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Sen. Bernie Sanders reactes after Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, withdrew his support for President Joe Biden’s agenda that includes measures to combat climate change and boost taxes on companies and the rich.
Senator Bernie Sanders attacked Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday for sabotaging President Joe Biden's agenda by opposing the Democrats' party-line funding package last week.
Manchin struck down Democrats' planned energy and climate measures as part of the budget reconciliation package last week. The West Virginia Democrat disputed on Friday that he had withdrawn from the spending bill's climate and energy investments, saying that he needed to examine July inflation statistics before approving the package.
Manchin's Decision Over President Joe Biden's Agenda Provokes Fury
Manchin's refusal to approve the package after months of discussions has enraged Democrats, who argue that the funding plan is critical to combating climate change. Sanders vented his rage on Sunday, stating that "people like Manchin" are "actively destroying the president's program, what the American people want, and what the Democratic caucus wants."
The Vermont senator labeled Manchin's focus on inflation during budget discussions nonsense and implied that Manchin does not represent the people of West Virginia, whom Sanders said overwhelmingly want to extend Medicare coverage and believe the wealthy should pay their fair share of taxes, according to Politico.
Other media sites have chastised Manchin for impeding President Biden's agenda and undermining the Democrats' narrow Senate majority. According to the Washington Post, Manchin's resistance to the climate change clause may have fatal, irreversible, and global consequences.
Stokes further accused Manchin of being driven by his ties in the coal business rather than growing inflation rates. Despite attacking Democrats' climate change initiatives, Manchin denied on Friday that he was outright opposed to the budget plan. He has subsequently announced that he will decide in August, when the July inflation figures are revealed, as per Fox News.
Democrats have maintained for months that the greatest long-term response to increasing gas costs is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. Biden's 2020 presidential campaign centered on transitioning the country away from fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions, particularly given the growing consequences of climate change.
Biden Promises To Take Action Against Climate Change
However, following months of high-level discussions, Manchin informed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday that he would not support such components in his party's budget proposal, thereby destroying Democrats' chances of embracing Biden's climate program.
Because of the Senate's 50-50 divide, nearly every Democrat must vote in lockstep to advance a majority of Biden's more radical agenda items. It has also given Manchin and Sinema disproportionate power within their party. Manchin and his colleague conservative Democrat senator, Kyrsten Sinema, have been instrumental in derailing Democrats' efforts to codify voting rights, safeguard abortion rights, and enact Biden's ambitious Build Back Better spending package.
Manchin's rejection of the climate legislation on Thursday sparked a barrage of condemnation from his Democratic colleagues, including an irate Sanders. Sanders disputed Manchin's argument that he was acting by West Virginians' wishes and in response to the skyrocketing cost of consumer goods, which climbed 9.1 percent on average in June over the previous year.
The leftist legislator called it "the same crap Manchin has been talking about for a year." He maintained that features such as increased Medicare and higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy and major businesses would help its citizens.
Sanders' final comment was a public call to people to vote for "more radical Democrats" in future elections, another veiled jab at the Southern moderate. Following Manchin's flip, President Trump promised last week that he will take "strong" action to mitigate the effects of climate change, Daily Mail reported.
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