Manchin Pulls Plug on Climate and Tax Talks, Shrinking Domestic Plan
The discussions to save important components of President Biden's program were called off on Thursday by West Virginia senator Joe Manchin III, a Democrat.
He told the leaders of his party that he would oppose tax increases on businesses and the rich, money for energy or climate change initiatives, and climate change legislation.
A serious blow was handed to Mr. Manchin's party's efforts to pass a comprehensive social safety net, climate, and tax plan with his decision.
Mr. Manchin is a conservative-leaning Democrat whose opposition has essentially delayed Mr. Biden's economic program in the equally divided Senate.
Democrats have recently scaled back their goals for such a plan in an effort to gain Mr. Manchin's support.
They hoped that he would agree to support even a small portion of the comprehensive project they had previously envisioned.
On Thursday night, Leah Stokes broke down in tears as she talked about the months of effort that she and other activists, scientists, and legislative staff had put into discussions.
“The stakes are so high,” she said. “It’s just infuriating that he is condemning our own children.”
Mr. Manchin had sentenced future generations, according to Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president for government relations for the League of Conservation Voters, a nonprofit organization.
There are just not enough words to express how shocked and angry we are, at least not in a way that would be acceptable for publication in The New York Times, she added.