Joe Manchin’s gift keeps on giving is Joe Manchin. Well, at least if you are a Republican hoping someone holds the line against Joe Biden’s “build back better” agenda.
Senator from West Virginia has demanded and will receive deep cuts in the $3.5 trillion-plus reconciliation bill. He’s also stood in the gap against some of the more harmful climate change and entitlement provisions. He nuked a major Biden priority to continue this theme today.
RedState reports that the progressives want to enforce new reporting rules for bank accounts receiving at least $10,000 per month in outflows. This would allow the IRS to monitor the finances of the vast majority of American adults. The administration has claimed that the provision targets billionaires, but that’s ludicrous given the minimums. To make the reconciliation deficit-neutral (LOL), more revenue from taxes was also planned.
Manchin said that such a ridiculous and potentially illegal privacy invasion scheme was not possible.
BANK REPORTING @Sen_JoeManchinClarified with me, he opposes bank reporting regardless of what threshold. “No one should be in anyones bank account “
— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) October 26, 2021
This serves as another gut punch to Biden’s agenda and further culls the progressive wish-list. It also blows a hole in the Democrat attempt to massage the numbers in order to claim the bill is “paid for.” Reconciliation has specific guidelines in regards to adding to the deficit so that could complicate its entire passage.
Maybe that’s the point, though? I’m starting to get the feeling that Manchin really does not want this thing to pass. He wants the infrastructure deal because it’s bipartisan, providing him cover in a red state like West Virginia, but he gains nothing by being a part of Biden’s boondoggle. He will obstruct the process more, which makes it more likely that the whole thing will collapse. If this isn’t done by the end of October, and that seems unlikely, this will drag into next year. And if this drags into next year, it probably doesn’t get done at all because of the coming election.
Manchin indicated that he was indicating more tension between himself and his ostensibly Democrat allies.
MANCHIN says he does not have a party. “I don’t know where in the hell I belong”
— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) October 26, 2021
That’s not something you want to hear from the guy holding the deciding vote on your agenda if you are a Democrat. Manchin has previously denied he’s got a plan to go independent, but it sure does feel like he’s keeping that option on the table, doesn’t it?
Another attempt at getting far-left progressives back to their feet and to accept his terms. If they don’t, perhaps he could be pushed to a point where he makes the move. At the very least, Manchin has already announced that he’s fine with none of Biden’s agenda passing. Whether Democrats like it or not, he’s got all the leverage.
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