Manchin, Sanders set for clash over Biden spending package
District of Columbia | September 10, 2021
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are hurtling toward a showdown over President Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending plan, as they draw red lines around their legislative priorities.The two veteran lawmakers are at opposite ends of the Senate Democratic caucus, with no close working relationship and some high-profile public splits in their past.
But the White House and Democratic leaders will need to figure out a way to bring them together, and satisfy their contradictory demands, or suffer a massive defeat of the party’s top goals.
“They really do mirror each other in terms of representing different ends of the Democratic coalition. …They’re kind of avatars of like the two wings of the Democratic Party,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne…(Excerpts from The Hill)