MANCHIN PLAYS COY

Says ‘anything’s possible’ on bill vote

Sen. Joe Manchin coyly told reporters Monday that “anything’s possible” after President Biden called him to plead for his vote to pass a massive social- and environmental-spending bill.

Manchin said it was a “good conversation,” but he declined to give details. “We were talking about different iterations,” the West Virginia Democrat said.

When a reporter asked, “Do you think it’s possible to do it this year?” Manchin replied, “Anything’s possible here.”

Manchin, who is a crucial swing vote in the evenly divided Senate, added, “We talked to negotiate, that’s what it’s all about.”

Manchin has expressed concern that the bill would further worsen inflation, which reached a 39-year high last month.

The House OK’d the sprawling, $2.2 trillion package last month but if it passes the Senate, it’s expected to shrink due to resistance from Manchin and fellow centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

The Congressional Budget Office last week said the Build Back Better Act actually would cost about $4.5 trillion — and add $3 trillion to the federal deficit — if its programs are extended over 10 years, or the same period as proposed revenue streams to fund the package.

CNN reported Monday that Biden and Manchin also talked last week, with Biden making clear that he needs a yes vote from Manchin.

According to the report, Manchin told Biden he’s not ready to say yes to the bill.

Manchin has for weeks expressed alarm about inflation and what he calls budget “gimmicks” that undercount the cost of the social and environmental spending.

‘It’s alarming’

Earlier Monday, Manchin said, “It’s alarming. It’s going up, not down, and I think that should be something we’re concerned about . . . I’ve always said the unknown right now is very, very great and I want to make sure we can handle and take care of anything that does come out of this.”

Prior to the call, White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to characterize the discussions between Biden and Manchin as a negotiation, instead describing them as “a conversation between two people who have been in public life for some time and have had good-faith discussions directly. And this is just a continuation of that.”

She added that the White House remains supportive of the ambitious goal of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring the measure to the Senate floor for a vote by the end of this year, another idea at which Manchin has balked.

“People have been in a hurry for a long time to do something,” Manchin said.

“But I think basically, we’re seeing things unfold that allows us to prepare better. And that’s what we should do: take advantage of what we’re doing in a very litigious way and making sure what we do and how we do it, what period of time we do it, is something that we can maintain, manage.”