Manchin Nixes Biden’s $3.5T Budget Plan

September 13, 2021 4:24 am

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Democratic senator vital to the fate of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion plan for social and environmental spending says he won’t support even half that amount or the ambitious timetable envisioned for passing it. The stand taken by Sen. Joe Manchin is described as unacceptable by the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who’s helping craft the measure. Manchin also says there’s is “no way” Congress can meet the goal of passing the bill by late this month. Democrats have no votes to spare if they want to enact Biden’s massive “Build Back Better” agenda.