Biden's Ambitious $1.75 Trillion Social-Spending Bill Scuppered By Dissident Democrat Senator Joe Manchin Over Concerns On Inflation, Debt

Joe Manchin, a conservative leaning Democratic senator from West Virginia, said he would not support President Joe Biden’s signature $1.75 trillion social-spending bill, scuppering any chance of the ambitious legislative agenda being passed in to a law.

“I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there,” Manchin said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

Manchin's strident opposition delivers a death blow to the radical piece of legislation that sought to pour trillions of dollars to 'transform' American society. The U.S Senate is numerically deadlocked with both Democrats and Republicans having 50 members each.

From the time it was unveiled as an omnibus spending bill, 'Build Back Better' was sweeping in its scope. From seeking to finance subsidised child care , government preschool and paid leave to expanding the contours of Obamacare to enlarging the support to Medicare to continuing the ongoing monthly payments to families to combating climate change, the initial bill was estimated to cost $3.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

The Democrats reduced the scope of their legislative ambition as a concession to the dissenting Senator but it was not still able to convince him to sign up for the proposed bill.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki launched a blistering attack on Manchin after he came out against President Biden’s “Build Back Better” package, accusing him of performing a “sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position.”

Psaki also accused of misrepresenting the impact that the Build Back Better Act saying that his objections on inflation, the deficit and the climate provisions in the bill, was not correct.

"Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word," Psaki said, adding that "[t]he fight for Build Back Better is too important to give up. We will find a way to move forward next year."