Manchin calls Biden's $1.75 trillion spending proposal a "shell game"

Key Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is demanding more time to get "clarity" on the economic impact of the social spending package put forward by President Biden and other Democrats. In remarks to reporters on Monday, Manchin blasted House progressives for holding the bipartisan infrastructure bill hostage. 

Last week before leaving for Europe, President Biden announced a $1.75 trillion social-spending framework, trimmed down from the original $3.5 trillion. But Manchin made it clear Monday he still isn't comfortable with the framework in its current state, and the Senate can't pass the legislation without him. Democrats had hoped to possibly vote on both the infrastructure and the reconciliation bill this week, but Manchin's comments indicated that might not be possible.

"As more of the real details outlined in the basic framework are released, what I see are shell games, budget gimmicks that make the real cost of the so-called $1.75 trillion bill estimated to be almost twice that amount, if the full time is run out, if you extended it permanently," Manchin told reporters Monday afternoon. "And that we haven't even spoken about. This is a recipe for economic crisis."