One Democratic Senator from West Virginia…
The US House progressive lawmakers HA VE been heard and HAVE gotten some the things they have pushed for…
That IS progress for them…
Their President went along with them a good amount of things that both wanted….
But now ?
Biden is negotiating with Senator Manchin to get his social spending ‘Build Back Better’ package thru the Senate…
And?
Senator Manchin almost single handly will set what progressives and the President get’s…
It IS like THAT…
With midterm elections coming at the lawmakers…
And daily media stories and polls about Democrats about to lose their paper thing majorities …
Other Democrats in ‘swing’ districts are gonna actually come down on Manchin’s side on spending….
The progressives tend to work for ‘safe’ districts…
Others do NOT..
The Democratic Party is looking to survive November’s midterms as best it can ….
Democrats tore a litany of progressive priorities out of their signature domestic policy bill, but the House left’s leader is still declaring a win.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described the $1.7 trillion social policy bill as just about the best-case scenario, a notable acknowledgment of the microscopic Democratic majorities that have bedeviled liberals all year long. And neither Jayapal nor her members are seriously talking about tanking the Senate’s version of the bill when it comes back to the House for a final green light — if it can get past the further cuts and delays that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) appears likely to exact.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure it stays as good as possible. We are now counting on the Senate to make sure to preserve it,” Jayapal said in an interview this week.
To be sure, there’s plenty for progressives to like in their party’s bill to expand the social safety net, from universal pre-K to more than $500 billion for climate change. But Jayapal and many in her caucus have spent months fuming as the centrist Manchin threatens to wield a one-man veto pen over their ambitions and push the bill into next year.
And that leaves liberals with the tough task of convincing their restive base that it is, in fact, a victory as attention turns to the midterms.
The sales job is only going to get harder: policies such as paid family leave, immigration, drug price negotiation and subsidized childcare are in jeopardy — facing Manchin’s opposition and the labyrinthine budget rules of the upper chamber. Several senior progressives acknowledged that it would be difficult to communicate liberals’ now-cooperative approach to a broad swath of their voters, who are increasingly restless about inaction in Congress….
image…LA Times
“A 50/50 Senate is really problematic. I’ve used the word ‘sucks.’ It definitely enables one or two people to hold things up. So, yes, I am frustrated.”
— Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), quoted by Politico.
Politicalwire
Would she prefer 51-49 Republican or more?
She should be careful of what she wishes for.
Most Dem’s probably resent’s Manchin having as much power….
They ought to build a statue to him.
If not for him, the West Virginia Senate seat would be held by a pro-Trump Republican and Mitch McConnell would be Majority Leader.
Manchin (and or Siinema) are not “1 or 2 Senators” controlling things. They are part of a majority of the Senate (including 50 duly elected Republicans) who are holding sway. People on the left have to realize that the Republicans in the Senate actually do count equally out of 100.
Nina Turner
@ninaturner
Yesterday, Joe Manchin voted to pass the $7.7 TRILLION defense bill, the largest in this country’s history. Not once did he mention a CBO score or inflation.
He only reserves this bs tactic when it’s time to give working people paid leave and the Child Tax Credit.
Actually CG….
While Manchin and Sinema have indeed been more likely than other Democrats in either the Senate or House to cross party lines, it’s not true they vote more often with Republicans than with fellow Democrats. And they haven’t done so in Biden’s presidency. So far, they’ve aligned with Biden 100% of the time.
According to CQ Roll Call, Manchin voted against his party’s majority 38.5% of the time last year, while Sinema did so for 33.1% of the votes. Democratic Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, who lost his reelection race in November to Republican Tommy Tuberville, was third at 32.2%.
In the House, Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, most frequently voted last year against his party, at 27.3%, followed by Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., at 23.7%. Both lost to Republican challengers in November.
Manchin and Sinema have also supported Biden’s position in every instance so far this year, including numerous confirmation votes on Biden nominees, COVID-19 relief and the commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to FiveThirtyEight’s count. Sinema was not in town for last week’s vote on the Jan. 6 commission, citing a family matter, but said she would have backed it if she were…
More…
And then there is this.…
Opinion: Cheney was more loyal to Trump’s agenda than Stefanik was. But Trump only cares about loyalty to him.
Yeah, they are definitely Democrats, even though the purists in the party want to throw them out of the tribe.
I don’t see any effort to throw Manchin or Sinema out of the Democratic party, although Sinema will definitely be primaried in her next election.
Unlike the GOP, There is no significant effort in the Democratic Party to censure politicians for their votes..
Manchin VOTES DEMOCRATIC……