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- Sens. Joe Manchin and Bernie Sanders are feuding over the Democrats' multi-trillion reconciliation package.
- President Biden reportedly joked that getting the two senators together in a room would almost be like "homicide," per CNN.
- Sanders said on Friday that he's unlikely to meet face-to-face with Manchin because "this is not a movie."
During a virtual meeting with House Democrats, President Joe Biden joked that getting Sens. Joe Manchin and Bernie Sanders to sit in the same room would almost be like "homicide," according to CNN.
Biden discussed the Manchin-Sanders feud over the size and scope of the Democrats' multi-trillion "human infrastructure" package during a private conference call earlier this week, CNN reported.
The "homicide" quip was in response to Rep. Ro Khanna's suggestion that the two senators meet to try and hash out their differences on the spending plans, per CNN.
Manchin and Sanders are currently trillions apart on their price tags. Manchin wants a $1.5 trillion measure but reportedly said he wouldn't rule out going as high as $2.2 trillion. Along with the progressive wing of the party, Sanders is pushing for a$3.5 trillion price tag.
Manchin has chided House Democrats for holding up the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that passed in the Senate in August. The vote was ultimately pulled after Sanders and other progressives urged House Democrats to vote against a stand-alone bill on infrastructure until the social spending bill is also passed.
As Democratic infighting over the spending bill continues, reports say that tensions are intensifying between the two senators.
On Wednesday, Manchin said that Sanders wants an "entitlement society."
During a fiery press conference on Wednesday, Insider reported that Sanders hit back by accusing Manchin and moderate Democrat Sen. Krysten Sinema of "sabotage."
On Friday, Sanders made it clear that he is unwilling to negotiate with Manchin and Sinema face-to-face to discuss their differences on the social spending bill. He told Capitol Hill reporters: "It's not a movie. I don't know if you are a movie writer. This is not a movie."