WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Sunday said he opposes using a maneuver that would enable his party to pass U.S. President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal without Republican support, saying he favors a smaller and “more targeted” bill.
Manchin, a moderate who holds the power to block the Democrats’ agenda in the evenly divided Senate, rejected the idea of using a process called budget reconciliation to pass Democratic President Joe Biden’s proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure legislation.
While most legislation needs 60 votes to advance in the 100-seat Senate, the reconciliation process allows for a simple majority. Democrats control the Senate because Vice President Kamala can cast a tie-beaking vote.
“More targeted,” Manchin, a key vote in the closely divided Senate, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program, referring to a bill that would incorporate internet broadband, roads and water infrastructure needs.
Asked if he would back another bill with other related spending through a process called reconciliation, Manchin said “no.”
Biden’s sweeping proposals in his infrastructure proposal also include $400 billion for in-home and community based care for the elderly and disabled as well as $100 billion for schools and child care facilities – two areas left out of a $568 billion Republican counteroffer introduced last week.
Manchin said that while more money is needed for health and child care, it was hard to build public support for a massive bill that goes beyond what he called “traditional” infrastructure needs.
“I think they should be separated,” Manchin said. “When you start putting so much into one bill … it makes it very, very difficult for he public to understand.” He called the Republican proposal “a good start” for negotiations.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham)
