Chuck Schumer’s Tough Guy Act Could Backfire Spectacularly in 2022 and Beyond

Chuck Schumer's Tough Guy Act Could Backfire Spectacularly in 2022 and Beyond

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is furious with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Over the weekend, Manchin told Fox News Sunday that he would not be supporting the Build Back Better (BBB) Act due to concerns about the actual costs of the programs in an inflationary environment. “What we need to do is get our financial house in order, but be able to pay for what we do and do what we pay for,” he said. Manchin also noted he was unable to justify a vote in favor of the “mammoth” piece of legislation to his constituents, despite being in favor of selected elements of it.

Schumer announced he would hold a floor vote on the legislation after the holiday to force senators to go on the record, to punish or shame Manchin. In a letter to his colleagues, Schumer wrote, “Senators should be aware that the Senate will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television.” He added, “We are going to vote on a revised version of the House-passed Build Back Better Act — and we will keep voting on it until we get something done.”

Unfortunately for Schumer, polls show voters are not nearly as upset that the reconciliation bill is stalled as Democrats and their allies in the corporate media are. On Dec. 17, Rasmussen Reports noted that 77% of likely voters were following the news about the BBB Act at least somewhat closely. Only 38% support the legislation, while 45% are opposed. Among Democrats, support declined to 62%, and a mere 34% of independents want the spending bill passed.

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