The original bill was dramatically scaled-down for Sen. Joe Manchin, but the networks still sold it as "massive" and "huge." It was a "landmark" and it was "historic." NBC's Kristen Welker touted a “massive economic plan aimed at reducing inflation.” ABC's Maryalice Parks touted "a historic investment in clean energy and climate change, a cap on prescription drug costs for seniors."
Even so, ABC's Jonathan Karl was upset: "he's getting credit for almost nothing, he's on a roll, I mean there’s no question that Joe Biden is on a roll legislatively, on the national security front, but he's getting no credit for it."
At least Chris Christie offered a rebuttal: "They won on the 'Inflation Reduction Act,' which is a ridiculous name, as you pointed out in the interview. But they won on that, they got Democrats to actually vote for a Democrat bill, what are we going to do? Like, drop the confetti at the White House?"
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