Joe Manchin vs. the Democrats

Will the West Virginia senator kill the Democratic agenda?

Joe Manchin.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

You govern with the Senate majority you have, not the Senate majority you want. Otherwise you don't govern at all — and then you fritter away your advantage with nothing to show for it.

That's the possibility facing Democrats this week after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced Sunday that he won't go along with his party's $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill — instead, he's interested in spending no more than $1.5 trillion on progressive priorities like federal support for universal preschool, paid family leave, child care, and climate change initiatives.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.