Manchin signals he will be a team player on spending

His. Joe manchinJoe Manchin Black Caucus Chairman Arrested on Capitol Hill Over Voting Rights Protest Speeches Not Enough: Biden Must Abandon Bipartism And Endorse Filibuster Schumer Holds Key Vote on Biparty Deal MORE (W.Va.), a crucial centrist vote in the Democratic caucus, signals his colleagues that he will not derail a $ 3.5 trillion budget resolution that contains many President BidenJoe BidenJ.D. Scholten: Democratic Party “gets out of the water” by not connecting with voters Children under 12 could receive COVID-19 vaccine by winter: Georgia Secretary of State reports calls for Fulton County Election Officials Fired MORElegislative priorities of.

Senate Democrats say Manchin has indicated he will not oppose the move forward and will generally support as long as he is kept abreast of his main concerns: how to foot the bill and a supply clean energy.

Manchin told his colleagues on Wednesday where he was standing at a caucus lunch attended by Biden, where Democrats discussed their plans to pass two major infrastructure bills. The West Virginia senator said he waited until Biden left the room to explain his position to fellow Democrats.

“I didn’t speak while Joe Biden was there out of respect. He did a great job and everything, ”he said, explaining that after Biden left he wanted his colleagues to clearly understand his own views.

“After that, I wanted to make sure they knew where I was from. I’m concerned about inflation, I’m concerned about a competitive tax code, I’m concerned about environmental standards that basically leave people out in all of these things, ”Manchin told The Hill.

Manchin confirmed he had let colleagues know he was not interested in messing up the work by blocking the budget resolution, a move that would slow efforts to start piecing together a bill that is expected to cost $ 3.5 trillion. dollars and be passed by simple majority later that year.

“I want this to continue,” Manchin said, adding that he wanted to be part of the negotiations on a reconciliation bill that would be put in place through the successful adoption of a joint budget resolution.

“I want to sit down and be a part of that, of course, and understand that if we run into a roadblock, we’ll run into one later. But you don’t start out that way.

The budget resolution that the Senate majority leader Charles schumerChuck Schumer Biden must help end federal cannabis ban Biden welcomes ‘transformative’ child tax credit payments Watchdog files FEC complaint against super PACs linked to congressional leaders MORE (DN.Y.) Plans to be presented later this summer would broadly define the contours of a reconciliation bill containing elements of Biden’s infrastructure program that do not have Republicans backing.

This vehicle of reconciliation can only move if the Senate and the House approve a joint budget resolution. The real negotiations on this package will take place during the August holidays and in September.

Schumer set the deadline Wednesday for Senate Democrats to unite behind the $ 3.5 trillion deal he and Democratic members of the Senate Budget Committee unveiled this week. The plan is to fully offset the cost of the package with as yet unnamed tax increases and other sources of revenue.

Democratic senators expect Manchin to be with them in the vote to move the budget resolution forward.

“I would be surprised if he did not vote ‘yes’,” said the senator. Tim kaineTimothy (Tim) Michael KaineSchumer works to unify Democrats ahead of infrastructure fight This week: Congress begins summer sprint Senate plans to strike bipartisan infrastructure deal as early as July 19 MORE (D-Go.). “It’s just because I’ve known Joe for 20 years. … I would be surprised if he didn’t vote to continue.

Some Democrats were reassured by Manchin’s comments at lunch on Wednesday after the president left.

Manchin raised concerns about the impact of inflation and the White House’s proposals to move the country away from fossil fuels that could be included in the reconciliation plan.

But his colleagues interpreted his remarks as expressing their interest in being directly involved in the negotiations, especially on the issues that are his main priorities.

“He raised some concerns,” said a Democratic senator who attended the lunch. “What I took away from that was just that coming from a state that has a long history of fossil fuels, he wanted to join the conversation about how we are doing because of general concerns about the transition.” towards cleaner energy sources.

“He was basically saying, ‘I am not opposed to the way we are going, I want to be aware of the things that are close to my heart,” “added the source.

Other Democrats in the room inferred from Manchin’s remarks that he wanted to work with his colleagues to find a way to move the big elements of Biden’s agenda forward through the budget reconciliation process.

“I heard him say, ‘I want to work with you on these things.’ I would interpret that to mean that we will get there, ”said a second Democratic senator, referring to the goal of passing the budget resolution before the August recess.

Manchin called on Senate Democrats to fully cover the cost of the reconciliation package, which he repeated on Tuesday.

“I think everything has to be paid for. We put in enough free money, ”he said.

Later that day, Schumer said Senate Democrats were seriously considering options to pay the full cost of the reconciliation package.

When Schumer, chairman of the Senate budget committee Bernie sandersBernie SandersOcasio-Cortez to clash with Turner in Ohio ahead of special election Schumer holds key vote on bipartisan deal New polls show Democratic race to replace Fudge tightens in Ohio MORE (I-Vt.) And moderate Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerHillicon Valley: Surgeon General issues health misinformation notice | Biden Administration Steps Up Efforts to Respond to Ransomware Attacks | Cyber ​​bills gain urgency after wave of attacks Schumer holds key vote on bipartite deal Cyber ​​security bills gain urgency after wave of attacks MORE (D-Va.) Announced a budget deal on Tuesday night, Warner proudly noted that the deal called for the reconciliation bill to be fully offset.

Senators say this and other concessions show how much they value Manchin’s views.

“Let me tell you, Joe is a friend of mine and he’s clearly defined his position with us. I think he would be the first to say that he was treated by his colleagues with real respect, ”said the Democratic Senate Whip. Dick durbinDick Durbin Senate committee to hold hearing over FBI report on Nassar case Democrats confident their plans come together Senate Democrats undecided on Biden’s ATF candidate MORE (Ill.), Adding that Democratic leaders have accepted Manchin’s proposed changes to a sweeping electoral reform bill that Democrats introduced last month.

“We listened to him. When he suggested changes … those changes were made. We do our best to be respectful of his position and the positions of other members. I want it to continue like this, ”added Durbin.

When asked if Manchin had signaled his cooperation on the budget resolution, Durbin said: “I think there is a hint, but I wouldn’t go too far. I want Joe to speak for himself.

His. Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterTrouble: IRS funding lands bipartisan infrastructure deal Schumer hosts key vote on bipartisan deal The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Goldman Sachs – Biden rallies Senate Dems behind spending plan gigantic MORE (D-Mont.), Another key centrist, said this week he would also vote to allow the budget to be resolved in Wednesday’s vote.

Tester explained that he wanted to let the discussion move forward so he could see how the reconciliation bill is shaping up.

“I think we have to solve some very important problems in this country and I think there is a real possibility that this 3.5 trillion dollars can solve some of these problems,” he said. “I want to have a debate on this. I want to have the opportunity to discuss it, to see what it contains before saying “no” or “yes”.