Joe Manchin demands climate provisions stripped from budget bill

[buh buh biden]

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin offered a lump of coal to his fellow
Democrats after he demanded $150 billion in clean-energy initiatives be
removed from a budget bill currently making its way through the Senate.

Senate sources confirmed to The Post that Manchin was “dug in” on climate
issues.

“As a path forward there are two choices, compromise in some form or
fashion or eliminate the climate aspect from reconciliation and work on it
thereafter,” said one senior insider in the chamber.

Manchin has already expressed cost reservations about the $3.5 trillion
budget package currently pending in the Senate. The $150 billion earmarked
for climate initiatives would be used to convert coal and gas-fired plants
to ones that operate with cleaner tech like wind, solar and nuclear.

Manchin has also made it known that he is opposed to a provision in the
bill known as the Clean Electricity Performance Program, which rewards
utilities that up their clean-energy supply — and punish those who don’t,
the Washington Post reported.

“We don’t comment on the state of our negotiations with the wide array of
Senators offering views about the Build Back Better agenda,” a White House
spokesman told The Post Saturday. “The White House is laser-focused on
advancing the President’s climate goals and positioning the United States
to meet its emission targets in a way that grows domestic industries and
good jobs.”

Coal has long been one of the most prominent industries in West Virginia
and the state has drifted increasingly Republican as the left becomes more
hostile to fossil fuels. Manchin is one of the last major Democrats to
hold office there. In the 2020 presidential election former President
Trump won more than 68% of the vote there.

Liberals reacted with fury over the issue.

“Joe Manchin, who owns stock in a coal brokerage company, is trying to
kill legislation to replace coal-fired power plants with clean energy. I’m
shocked! Absolutely shocked!,” said former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich
in a tweet.

Manchin’s posture threatens to blow up the giant budget deal. With a 50-50
Senate, President Biden cannot lose a single vote for any piece of
legislation. The bill is making use of the budget reconciliation process
to skirt the ability of Republicans to mount a filibuster.

“Everything is still under negotiations,” the Senate insider said. “This
piece is just one piece of many different disagreements.


https://nypost.com/2021/10/16/joe-manchin-demands-climate-provisions-
stripped-from-budget-bill/