Manchin: Not Fair to Hold Bipartisan Deal ‘Hostage’ for Reconciliation Bill, I Haven’t Signed Up to Vote for Reconciliation Bill

While speaking with CNN on Thursday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said that holding the bipartisan infrastructure agreement “hostage” for a broader reconciliation package “doesn’t seem to be fair to me,” and that “you vote for this and I’ll vote for that” isn’t what he signed up for. Manchin refused to commit to backing the reconciliation plan until he’s seen it and expressed misgivings about the $6 trillion price tag for the reconciliation package.

Manchin said, “To say that one’s being held hostage to the other doesn’t seem to be fair to me, but they’re going to make those decisions. But we have to see what’s in the other plan before I can say, oh, yes, you vote for this and I’ll vote for that. That’s not what I have signed up for. I’ve only signed up for what’s in the plan that makes sense.”

Manchin also stated that the $6 trillion price tag for a reconciliation package is “extremely, extremely high for us to take on that much debt. I don’t know if there’s that much pay-fors. So, I’ve got to look at the pay-fors.” And “If they’re working outside that envelope, they’d have to prove to me the need is there, that, don’t worry about it, throw caution to the wind and just add more debt on. I have a hard time swallowing that.”

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