Manchin won't vote for Build Back Better, leaving Biden's flagship bill unlikely to pass


Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Sunday that he will not vote for President Biden's landmark $1.75 trillion Build Back Better bill, Fox News reports.
The Senate is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans and no Republicans support the bill, which means Biden cannot afford any defections. Without Manchin's vote, Build Back Better is unlikely to pass.
"This is a 'no,' on this piece of legislation," Manchin said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday when host Bret Baier asked him point-blank. (Baier is filling in after Chris Wallace's departure from Fox News last weekend, The Wrap reports.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I have tried everything I know to do," Manchin added. He cited concerns about inflation, the national debt, and the "mammoth" cost of the bill as reasons for his decision and said Biden has been "wonderful to work with."
Manchin met with Biden last week to discuss what it would take for him to vote for the tax and spending bill, which would expand the social safety net and take steps to tackle climate change, but negotiations went "very poorly," Politico reported.
Catie Edmondson and Emily Cochrane of The New York Times wrote that the "centerpiece of Mr. Biden's domestic agenda" had suffered a "perhaps fatal blow" but suggested that Build Back Better might still pass early next year, albeit in a significantly pared-down form acceptable to Manchin.
Either way, it marks a massive political defeat for Biden, whose low approval ratings already portend serious losses for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Acid rain is back: the sequel nobody wanted
Under The Radar A 'forever chemical' in rainwater is reviving a largely forgotten environmental issue
-
Book reviews: 'Clint: The Man and the Movies' and 'What Is Wrong With Men: Patriarchy, the Crisis of Masculinity, and How (Of Course) Michael Douglas Films Explain Everything'
Feature A deep dive on Clint Eastwood and how Michael Douglas' roles reflect a shift in masculinity
-
Recreation or addiction? Military base slot machines rake in millions.
Under the Radar There are several thousand slot machines on military bases
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs report
Speed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest