The midterms are only a few months away and Democrats are in big trouble. Polls show the highest preference for Republicans in decades and eroding support for the left.
Part of the problem is Joe Biden’s priorities have mostly failed, especially his Build Back Better bill.
The chief reason is two members of the Democrat Party who haven’t been on board with reckless spending and far-left proposals: Senators Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Now, Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is desperately trying to get Manchin on board to help get something passed before the whole party loses all its influence in Congress.
Making Moves to Convince Manchin
Schumer and the Democrats want Manchin focused on their agenda, which is to pass laws against climate change and prescription prices. Meanwhile, the GOP also wants Manchin’s attention to try to pass a pro-energy bill and gun rights laws.
Schumer’s Green New Deal-style proposals are going to cost a lot, which is putting pressure on Manchin to say no. He’s already said no to heavy spending in the past, explaining if he can’t justify it to his constituents, he’s not going to pass it.
Manchin is a strategic political player, but he’s not reckless, nor is he a party guy. He’s certainly a Democrat, but he’s not one to toe the line by any means.
He’ll do what he needs to get re-elected and keep his donors happy, not just to be on good terms with Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden.
This attempt to still get parts of Biden’s Build Back Better bill put through to claim as wins reeks of desperation. It’s like the left simply can’t accept a loss and move on. They lost, and it’s time to win based on real performance, instead of socialist-style legislation.
Though they can’t do that; so they trot to Manchin’s Senate office every day to try to pressure him to give them a win. It’s a real sign of incompetence.
So much of Left Twitter can't comprehend the idea of someone overplaying their hand, so their solution to any problem is like a poker player who goes all-in on every hand, regardless of what they're holding.
— DrunkOnMystery (@DrunkOnMystery) June 2, 2022
Is Budget Reconciliation Coming?
Manchin made it clear a budget reconciliation package with policies about climate and lowering drug costs is not a sure thing.
If it fails to pass, many people, including in Manchin’s home state of West Virginia, are going to lose very helpful relief money they’ve been using to help pay for Obamacare.
The Democrat Party has fully focused on Manchin once again, now that Sinema has come in line with this angle of the negotiations.
On May 26, Democrats wrote an angry letter about how much people will be paying for health insurance if reconciliation isn’t done and a deal isn’t reached.
There’s no doubt if Manchin doesn’t play ball in some way, the Democratic pressure on him is going to reach a fever pitch in the coming weeks and months. Though there’s still no guarantee he’s going to fold.
Joe Manchin is a smart, pragmatic and common sense man. We should have more like him. https://t.co/q3apKoeDx6
— @1953gerger (@1953gerger1) May 31, 2022
