Senator Manchin supports Senate Democrats' efforts to revive BBB programs

Photo: By Rebecca Hammel

President Joe Biden recently called for the resurrection of numerous Build Back Better (BBB) policies, such as government-financed childcare, paid family leave, and in-home healthcare. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) is again opposing such a package proposed by some Senate Democrats.

Following months of negotiations with the White House and other Democrats, Manchin, in December 2021, announced that he would not support the $1.85 trillion draft of the BBB due to concerns about continually rising inflation. It was a death blow for the BBB in a Senate equally divided, where all 50 Republicans opposed it.

While Manchin has not committed to voting for a smaller bill, he has shown that he is open to and willing to consider smaller, more focused bills since rejecting the $1.85 trillion package.

Manchin suggested, in response to Biden's March 1 speech, that Democrats should create a tax reform bill that expands federal revenue and is more economically based. Manchin suggested that Democrats use the excess revenue for a single program of their choosing - like childcare, family leave, or in-home healthcare-and divert the remaining funds to prescription drug reform and fighting inflation.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) similarly opined that government spending would serve to lessen inflation. Democrats’ spending policies in BBB, Murray said, “are all part of dealing with inflation.”

5 March 2022