to make it compulsory. He believed that this would force Manchin to agree to the measure. He also is saying he wants to have a vote on the Democrats’ effort to essentially federalize elections, thinking Manchin will somehow be forced thereby to give up his defense of the filibuster. It’s a dumb strategy that’s only likely to antagonize Manchin, and it’s not going to move him off his positions.

But it might do a few things that Schumer doesn’t seem to be counting on if the bill were allowed to proceed ahead. First, it could reveal the other folks who don’t want to vote for the bill because, as we’ve been saying, it isn’t just Manchin. That would help Manchin’s cause showing officially others are standing against the crazy. It is possible that Sen. Kyrsten Silena (D-AZ), may be among those who are on the bills. But it’s also bad for the Democrats — if any of his people are at risk in moderate or red areas, then Schumer also puts them in greater danger over a vote that isn’t going to pass in any event. A terrible strategic decision.

The Wall Street Journal’s Kim Strassel points out how Manchin could torture Schumer and get his way next.

Schumer ought to be worried that West Virginians vote to continue with the bill and make changes to it. The budget-reconciliation process allows a simple majority to pass legislation, but it comes with a price: unlimited amendments. Despite Democrats’ efforts to claim just “one senator” stands against their bill, the actual number is 51—Mr. Manchin and all 50 Republicans. Think of the fun this majority might have at a vote-arama.
Mr. Manchin could craft amendments striking entire entitlements from the bill, amendments barring climate programs, amendments gutting the bill’s tax hikes. At most, 51 Republican votes would be needed to support these amendments. Republicans would create amendments that Mr. Manchin would find difficult to vote for. After the August beginning of reconciliation, senators did a dry-run of a vote a-rama. Mr. Manchin was a Republican on the amendments to energy, tax, fracking, and critical race theory. It is possible that he will do it again. However, the amendments would now be binding.

Imagine if Manchin did that, he could essentially recraft the bill wholly to his liking — if he had the assistance of the Republicans to some degree — which would then force the progressives to have to ultimately be the ones who kill the bill. What a fitting response to Manchin’s bullying. That would be the ultimate clap back, while still preventing the craziness that’s in the bill presently from passing. It would be interesting to see the Republicans join in on Schumer’s torture.

Now, I would think it more likely than not that he’d object to proceeding with the bill and we wouldn’t end up going there. Manchin being Manchin, he’d likely be more considerate of his fellow members than Schumer is. If they push him they might just convince him. And then, maybe, it’ll be enough to get him in the door.

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