To many Americans, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been a voice of reason. Despite Manchin being a member of the Democrat Party, he’s stood up to some of the most extreme elements amongst his own party members.
Specifically, Manchin’s informed Democrats that he’s not going to vote for gargantuan spending bills while inflation is at 9.1% and growing.
The West Virginia Democrat echoed similar remarks last year when he declined to throw his key congressional vote behind the Build Back Better Act.
Progressives and Democrats aren’t pleased about this, though. This led to the New York Times releasing an opinion piece lashing out against Manchin, as reported by Fox News.
The NYT on Manchin
The Times’ piece ultimately accused the West Virginia Democrat of wasting the current majority that his party has in Congress. The clear view here is that Manchin should put his concerns about inflation to the side and get on board with the party.
Later, the attacks on Manchin got a little more personal. The op-ed went on to say that while Manchin’s children and grandchildren may have ample finances, they’ll face a planet that’s “broken.”
Afterward, the piece declared that Manchin’s “legacy” as a politician will ultimately be the collapse of the climate.
Joe Manchin’s rejection of a compromise climate bill tells a familiar story: Voters and politicians put a higher premium on immediate issues, such as inflation and the economy, giving politicians a pass on global warming. https://t.co/T9fWzcIbM7
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 17, 2022
Next, the opinion article goes on to dismiss Manchin’s cited concerns about inflation. Instead, the Times stated the West Virginia senator’s true interest lies in preserving the coal industry, regardless of what impact it has on climate change.
Manchin, meanwhile, is standing his ground. The Democratic congressman said he’s going to wait for this month’s inflation numbers to come out before entertaining potential support for another spending bill.
Another Avenue For Democrats
With Democrats hitting a stonewall with Manchin, they’re going a different route.
Without Manchin’s vote on climate change and tax hikes, Democrats are now demanding for Joe Biden to lean into his executive order powers.
With the midterm elections coming up, it’s very clear Democrats want to make the most of the majority they have in Congress while it still lasts.
Today’s inflation data illustrates the pain families across the country are feeling as costs continue to rise at a historic rate. 9.1% is cause for serious concern.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) July 13, 2022
Biden appears in alignment with this view as well. Last week, the president specifically stated that if the Senate doesn’t get on board with his plans, then he’ll use his executive order powers as an alternate route to getting his policies passed.
Ironically, since Biden’s been president, he’s previously mentioned that leading with the use of executive orders is something that a dictator would do.
In spite of this, Democrats don’t have any problems with presidents using executive orders so long as the president has a (D) next to their name.
What do you think about the New York Times lashing out against Joe Manchin over his refusal to back Democrats’ latest spending bill? You can let us know in the comments area.
