Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, urging fellow Congress members to take a "strategic pause" and re-evaluate Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending package. While Manchin's pushback is not necessarily a surprise, those with skin in the game certainly didn't take long to call him out.

"Congress should hit a strategic pause on the budget-reconciliation legislation" to examine the pandemic's continuing trajectory and the potential long-term effects of inflation, Manchin argued. Furthermore, the senator said he "won't support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs." Manchin went on to assert that by reducing the size of the package to "only what America can afford and needs to spend," the nation itself will grow stronger. 

Of course, such a loaded suggestion was not about to go down easy.

Climate change group the Sunrise Movement — presumably concerned that climate initatives would find themselves on the chopping block should the size of the package diminish — immediately clapped back at Manchin in a three-word, hilariously-brief response: "Abolish the Senate."

The Sunrise Movement has had their eye on the West Virginia senator for some time, having reportedly singled him out as moderate in need of courting and convincing. Well, getting rid of the upper chamber is certainly one way to solve the problem. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.