Pressure builds on Manchin to back Biden relief bill
By Alexander Bolton - 02/02/21 06:00 AM EST
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to back a large COVID-19 relief package along the lines of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal.
Manchin has the power to block a budget resolution that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will introduce this week to lay the groundwork for passing another massive relief package without any Republican votes.
The West Virginia senator has said repeatedly that his goal is to help unite the country and restore bipartisanship in the Senate, but Democrats are growing confident he’ll be with them if push comes to shove.
By moving ahead with a budget resolution this week, Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are betting that Manchin will stick with them on a big vote later this week, Democratic aides say.
“Chuck Schumer is not going to bring up a budget vote where he doesn’t have all 50 secure, and he’s not going to let Joe Manchin be the 51st to vote against it. That’s just not going to happen,†said a Senate Democratic aide.
The aide said Manchin would face serious political backlash if he derailed Biden’s plans to pass a major coronavirus relief package.
“It would be politically insane for Manchin to do that,†the aide said.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/536867-pressure-builds-on-manchin-to-back-biden-relief-bill
