Sanders: We Need to Force Manchin to Vote — ‘He Doesn’t’ Have the Guts to Stand Up’ to Special Interests

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) does not have the guts to stand up to special interests after Manchin announced he would not vote for President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better Act.

Sanders said, “He will have a lot of explaining to do to the people of with West Virginia to tell him he doesn’t have the guts to take on the drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs, why he is not prepared to expand home health care. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in this country. Elderly people and disabled people who would like to stay at home are forced into nursing homes. He has to tell the people of West Virginia why he doesn’t want to expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and eyeglasses.”

He added, “I hoped to have at least 50 Democrats on board who have the guts to stand up for working families and take on the lobbyists and the powerful special interests. No Republicans, not one Republican in the United States Senate or the House for that matter, is prepared to stand up to the drug companies or the insurance companies or wealthy. I hoped to have 50 Democrats. If that is the case, then I hope we will bring a strong bill to the floor of the Senate as soon as we can and let Mr. Manchin explain to the people of West Virginia why he doesn’t have the guts to stand up to powerful special interests.”

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