FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2021, file photo Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., departs on Capitol Hill in Washington.
And it’s not just Manchin who’s wielding outsize influence over Biden’s agenda. With a 50-50 split in the Senate leaving little room for error on tough votes, other moderate Democrats like Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Jon Tester of Montana also hold significant political clout in Biden’s Washington, making for a muscular counterweight to the progressives who make up the party’s base.
Manchin is one of a handful of centrist Democrats who have expressed skepticism about Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill, threatening to derail the president’s top priority if they don’t win concessions. Manchin, Sinema and Tester have all called for more targeted aid for Americans, and they, along with five other centrist Democrats and seven Republicans, all signed onto an amendment barring “upper-income taxpayers” from being eligible to receive stimulus checks.
Neither Manchin nor Sinema are seen as particularly vulnerable to a primary challenge. The political realities of a red-leaning state like West Virginia, or a purple state like Arizona, are in fact what guide the senators’ staunch centrism, says former Manchin chief of staff Chris Kofinis. Biden has spoken to Manchin multiple times, according to a Manchin aide, including at least once right after the president was sworn in. Sometimes Manchin reaches out to the president, while sometimes the president reaches out to him.
Manchin isn’t a “moderate”.
JonLemire Ok. As a compromise just have the minimum wage law apply everywhere but Arizona and West Virginia until their legislatures petition that it be extended to them as well. The two “moderate” Dems get what they want, as does the rest of the country.
Centrist?! Joe Manchin?! 😂😂😂😂. He is a right wing Dem.
Anyone surprised by this has been asleep for decades. “Moderates” have been pushing policy to the right since the 90’s.
Where a big tint party. But this isn't the time for that Joe Lieberman bullshit, i realize some of our duly ELECTED officials represent some trump districts, but if those Constituents , block our decent agenda for this country then we dont need those seats .
Wow. What a surprise, that the rightwingers would be the problem. That's never happened before.
tiggerificsoul This is such a stupid story. Biden is a centrist. Manchin etc are Dems in highly Rep voter saturated states. One size legislature is not going to fit all. These people need to get re-elected. Thinking that progressives can beat these people is ill advised
Yeah. Too bad he's blocking a centrist candidate, setting the stage for a democratic socialist one instead. I can see why the republicans do that, I cannot see why Manchin does.
Moderates should listen to some Trump speeches for an hour, see if that puts things in perspective...
_Politics When Republicans control the Senate, they ram through their agendas and get it done. When Democrats control the Senate, they break apart and want to 'reach' across the isle. Not being tough enough. I don't like McConnell, but he does gets things done for Republicans.
Hi AP, found an error in your tweet. See below for corrected version: “The Biden administration is getting pushback in Washington from an *expected* quarter. It’s moderates, not progressives”
Moderate is not the term. They are conservatives and corporatists
Guess they mixed up who was suppose to be the controlled opposition this year
_Politics If Ds want to hold the majority in the Senate in particular, never mind the House, they need to find a path to compromise with the moderate Ds. President Biden understands that.
_Politics Who didn’t expect Manchin to try to flex? Anybody?
Because the two-party system is a joke; two corrupt sides of the same worthless coin.
The Democratic Party is well defined on who we represent, and what we stand for like Country, honesty, integrity and diversity. Manchin appears to be conflicted with these principles, and acts more like an antebellum Democrat. I’m a conservative, but I’m a Democrat first.
JonLemire unexpected my ass
Virginia voted an idiot into office,they now want him to make smart moves🤷🏻♀️I suppose in a pandemic you get the leader you voted for 🤷🏻♀️🥴
MLK: 'I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's greatest stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate'
'Democrat', not 'Democratic'. It's a party.
Some of those moderates know that with small business' struggling during the pandemic it's not the time for $15 an hour and so Biden's relief bill is sure to be voted down in the senate.
It requires having few 'provocateurs' in the party to remove the tendency of authoritarianism. Besides, they would defeat complaisance & pompousness in governing. We don't want to have another Trump in office.
Minchen isn’t a moderate. He’s acting against his constituents’ wishes.
What is it Munchin, enjoy being a minority? Is it easier on you being the ruled and not the ruler? Many of us are disappointed in you and can see little reason to support you. You make Trump smile.
Manchin's not moderate by any stretch of the imagination, sadly. He's a right winger who happens to have run as a Democrat.
Crush them then, problem solved. Time to primary them into oblivion.
Manchin is a moderate?
I could not be more sick of Manchin's bullshit.
Fk Sen_JoeManchin is not Real Democrat & Never will, He need to go, always Kiss The A$$ of SenateGOP, McConnell & Trump, He need to be Kick out from any US Senate Committee from SenateDems, He always Stop & Blocking The US Progress & Prosperity!
‘Centrist’ is doing a lot of work here
This is my shocked expression
He needs to get with it or get out
JonLemire He may describe himself as a centrist but he knows where his bread is buttered. He objects to a woman of Indian descent and has 'doubts' about a Native American woman. Democrats are chauvinists too. Just like many of the people who elected him.
if dems don’t get their act together, expect a QAnon landslide in 2022...
There's nothing they are opposing that anyone who is not a progressive might oppose. Targeted stimulus help, that's a good thing, some don't need it. The $15 minimum wage, doesn't make sense everywhere, so it should be discussed separately. 60 vote threshold should stay.
He's not a moderate his a Republican
If Biden would just put the Sedition Caucus in prison where they belong, this wouldn’t be a problem for him.
Today’s administration
Moderates are just 'Republican lite'. If we expect to get anything done in the near future, we can't keep voting these guys in
Unexpected from whom?
So... his own quarter. Got it.
Manchin is not a democrat He just plays one on tv
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