Manchin Backs Larger Infrastructure Bill From Democrats

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told MSNBC on Tuesday that he supports the larger infrastructure bill put forth by Democrats, which is separate from the bipartisan deal, but noted that he's not "agreed on the amount" it would spend.

Manchin said, "This is the largest infrastructure package in the history of the United States. I truly believe these are people that understand public policy, they understand you have to take the win when you can get it, that this mammoth piece of legislation, little over a trillion dollars. We haven't … been talking about it: how many years now, through how many past administrations, the country needs the infrastructure."

He added, "We're doing roads and bridges. There are more bridges here than since we built the interstate highway system, talking about the largest infrastructure grid system, clean energy technology, everything we're doing in this. My part of it, in the energy committee, is close to $95 billion. We are working on that now [and] I would hope everyone will look at this as something we can do. It is doable in a bipartisan way. Take that victory."

The senator noted that Republicans are "not going to the human infrastructure because of adjustments of tax code. I have known that from day one. We can still go through the process, knowing we probably have to go to reconciliation and do what we can afford to do."

Manchin said that "We know we need adjustments. Saying, 'I am not voting for the other because you haven't guaranteed a vote,' we have never done legislation that way, never been part of it in ten years I have been in the Senate. Let's work the legislation the way it will be presented, let's make sure it goes through the process, make sure it goes to the committees, comes back to the floor and work it. If no Republicans" support the bill, "then we have to work it through reconciliation, which I agreed that can be done. I haven't agreed on the amount because I haven't seen everything everybody wants to put into the bill."

The senator went on to say that "no one has given credit for" Democrats' bipartisan accomplishments.

"When you look at what we have been able to accomplish, President [Joe] Biden has accomplished more in five months than any president I know in modern history. Never seen this much accomplishment, talking about [the] American Rescue Plan, [the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill], and so many pieces of legislation that have gone through the process," he said. 

"I give [Senate Majority Leader New York Democrat] Chuck Schumer, who is controlling the calendar, all the credit for allowing it to go back into the committees, being worked the way it is supposed to, come to the floor with amendments, and Republicans have a chance to put their amendments on the floor. [Senate Minority Leader Kentucky Republican Mitch [McConnell] never gave us that situation, to work a bill through a process we've called, 'what needs to be done and what we hoped for.' We have that chance now, let's continue on."

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