West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinSunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variants distributed in the US; Redditors shake Wall Street with gamestop stock Biden wants Democrats to keep Trump trial short, Joe Manchin can show Senate a better way forward MORE (D), a key vote in the Senate, on Friday expressed frustration over an interview Vice President Harris gave to a state television station, saying the White House had not notified him in advance.
The centrist Democrat spoke to NBC affiliate WSAZ, saying the vice president’s vice president ‘was not a way to work together’, and called on the White House to help a ‘two-way street’ find.
“I saw [the interview], I could not believe it. Nobody called me [about it], ”Manchin said according to WSAZ. “We’re going to try to find a dual path forward, but we have to work together. This is not a way to work together. ”
Harris conducted the interview to campaign for the White House coronavirus relief.
‘Up to your point in West Virginia, one in seven families describes their household as hungry, one in six cannot pay their rent, and one in four small businesses is closing permanently or has already closed, so it’s a big one. problem in West Virginia and across the state, ”Harris told WSAZ. “And that’s why the president and I are presenting the American rescue plan.”
A request for further comment from Manchin’s office was not immediately returned. The White House also did not immediately return an email regarding the senator’s comments.
Manchin is seen as one of the most important voices in the divided senate entering President Biden’s first 100 days in office. The senator in West Virginia has expressed some hesitation about the provisions in the White House’s COVID-19 relief plan, which is seen as Biden’s first legislative push, including the direct payments of $ 1,400 to Americans in the bill. Earlier in December, he supported a bill that paid $ 600 to Americans earning less than $ 75,000 a year.
Some Republican senators on Sunday made their own call for a dual compromise law that sen. Bill Cassidy
Bill CassidySunday shows preview: New COVID-19 variants distributed in the US; Redditors shake Wall Street with Gamestop stock OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden signs series of orders to tackle climate change | Republicans press Granholm on fossil fuels during confirmation trial Republicans press Granholm on fossil fuels during confirmation trial MORE (R-La.) Indicated that it would probably be less than half of what Democrats asked for.