Mr. Manchin’s comments, in an interview with a West Virginia radio host, were the latest in which the conservative senator has considered the possibility of eventually supporting key points of President Biden’s agenda, even as he positions himself as the head of the Democratic Party. obstacle to their establishment. His comments came a day after he indicated in a private conversation with Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, that if Democrats move forward as planned with a legislative package this summer, he would not accept any climate action. or energy or tax increases. to wealthy Americans or corporations. In the interview with radio host Hoppy Kercheval, Mr Manchin said he had told Mr Schumer he wanted to wait to act on the climate and tax proposals until the month’s inflation data was released July. “Let’s wait until that comes out so we know we’re going down the path that’s not going to be inflammatory, to add more to inflation,” Mr. Manchin said he told Mr. Schumer. He added: “Can’t we wait to make sure we’re not doing anything to add to it? And I can’t make that decision basically on taxes of any type, as well as energy and climate.”
Frequently asked questions about inflation
Card 1 of 5 What is inflation? Inflation is a loss of purchasing power over time, meaning your dollar won’t go as far tomorrow as it does today. It is usually expressed as the annual change in prices for everyday goods and services such as food, furniture, clothing, transport and toys. What causes inflation? It may be a result of increasing consumer demand. However, inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as tight oil production and supply chain problems. Is inflation bad? It depends on the circumstances. Rapidly rising prices cause problems, but modest price gains can lead to higher wages and increased employment. Can inflation affect the stock market? Rapid inflation usually spells trouble for stocks. Financial assets in general have historically performed poorly during bursts of inflation, while physical assets such as homes hold their value better. If Democrats insist on legislative action before then, Mr. Manchin said, they should act only on proposals aimed at lowering prescription drug costs and extending the Affordable Care Act’s expanded subsidies. That stance effectively reduced the chances of action in the coming days on a critical priority for Democrats and strongly suggested that unless they abandon the climate and tax proposals entirely, they risk being unable to salvage any part of the signature domestic policy package. them before the mid-term parliamentary elections in November. Inflation numbers for July are scheduled to be released on August 10, after the Senate will have left Washington for a five-week summer recess. When lawmakers return in September, they will have only a limited amount of time to act on the package. And they’re eager to give themselves as much time as possible to campaign for what’s to come before the November election. The waiting game has placed Mr. Manchin once again at the center of a high-stakes political and policy negotiation for Democrats, who have struggled for months to win his vote on any piece of their once-ambitious domestic agenda. They have shrunk to meet his often-shifting dictates and have repeatedly scaled back their ambitions to stay within his red lines, but have so far come away empty-handed in their biggest priorities. Because of Democrats’ narrow 50-50 margin of control in the Senate and unified Republican opposition on most of their top priorities, Mr. Manchin has effective veto power over the party’s legislative strategy — and has exercised it often and unapologetically. Bearing political signs from a year of fractious talks, few Democrats on Friday appeared willing to bet that Mr. Manchin would be willing to return to negotiations and take up the climate and energy provisions. One senator, Martin Heinrich, Democrat of New Mexico, has publicly weighed in on whether Mr. Manchin deserves to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Using shorthand for the committee, Mr. Heinrich tweeted: “Senator Manchin’s refusal to act is infuriating. It makes me wonder why he is President of ENR.” He added: “This is the time to face the challenges by which we will be judged – by our children, grandchildren and future generations. We can’t wait any longer.” In the radio interview, Mr Manchin insisted he remained committed to negotiations but would not bow to what he described as a pressure campaign from his own party. “I’m where I was — I wouldn’t be putting my staff into this, I wouldn’t be putting myself into this if I wasn’t sincere in trying to find a path forward to do something that’s good for our country,” the Mr. Manchin said. “They can’t get in touch because I have a ‘D’ in my name or somebody has an ‘R’ in their name, we’re going to have to do whatever one side wants. It’s not me.”
