Manchin calls for 'enormous' infrastructure package paid for with new taxes

[Beastly Boy]

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin said Wednesday that he favors a large infrastructure package that would be paid for in part by raising tax revenues — a point of contention between the two parties.

"I'm sure of one thing: It’s going to be enormous," the West Virginia Democrat, who is seen as a swing vote in a chamber divided 50-50, told reporters at the Capitol.

While he didn't predict a price tag, Manchin said Congress should do "everything we possibly can" to pay for it. He said there should be "tax adjustments" to former President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax law to boost revenues, including by raising the corporate rate from the current 21 percent to at least 25 percent.

The tax benefits in the Republican law were "weighted in one direction to the upper end," Manchin said. He also suggested an "infrastructure bank" paid for with revenues, potentially a value-added tax, that would be used for "rebuilding America."

"I'm not afraid to look at other things," he said.

Notably, Manchin said the Republican resistance to higher taxes was not a "reasonable" position in an infrastructure negotiation.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/manchin-calls-enormous-infrastructure-package-182500518.html

---

Just a little pause in Manchin bashing. I am not aware of any "moderate" Republican whose position would even come close to this.

[Hoyt]

1. I'd give him a few points on this one, assuming he follows through.

[rpannier]

22. He voted against the trump's tax bill in 2017

And went back to West Virginia and defended his vote
This doesn't surprise me at all

[Hoyt]

31. W Virginia does get more federal funds than it pays in. So that makes sense.

[AleksS]

2. I wonder (hope) this is some high-D chess move. FOllow me on this this:

Joe proposes what should be a pretty popular policy which should be pretty easy to support from both sides of the aisle.

0 Repubs support it.

Joe says: "Well, I tried, and you guys just won't budge. Maybe we really do need to change that fillibuster."

Joe votes in favor of reforming the fillibuster.

[Tommymac]

36. To give him some credit, Manchin is reportedly in favor of returning to a Speaking Filabuster

Though not the ideal fix (deprecating it is the ideal solution) this would at least take away the 60 vote anti-democratic cloture vote.

[dflprincess]

3. Will he vote for this if there is no Republican support

or does he only apply that standard to voting rights?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. So he knows Republicans are as opposed to raising taxes as they are to making voting easier.

If they don't get voted out, in large part because of Manchin himself blocking the new voting rights act, any infrastructure package can kiss its ass goodbye. But Manchin gets credit for this inconsistent, Democrat-damaging stance? Not from me!

[Beastly Boy]

8. He is probably counting on the infrastructure bill to be more popular than the voting rights bill.

If his instinct is correct, passing the infrastructure bill is likely to elect more Democrats, or at least one particular Democrat in West Virginia.

[vercetti2021]

14. Wouldn't matter

All the suppression legislation going on in states would prevent Democrats from holding the house. We can vote in mass and it still wouldn't matter.

[Beastly Boy]

15. What you are suggesting is not a certainty. Neither is failing to pass a voting rights bill in some

form, with or without Manchin. However, if we make an assumption that the state legislators accross the country will succeed in passing voter suppression laws that will affect swing states to a significant degree, and if Manchin doesn't get coaxed and pressured to support the voting rights bill in some form or doesn't change his mind along the way, and if no Republican will eventually support the voting rights bill in some form, or if Biden's reforms, with or without passing the voting rights bill, will not change the minds of independent voters in significant numbers, you may be right.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

17. You took the words right out of my mouth!

[Journeyman]

23. Maybe this is his ploy, to get W. Virginia a hefty cut of the infrastructure money in exchange . . .

for Manchin's support for S 1.

[sop]

5. The people in West Virginia would benefit tremendously from such a large infrastructure package.

So would a lot of working class voters in many Republican states. The only reasons the GOP will oppose this: it will raise taxes on wealthy donors, and it would give Joe Biden another huge win.

[ZonkerHarris]

6. Okay. Let's tax the rich. They can afford to fix this country. Since they broke it.

[ColinC]

7. Ummm yeah, no republican will even remotely consider that.

[Indykatie]

9. This is Not the First Time Manchin Has Called For Tax Increases to Pay for BIG Infrastructure Bill

This is Manchin's value. He's with the Dem caucus 60-70% of the time where a Republican in that seat would vote with us 0% of the time. We need to add to our majority in 2022 and failure isn't an option if we want to do other big things that Manchin doesn't support.

[Beastly Boy]

10. You got it right. Replacing Manchin with another Democrat will be far less effective than replacing

ANY Republican with ANY Democrat in the Senate. And replacing Manchin with a Republican will be a disaster. So we all have to get our priorities straight: we can only talk of disposing of Manchin if the Democrats win a larger majority in the Senate.

[ShazzieB]

19. Exactly!

As much of a burr under all our saddles as Manchin is, replacing him with a Repug would be much, much worse.

[Skittles]

11. is he thinking 90% of it will go to WV?

[Journeyman]

24. Maybe he's just hoping for a substantial cut of it for WV in exchange . . .

for his support for S 1.

[vercetti2021]

12. Okay

Then get behind fucking voting rights and we'll talk

[peppertree]

13. Repugs would rather sell their mothers than build so much as a footbridge

In fact, some probably already have.

[Mr.Bill]

16. Swell.

I wonder what Thursday Manchin will say to attract attention to himself.

[BobTheSubgenius]

18. Is anyone else as surprised as I am?

I'm pleased as hell, obviously, but still surprised. I don't want to make too much of it, but I'm willing to be impressed.

[Martin68]

20. Well isn't that nice. He's for infrastructure but against voting rights.

[Catch2.2]

21. Yup...

Voting rights needs to be passed before anything!

[PSPS]

25. No VAT tax, please. It's the most regressive tax there is.

He also suggested an "infrastructure bank" paid for with revenues, potentially a value-added tax, that would be used for "rebuilding America."

Just go back to the pre-reagan tax rates. It was reagan's slashing the top rates that instantly turned the US into the world's largest debtor nation. It was the world's largest creditor nation before then.

[speak easy]

33. A VAT is not the most regressive tax there is.

That would be a poll tax.

[oldsoftie]

39. We've long needed a VAT. Thats how Europe pays for a good bit of their programs.

Everyone pays into their system. Not the case here. 1/2 pay zero Income tax. Our tax system doesnt work. Taxing only the rich wont bring in enough money. There arent enough of them.
Every county that wants to fund a major project goes for a sales tax. And they work. My county just passed a .01 extension for the third time. Its gotten us a ton of new schools, expansions, roads, etc
Its time the US govt does the same. Gas taxes are shrinking with more efficient cars on the roads. We need more revenue and it needs to come from everyone.
Just like they do in Europe.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. We won't know for a long time, probably

But on infrastructure, Pres. Biden and Sen. Manchin are on the same pages. Are they talking? You did see Sen. Collins cast a vote or two in Democrats favor. Murkowski. I have to wonder if Joe Biden is cultivating the political middle - bipartisanship - he promised. He does have connections from his Senate years.

[NurseJackie]

27. We are SO lucky to have Joe Manchin!! I'm glad he's one of OUR OWN! Count your blessings!

Those who "hate" Joe Manchin need to give it a rest!

[Tom Rinaldo]

28. We can do better than Joe Manchin in Ohio. We can do better than Joe Manchin in Arizona...

we can't do better than Joe Manchin in West Virginia. Joe Manchin is a conservative Democrat, but he is the 50th Democratic vote to make Chuck Schumer Majority Leader. We are quick to anger at Manchin over mainstream Democratic legislative initiatives that he balks at, but we should be much more angry at every single member of the Republican Caucus in the Senate who are virtually NEVER there when we need them. Given the state that Manchin represents, he literally is a gift to Democrats and he is the primary reason why Kamala Harris ever gets to cast tie breaking votes for Biden's agenda.

Manchin's overall voting record is light years better than any Republican in the Senate, including Collins, Murkowski, Romney, and anyone else one cares to name. If we manage to get Statehood for DC, we won't have to agonize so much over Manchin's conservative tendencies, but I fully agree with you. Right now, we are definitely lucky to have him in our caucus rather than the Republican one.

[NurseJackie]

29. I also hope we can make him irrelevant.

[Politicub]

30. That's great. I hope it passes.

[turbinetree]

32. Joe Manchin...........

[bucolic_frolic]

34. It's a dance over who gets the big pieces of the pie, and who pays for it.

GOP: Deficits don't matter when we give tax cuts to ourselves.

Dems: Deficits don't matter when we give money to the people.

GOP: NO! Deficits do matter when you Dems give money away!

Dems: NO! Deficits only matter when we invest in the country such as infrastructure. Therefore GOP must pay for it.

GOP: NO! Deficits don't matter anymore. We're not paying for it.

[pecosbob]

35. Until next month when he'll suddenly become a deficit hawk again

[MFGsunny]

37. Manchin :: as with others, watch what they DO, and not just what they SAY. n/t

[Hotler]

38. Sure he's for it. It is about money. Voting rights and gun laws

doesn't have any money in them. He will bring a lot of pork for private contractors. Follow the money. A lot of money went missing real easy in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will happen with the infrastructure projects.