On Thursday, Senator Joe Manchin faced relentless blaming and badgering from CNN New Day co-host John Berman. Manchin (D-WV), who described himself as “a responsible West Virginia Democrat…fiscally responsible and socially compassionate,” has received constant criticism from the left and its media allies for not falling in line to support President Biden’s exorbitantly expensive legislative agenda.
Both the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and $1.7 trillion social spending bill have been unable to achieve enough support to pass both houses of Congress, and Biden’s drop in popularity has contributed to disasters in the polls for Democrats. November 2nd, Virginians voted to elect a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, in addition to flipping the state legislature to a Republican majority. Just one year ago, Biden won the commonwealth by 10 points. In deep blue New Jersey, the incumbent Democrat governor only narrowly beat his Republican challenger.
Democrats in Congress and the White House are starting to get desperate, and New Day’s Berman harnessed that desperation in his biased and shaming questions to Manchin. He started by blaming the West Virginia senator for the Republican wins on Tuesday: “One of the things that President Biden says may have had an impact in Virginia at least was the failure to pass these two large bills. What responsibility do you feel that you have in that?”
After Manchin accurately blamed left-wing radicals in the House for holding up the bipartisan infrastructure bill for months, Berman followed up by asking if he thinks his “hands are clean…in these election results.”
Later, Berman grilled Manchin over and over about why he would not support paid family leave in the reconciliation bill:
BERMAN: Let me stay on paid family leave, if I can. In West Virginia, the law is that you can't put a newborn in day care until they're 6 weeks old, right? Four weeks of paid family leave, that would help people get to that six weeks where they can put their child in day care. It would be something that could help a lot of working class people. Your constituents, you always talk about the fact you have to be able to go home and explain to your constituents the decisions you're making. How do you explain to a working mother that you're for paid family leave but you're only going to vote against it because it’s part of this process bill?
MANCHIN: John, because, basically, the people in West Virginia I work with have common sense, they have responsibilities, they do understand that we do need to pay for these things, they want that to last, they don’t want it to be flip-flopped back and forth and being used like a yo-yo.
Manchin continually reminded Berman that paid family leave can be passed through other measures besides reconciliation, and that he would support a paid family leave measure brought through Congress normally. However, that wasn’t enough for Berman, who then went on to attack Manchin’s fiscal responsibility:
BERMAN: You're willing to spend deficits -- you're willing to spend deficits spent on infrastructure, yes, but not on working -
MANCHIN: I'm not willing to spend deficit spending on anything, John. We had to accept what we had at the end there.
…
BERMAN: On paid family leave, there are many who look at it and say there’s a clear economic benefit to paid family leave. You get women back in the workforce, by and large, much quicker -
MANCHIN: Let’s get it done, John.
BERMAN: They pay into social security, there is an economic benefit there.
MANCHIN: Let's get it done. That's exactly what I'm saying. Let's get it done in regular order through the process.
BERMAN: But you're going to vote no, you’re going to vote against the plan to get it done now?
MANCHIN: John, I'm not saying what I'm going to vote. I haven't seen the bill yet. You know we haven't even worked it in the Senate.
Manchin also gave Berman and CNN a reality check, pointing out that the majority of Americans are moderate or right-leaning, and policies should reflect that truth: "We have to work together. We can't go too far left. This is not a center-left or a left country. We are a center if anything, center-right country, and that’s, and that's being shown. And we ought to be able to recognize that."
Near the end of the segment, Berman had one more laughably dramatic question for Manchin: “Would you be willing to look at President Biden, if it got to that point where it didn’t get to a bill you liked, would you be willing to look him in the eye and say no?” Manchin replied, “You have to be honest, John.”
The liberal media isn’t trying to hide that they want this spending bill passed, and they aren’t afraid to attack anyone who disagrees.
This segment was sponsored by Audi and Liberty Mutual.
You can read the full segment transcript below by clicking Expand:
11/4/21
8:26:16 AMJOHN BERMAN: Democratic lawmakers concerned about 2022 after defeats in multiple races in Tuesday's elections. One of the issues they're pointing to: inaction on two key bills critical to Biden's legislative agenda, a 1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and a $1.7 trillion social agenda bill. Joining us now is a key lawmaker in negotiations on those bills, Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia. Senator Manchin, always a pleasure to have you on. What lesson do you think the Democrats should take from the election results yesterday?
JOE MANCHIN: Well, John, first of all, it’s always good to be on with you and Brianna, and, and, about the election on Tuesday, the takeaway I have, John, is, the country is extremely divided. When you have two blue, blue states that come down after 2 million votes have been cast and you’re down within 100 to 200 in separation and it looks like that Governor Murphy is going to, to win in, in New Jersey, and my friend Terry McAuliffe was not as fortunate in Virginia, and there is just a change. And people are basically saying, come together, work together and if you can't, we're going to keep shaking things up and they're shaking them up at the polls.
BERMAN: One of the things that President Biden says may have had an impact in Virginia at least was the failure to pass these two large bills. What responsibility do you feel that you have in that?
MANCHIN: Here's the thing, John. There is two bills. And there’ll be two different bills. But basically we have a China compete, we call it, you seek a bill, $250 billion for this country to basically get up and compete as we always have, the innovation, the research and development, that's been sitting over in the House for quite some time. We passed it with about 90 votes. In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans working together. We passed an infrastructure bill which has been over in the House for over I think a couple of months now and it’s $1.2 trillion and nothing has been done for deferred maintenance in the country for three -- 30 years, three decades. And this is the first time. Those would have helped tremendously showing that together we can. Now we have a reconciliation bill which is only a partisan bill, by our Democratic party, and that's holding up the other bills that were bipartisan. That's the problem we have. And there has to be some good faith and we all work together. But if you're wanting someone to agree that I'll sign off on everything you want and it will be the way that it will come and if I do that, you'll pass the other two, John, that's not the way democracy works. It’s not the way that Congress has ever worked in my eyes. Not the way we're supposed to work.
BERMAN: So your hands are clean, you think, in these election results?
MANCHIN: John, we can all do more. All of us can do a lot more. I'm reaching out to everybody I can on both sides of the aisle, talking to them. They know exactly where I stand. The problem is, John, we're divided. There is 50/50 in the house. I mean in the Senate. How many times does that happen? A complete split, not that many times in history. So we don't have the numbers that FDR had or Lyndon Baines Johnson had in order to get some major, major legislation done. We don't have those. So we have to come to realization what we have and deal in good faith that we can do at least something and I have been very, very straightforward at pre-k, great, we should do it, 3 and 4-year-olds. I started when I was governor and expanded it, just the 4-year-old program and my state of West Virginia, but I think that would be wonderful. Child care, I think that's very, very needed because it helps people go to work and other children. I think, basically, in home services, in home care is something that would be very helpful for people that want the dignity and respect to live in their home as they grow older with a little assistance. There is a lot of things we agree on. But to throw everything under the sun, and major policy changes, John, in a bill that no one participates except one party, whether it is a Democrat or a Republican, and it was never designed, reconciliation was never designed for major policy changes. I sat in Bob Byrd's seat and he put what they call the Byrd rule in. Cause he knew they would do that.
BERMAN: Well, can I just ask you one thing? Can I ask you one thing?
MANCHIN: Sure.
BERMAN: Is there a rule that says Republicans can't vote for this?
MANCHIN: Oh, not at all. Not at all. But they know when there is no participation you're not going to get either side. The same as we didn't participate in the tax cuts in 2017, John. It was all done with Republicans and we, Democrats were all against that. Don't you think we ought to be able to come to agreement just to fix the tax code?
BERMAN: I’m gonna come back, I’m gonna come back to the Build Back Better agenda in a moment. Because I want to stick with the lessons learned from the election if I can. Abigail Spanburger, congresswoman from Virginia, Democrat, said of Joe Biden, she says, “Nobody elected him to be FDR. They elected him to be normal and stop the chaos.” What do you think about that?
MANCHIN: And I think he can do that. I really do. I believe in President Biden. I still do. And I will always, because he's a good person. He's here for the right reason. He really is in government for the right reason. We have to work together. We can't go too far left. This is not a center-left or a left country. We are a center if anything, center-right country, and that’s, and that's being shown. And we ought to be able to recognize that. And all of my friends on the left are Progressives, liberals, whatever, I said I'm not, I always say that I'm a, I’m a responsible West Virginia Democrat. And I'm fiscally responsible and socially compassionate. I think most people in the middle feel that way. But I also empathize with the people on the far left and the far right. That's aspirational. But come together, realize what can and can't be done. Don't force basically something that is not going to happen to make it -- make people believe it will. Let's look at the finances, John, inflation. You asked about the election. People are scared to death in West Virginia about the high rising costs of gasoline, of food, now of utilities, the basic needs of life is going up and making more of a burden on them, no matter how much money we send out.
BERMAN: One of the issues that seemed to play a large role in Virginia was education. And parents' role in education. And in some cases the way that America's history regarding racism has been taught in those schools. Now, you were a former governor. You have dealt with schools directly. Why do you think this was a fertile issue there?
MANCHIN: I don't know. I think that basically during the debate and Terry might have, when he said what he said, it was just taken and they ran with it. We all know that parents must be involved in children's education. You must be paying attention to what's going on in the classroom and you must be working with both the school that your children go to, the teachers that they have, and the children at home, if you're involved and you should be. But with that being said, the curriculum is going to be set, if everyone agrees, but if they don't, they should speak out. That's what PTOs are about. Parent/teacher organizations are for that reason and that reason is why they have always been involved and as far as I can remember in, in education, when I was governor, I always enjoyed having the input of parents and all that and then we have to make decisions and then you have to explain those decisions of what you're teaching.
BERMAN: Do you think Democrats – do you think Democrats are in the wrong place somehow on education right now?
MANCHIN: No, I don't really -- I hope not. I'm not. I can tell you that. I still look to the parents to see what they think their children should be or how they're reacting back home when they get home from school and social media’s played such a part in their lives, it’s not been a good part as far as I can see. But, you know, to each his own I guess on that.
…
BERMAN: Let me dig in a little bit if I can to the Build Back Better agenda and exactly where you are. Because you have, you have made yourself pretty clear on some cases.
MANCHIN: Sure.
BERMAN: Paid family leave.
MANCHIN: Okay.
BERMAN: The Democrats in the house are putting it back in the bill.
MANCHIN: Yeah.
BERMAN: Does that change your view on it at all?
MANCHIN: John, I don't think it belongs in the bill. And I'll tell you why. That's a piece of legislation that really is needed from the standpoint if we do it and do it right. When there is participation between the employer and employee from the small, small company, small businesses that I represent all over West Virginia and all over the country, but basically it should be participation. We can do that in a bipartisan way. We can make sure it’s lasting. Right now we're putting something in there that is --
BERMAN: Can I ask, have you tried to find Republican colleagues to work with this on?
MANCHIN: I did. Oh yeah, I’ve been talking to them. I talked to Susan Collins, to Lisa, all my friends. They want to do something.
BERMAN: Do you have ten?
MANCHIN: Absolutely, they're willing to work with us.
BERMAN: Do you have ten Republicans to help you on that right now?
MANCHIN: Well, basically, we just, we, we, you can, no, we haven't gotten to that point yet because it has been part of this. It came up. John, I had not heard an awful lot about that before, I know it has been an agenda on some people. And, and, and, I think Kirsten Gillibrand has been very committed and dedicated to this, she’s worked extremely hard. And I told her, I said, Kirsten, we can work together. And I will, I'm committed to that. I'll give you my word that we will work on it and we can get something done that is going to be lasting. John, when you do something in reconciliation and you thought all the costs and all the debt towards our national debt and the taxpayers, usually that's flip-flopped back and forth as soon as someone else takes over as the majority. Let’s fix that.
BERMAN: Let me stay on paid family leave, if I can. In West Virginia, the law is that you can't put a newborn in day care until they're 6 weeks old, right? Four weeks of paid family leave, that would help people get to that six weeks where they can put their child in day care. It would be something that could help a lot of working class people. Your constituents, you always talk about the fact you have to be able to go home and explain to your constituents the decisions you're making. How do you explain to a working mother that you're for paid family leave but you're only going to vote against it because it’s part of this process bill?
MANCHIN: John, because, basically, the people in West Virginia I work with have common sense, they have responsibilities, they do understand that we do need to pay for these things, they want that to last, they don’t want it to be flip-flopped back and forth and being used like a yo-yo. So, I'm committed to working on that. We can get something done, we can, if we're committed. You can't just say that if it isn't in here, it is gone forever. That’s not gonna happen. We can get it done. Let's just commit to getting it done. But let’s commit to getting it done in the right way so people can build up what time they need. And as they build the time up, they can use it as they, as they desire or as they need. These are things that can be done.
BERMAN: You're willing to spend deficits -- you're willing to spend deficits spent on infrastructure, yes, but not on working -
MANCHIN: I'm not willing to spend deficit spending on anything, John. We had to accept what we had at the end there.
BERMAN: But the infrastructure bill, the infrastructure bill will create by the scoring there, will create a bit of a deficit, or there is a deficit related to that.
MANCHIN: Well John, if you look at basically dynamic scoring on that, there is nothing going to be more that we know for certain that’s going to grow our economy because we're going to be paying – that bill goes clear out to 8 to 10 years. No gimmicks was played there. It wasn't like what are you going to do, fix the bridges for two years but we’re gonna take eight years to pay for them.
BERMAN: On paid family leave, there are many who look at it and say there’s a clear economic benefit to paid family leave. You get women back in the workforce, by and large, much quicker -
MANCHIN: Let’s get it done, John.
BERMAN: They pay into social security, there is an economic benefit there.
MANCHIN: Let's get it done. That's exactly what I'm saying. Let's get it done in regular order through the process.
BERMAN: But you're going to vote no, you’re going to vote against the plan to get it done now?
MANCHIN: John, I'm not saying what I'm going to vote. I haven't seen the bill yet. You know we haven't even worked it in the Senate.
BERMAN: That is fair. We will wait and ask you again when you see the bill. On immigration --
MANCHIN: Wait until I vote, John, then you'll know.
…
BERMAN: Would you be willing to look at President Biden, if it got to that point where it didn’t get to a bill you liked, would you be willing to look him in the eye and say no?
MANCHIN: Oh, I think that’s the only way you can be. You have to be honest, John.
…
BERMAN: Senator Joe Manchin, we appreciate your time. Thank you so much for being with us. Always appreciate the discussion.
MANCHIN: Thanks, John, appreciate it. Sure thing. Bye-bye.
