Manchin signals major changes needed to win his support on Biden's safety net plan
CNN
Sen. Joe Manchin, the most pivotal swing vote in the Senate, indicated on Monday that a significant amount of work remains to be done to earn his support for President Joe Biden's sweeping social safety net expansion, potentially delivering a fatal blow to Democratic leaders' hopes of getting the bill passed in the Senate before Christmas.
In a critical moment for the party's agenda, Manchin spoke with Biden on Monday afternoon as the President tries to secure his support for the plan. But the senator, whose vote is essential to its passage, is raising serious concerns, citing issues with the proposal's reliance on temporary programs and renewing long-standing concerns over inflation that only intensified after a report last week showed a key inflation measure surging to a 39-year high.
A spokesperson for the senator said in a statement Monday evening that Manchin and the President "had a productive conversation," and "will continue to talk over the coming days."