Manchin and the GOP Dupes
Eager for home-state subsidies, they left the door open for his deal with Schumer.
By Kimberley A. Strassel
July 28, 2022 6:40 pm ET
If good policy makes for good politics, the reverse is also true. Senate Republicans proved that in spades this week, as their lust for home-state handouts paved a runway for President Biden’s long-sought climate, tax and healthcare agenda.
Seventeen Republicans on Wednesday helped Democrats pass a $280 billion subsidy blowout for the semiconductor industry. The bill is an embarrassing stew of accountability-free corporate welfare and government spending. This is the priority Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in June vowed to hold hostage so long as Democrats still had the Biden reconciliation agenda—formerly Build Back Better—on the table. Instead, encouraged that West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin continued to block that front, Republicans figured they might as well cash in.
Mere hours after that vote, Mr. Manchin announced he’d agreed to a $740 billion reconciliation deal after all. Surprise! The kinder commentators are noting that Republicans got “duped” by their West Virginia buddy—but that’s unfair to dupes. Mr. Manchin had never ruled out an agreement; quite the opposite, he said negotiations were continuing. All Republicans had to do was refuse to touch a semiconductor bill until the reconciliation vehicle expired on Sept. 30. Or better yet, walk away from the bloated industrial policy altogether.
Especially because they didn’t need this bill, politically. Inflation, gasoline prices, baby-formula shortages and a faltering economy had already provided Republicans all the ammunition they needed for their campaign to retake the Senate. But some Republicans saw an opportunity to funnel money to home-state chip interests, while others saw a chance to do the only thing they know how, spend. Even Mr. McConnell—“master strategist”—voted yes. Don’t confuse getting duped with a failure of basic impulse control.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/manchin-and-the-gop-dupes-schumer-inflation-reduction-act-mcconnell-taxes-inflation-semiconductor-spending-midterms-11659044683?st=55p36jqyx1v3nxj
