Manchin won’t support climate or tax provisions in Democrat-only economic bill

The change in the tone of the recent conversation was sudden. Manchin supported this throughout the discussion with many leaders, staff and members, one of the well-known said.

“I’m not disappointed here, especially since almost all of the climate and energy issues have been resolved,” Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, whose committee has jurisdiction over energy taxes and corporate taxes, said. he said in his voice.

“This is our last chance to avoid the worst and most expensive consequences of climate change. We can’t go back in another decade and prevent billions—if not trillions—of economic damage and inevitable human suffering,” the Oregon Democrat added.

Likewise, climate activists, many of whom expected to see climate and energy records soon, reacted Thursday night with fear and anger.

“This is nothing short of a death sentence,” Varshini Prakash, founder of the youth group Sunrise Movement, said in a statement. “It’s clear that corporate lobbying isn’t working, and it’s going to destroy a generation of voters.”

“There are no words to express our dismay, outrage, and disappointment,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, vice president of government affairs for the League of Conservation Voters.

Manchin’s office also pointed to rising inflation. “Political headlines are meaningless to the millions of Americans who are struggling to afford food and gas as inflation hits 9.1%,” Manchin spokesman Sam Runyon said in a statement. “Senator Manchin believes it is time for leaders to put aside political issues, reassess and reform the economy to avoid actions that add fuel to the fire of inflation.”

But Evergreen Action co-founder Jamal Raad told CNN that Manchin’s argument for spending less to prevent inflation missed the mark when it came to energy and climate.

“He is no longer about ending inflation because the main driver of inflation was gas prices, and he decided we should spend more money in oil,” Raad said.

Manchin is willing to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and extend the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies for two years, according to a source familiar with the matter, which indicates that both Democrats may enter the package they hope to pass. they want democratic votes only.

Democrats are now pushing for ACA subsidies to be extended before the August recess to avoid major increases that will be announced before the November midterm elections.

Those subsidies were expanded as part of the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan Act and made Obamacare’s exchanges more affordable, prompting more people to sign up this year. If allowed to expire at the end of the year, nearly all of the 13 million eligible enrollees will see their premiums increase in 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. More than 3 million people may be uninsured, an Urban Institute analysis found.

Democrats hope to avoid the negative publicity of such a large number. If Congress doesn’t act, consumers will learn in the fall how much they can pay. Open registration begins on November 1, the week before Election Day.

This article has been updated with many other details.