Irish Examiner view: Welcome volte face by Joe Manchin

The US senator will support measures to pay down the national debt, lower healthcare costs, and address the climate crisis

Fri, 29 Jul, 2022 - 01:55

US president Joe Biden’s long-stalled economic and climate agenda has got an unexpected boost from an unforeseen quarter.

The recalcitrant Democrat senator for West Virginia, Joe Manchin, appeared to have stalled Biden’s ambitious plans to the point they seemed dead in the water.

But a surprise announcement on Wednesday night signalled that Manchin had reached agreement with Democrat leaders on a domestic policy bill that will pay down the national debt, lower healthcare costs, and address the climate crisis.

Manchin’s volte face on these issues was as sudden as it was surprising, given he has thwarted his party’s ambitious plans for nearly two years and it comes just two weeks after he had appeared to kill off flagship climate action legislation when he railed against higher taxes on rich Americans and refused to support more funding for climate action.

Crucial swing vote

In a Senate split 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans, Manchin’s was a crucial swing vote. Without his support, the Democrats had little chance of progressing their agenda.

The senator, who has made millions through his family’s coal business, infuriated both the White House and climate activists by citing runaway inflation for his opposition to boosting renewable energy and electric cars.

Manchin has offered few specifics about his change of heart, but the bottom line is the agreement has allowed the Democrats move on from an acrimonious level of infighting hugely detrimental to their chances in November’s mid-term elections.

More importantly, it helps in the global battle against climate collapse, a fight that requires every political mind to be finely attuned to the urgent need for action.

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