Since the earliest stages of the Democratic reconciliation bill, all eyes have been on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a critical swing vote who could make or break Democratic plans. Manchin rejected the bill’s $3.5 trillion price tag, but the self-described “conservative Democrat” has since been tight-lipped on what price tag he would support. On Thursday, Manchin finally gave an indication of his top line price: $1.5 trillion.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion article, Manchin indicated that he was not unilaterally rejecting the bill altogether, but demanded “greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs.”
