WASHINGTON – Democratic Senator Joe Manchin told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday he won’t support a Democratic proposal for new climate change spending and higher taxes for corporations and wealthier Americans, the Washington Post reported.
Manchin, a key Democratic swing vote in the Senate, stymied earlier attempts to pass President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” legislation over concerns about the deficit and inflation.
Democrats had hoped to pass a tax and spending bill before mid-term elections in November.
The senator did tell Democratic leaders he was open to reducing prescription drug prices for seniors and extending subsidies that help keep health insurance costs lower, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the matter.
Asked about the Post report, Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon said: “Senator Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, reevaluate and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire.”
A representative for Schumer did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
