Biden promises a lot before Congress, but Senator Manchin is his main wall; “nothing has changed,” he said

Photo: J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images

President Joe Biden spoke of a broad social agenda in his State of the Union address to Congress and although he asked for help from congressmen, the reality is more bitter for his administration after the speech.

And it is that the senator from Joe Manchin (West Virginia) made it clear that there is no step back on his denial of President Biden’s social spending agenda, the so-called Build Back Better (Rebuild Better).

“They just can’t help themselves,” Manchin told congressional reporters when asked how President Biden’s agenda would be accomplished.

The Democrat, who has become the most powerful congressman by blocking the agenda or delaying it, stated that nothing has changed about their decision on the Build Back Better agenda.

“I don’t know where that came from… Nothing has changed,” he said. “There may be parts that they want to talk about. I do not know. That went a bit far.”

The president spoke of fiscal aid for children, families, reduction in the cost of medicines, including immigration reform – envisaged in the Build Back Better proposal – but Manchin made it clear that there are no new negotiations on the $1.5-2 trillion package.

Manchin even remained “mocking” about the claims of President Biden, who called for helping families save and lower production costs, rather than wages.

“I didn’t know that costs can be reduced by spending more,” he said.

According to a report by The Hill, Manchin’s comment was joined by Republican Senator Mitt Romney (Utah), considered one of the moderates, who stated that there was no way to better explain a reaction to what they considered “nonsense” by President Biden. .

The president devoted much of his speech to the economic issue, even citing Nobel laureates, who believed that inflation could be reduced by supporting families and reducing production costs without lowering wages.

Manchin even noted on television that sanctions against Russia impose new challenges on the US and that it was not the time to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

It should be noted that Manchin has not spoken out against immigration reform, but his position did not allow the plan integrated into the Rebuild Better agenda to advance.