Sen. Joe Manchin May Vote No on Debt Ceiling

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., continues to show his independence from the Democratic establishment. He said in the text of a speech Monday that he won’t vote to lift the debt limit unless such a move is accompanied by a long-term deficit reduction plan, The Hill reports.

Joe Manchin

That matches the stance of conservative Republicans.

"We must get our fiscal house in order. We must be honest about what we value and what we need to spend your taxpayer dollars on — not what just sounds good," Manchin said.

“We cannot make budgets based on the next election; they must be based on the next generation," Manchin added.

Manchin, a freshman senator, is concerned about the strong Republican challenge he is likely to confront in his re-election effort next year.