Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said Tuesday he would support moving forward with a Democrat-only infrastructure bill without GOP support.
“We’re going to have to work it through reconciliation, which I’ve agreed that that can be done. I just haven’t agreed on the amount, because I haven’t seen everything that everybody is wanting to put in the bill,” Manchin said in an interview on MSNBC. (RELATED: ‘I’m Not Going To Be Part Of It’: Joe Manchin Says Torching Filibuster To Pass HR-1 Will Breed Distrust And Anarchy)
Manchin also said that the Senate can “go through the process” of negotiating the bill, saying Democrats will “probably have to go to reconciliation and then do what [they] can afford to do.”
WATCH:
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on a reconciliation package: “I’ve agreed that can be done. I just haven’t agreed on the amount.” pic.twitter.com/FRKXG8D67r
— The Recount (@therecount) June 29, 2021
Biden said Thursday he would not sign the bipartisan infrastructure plan unless Congress gave him a package that included provisions on childcare and education that Republicans do not support. GOP leaders have since threatened to withdraw their support for the bipartisan deal. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Stunned By Joe Manchin)
The reconciliation bill is unlikely to receive any GOP support. The bill can be passed without a GOP filibuster by using Senate budget rules that require a simple majority, The Hill reported.