Manchin Calls On Biden To Talk w/GOP On Debt Limit Bill

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has released a statement calling for President Biden and Senate Democrats to hold talks with Republican leaders in the House regarding the spending and debt limit proposal put forward on 19 April by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Statement" I applaud Speaker McCarthy for putting forward a proposal that would prevent default and rein in federal spending.. I do not agree with everything proposed, the fact of the matter is that it is the only bill actually moving through Congress that would prevent default.”

• Manchin: “Our elected leaders must stop with the political games,work together and negotiate a compromise. Instead, it has been more than 78 days since President Biden last met with Speaker McCarthy.This signals a deficiency of leadership, and it must change...For the sake of the country, I urge President Biden to come to the table."
• Manchin sits as a key figure in the Senate as the Democrat most likely to vote with the Republicans (alongside independent former Democrat Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)). The return of John Fetterman (D-PA) to the Senate boosts the numbers of Dems in any vote, but this in turn is nullified by the continued abscence of Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on grounds of ill health. With Feinstein long-term absent this leaves the Democrats/Independents and the Republicans with 49 votes each.