Joe Manchin Balks at Biden Infrastructure Plan, Suggests Two Separate Bills
On 4/25/21 at 3:37 PM EDT
West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said he supports two separate infrastructure bills rather than President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion proposal, making a distinction between "human" and "traditional" infrastructure definitions.
During a Sunday interview with CNN host Dana Bash, Manchin scoffed at the size of Biden's plan, but said he could get behind two separate bills: one for trains, planes and internet; and a second for medical, human-focused infrastructure.
He complimented Republicans for their $600 billion infrastructure proposal, which he said he is a "good start" because it's "more targeted," not just because it has a smaller price tag. Manchin said there should be a separate "human" infrastructure plan for items such as Biden's $400 billion in-home care plan, an item currently within the larger $1.9 trillion "omnibus" bill.