On Thursday night, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) told his party’s leadership that he wouldn’t support President Biden’s latest attempt to pass his climate change agenda and other massive social spending proposals, so it was only natural that the liberal broadcast networks bemoaned on Friday that a Biden “nemesis” senator bankrolled by fossil fuels had dealt “a crushing blow” to fighting climate change.
CBS Mornings came off as the most distraught over the decision. Before socialist co-host Tony Dokoupil scoffed that “Joe Manchin, a multimillionaire with a Mazerati and a family coal business says no on a climate deal,” White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe reported from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia that a “frequent nemesis” had triggered “a familiar domestic headache for the President.”
O’Keefe said Manchin would “no longer support what was supposed be an ambitious piece of legislation...that would have finally passed the President's ambitious climate change agenda” in the footsteps of having “single-handedly killed even more ambitious legislation that was going to have all sorts of other domestic priorities in it.”
“This time, he has concerns given the bigger than expected inflation report. Democrats have been working with him on a smaller bill...Now, amid concerns about that inflation report again, Manchin says he would only back a plan that would lower prescription drug prices and extend health care subsidies,” he added.
O’Keefe wrapped by reminding viewers that not only does Manchin hail from “a fossil fuel-producing state,” but he “has a lot of his own fortune in that industry, and receives a lot of campaign donations from it.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host and former Clinton flack George Stephanopoulos called it “tough news for the President's climate agenda” while senior White House correspondent Mary Bruce lamented this was “a crushing blow to the President's agenda.”
Bruce did the part of White House flunky by refusing to cite Manchin’s opposition to new government spending amid record high inflation and instead framing it by lamenting provisions that won’t become law:
[T]his now effectively kills Biden's hopes for a climate change agenda and that sweeping social safety net bill that had things like paid family leave and universal pre-K. Those hopes all but dead[.]
And finally on NBC, Today co-host Hoda Kotb had a 32-second news brief in which she said Manchin “deal[t] a major blow yesterday to President Biden's sweeping domestic agenda” that would include raising taxes.
“The senator says he is willing to support reducing prescription drug prices for seniors and extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Manchin is a key swing vote in the evenly-divided Senate. Democrats had hoped to pass the spending bill before midterm elections in November,” she added.
The media’s latest gripes against Manchin bucking his own party were made possible thanks to advertisers such as Jeep (on CBS), Liberty Mutual (on NBC), and Swiffer (on ABC). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcripts from July 15, click “expand.”
ABC’s Good Morning America
July 15, 2022
7:05 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; President Suffers Setback in Domestic Agenda; Sen Manchin Says He Won’t Support Key Economic Provisions]
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Meantime, Mary, back here at home, there is some tough news for the President's climate agenda.
MARY BRUCE: George, this is a crushing blow to the President's agenda. West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin announcing to the party that he is not going to support funding for climate programs or to raise taxes on the wealthy. Democrats have spent months trying to tweak their plans doing anything they could to get Manchin on board, but, George, this now effectively kills Biden's hopes for a climate change agenda and that sweeping social safety net bill that had things like paid family leave and universal pre-K. Those hopes all but dead, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Mary Bruce, thanks. Inflation one of Manchin's reasons.
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CBS Mornings
July 15, 2022
7:06 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Manchin Sinks Climate Deal; Senator Won’t Support Climate & Tax Changes in Spending Deal]
ED O’KEEFE: Now, back home, there is a familiar domestic headache for the President again. Senator Joe Manchin, a fellow Democrat but frequent nemesis announcing overnight that he can no longer support what was supposed be an ambitious piece of legislation passed only by Democrats that would have finally passed the President's ambitious climate change agenda. You may remember that, last year, he single handedly killed even more ambitious legislation that was going to have all sorts of other domestic priorities in it, but he scuttled it out of concern of the cost of it. This time, he has concerns given the bigger than expected inflation report. Democrats have been working with him on a smaller bill that would have included the climate change provisions and some health care changes as well, and it would have been paid for by taxing the wealthy, with higher taxes. Now, amid concerns about that inflation report again, Manchin says he would only back a plan that would lower prescription drug prices and extend health care subsidies. And important to remember, Manchin represents a fossil fuel-producing state, has a lot of his own fortune in that industry, and receives a lot of campaign donations from it. So, many Democrats upset with this development overnight, knowing it may scuttle the President and the party's agenda ahead of November's elections. The White Hass — the White House has no official comment this morning, preferring instead to keep publicly focused on what's going to transpire here tonight. Tony?
TONY DOKOUPIL: Alright, Joe Manchin
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NBC’s Today
July 15, 2022
7:32 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Today’s Headlines; Manchin Deals Blow to Biden Agenda]
HODA KOTB: Let's move now Democratic Senator Joe Manchin dealing a major blow yesterday to President Biden's sweeping domestic agenda. Manchin saying he will not support a proposal for new climate change spending or higher taxes for wealthy Americans and corporations. The senator says he is willing to support reducing prescription drug prices for seniors and extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Manchin is a key swing vote in the evenly-divided Senate. Democrats had hoped to pass the spending bill before midterm elections in November.
