Biden: 'Sen. Manchin and I are going to get something done'

President Biden told reporters on Tuesday he still thinks Congress can pass his Build Back Better legislation, despite Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) refusal to support the bill as it stands.

In a 50-50 Senate, every vote counts, meaning Biden can't afford even one Democratic defection. If all 50 Democratic senators are support the bill, Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote.

"I still think there's a possibility of getting Build Back Better done," Biden said, claiming he was told Manchin spoke to the liberal caucus in the House and said he, not Biden, "misled" them.

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Around that same time, Biden grew visibly impassioned discussing Build Back Better and its implications for American families, particularly those struggling with child care.

In any event, Biden concluded, "Sen. Manchin and I are going to get something done."

Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.