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- Manchin dismissed arguments from the Biden administration that inflation will be short-lived.
- "From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real," he wrote on Twitter.
- Manchin is a key holdout on Democrats' $1.75 trillion social spending plan.
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia slammed a key argument from the Biden administration that inflation is temporary, jeopardizing the near-term passage of the Democratic social spending plan
A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said inflation worsened in October with supply chain issues contributing to rising prices across the board, particularly for fuel oil, gas, and utilities.
Manchin, a key swing vote, said that inflation was only "getting worse."
-Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 10, 2021
"From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day," he wrote on Twitter.
The conservative West Virginia Democrat has repeatedly warned about rising inflation since the summer, echoing a GOP line of attack against President Joe Biden's spending plans. This may give him additional leverage to keep holding out from backing the $1.75 trillion social spending plan.
"We need to be very careful with this," Manchin told reporters last week, adding he'd spoken to West Virginians alarmed about the rising grocery and fuel prices.
Congressional Democrats are struggling to get their $1.75 trillion spending package to Biden's desk due to resistance from Manchin, and they need near-unanimity in both the House and Senate to succeed. The package includes a one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit, federal drug price controls, and measures to provide families with subsidies to afford childcare and more.
Experts say the Democratic package spreads out planned spending over a ten year period, and won't contribute to rising inflation in a significant manner. Democrats also want to fully pay for their spending with tax hikes on the richest Americans to keep the threat of inflation in check.
Recent polling indicates that Americans are concerned about rising inflation eating up more of their paychecks. The White House and Congressional Democrats pivoted in recent weeks by arguing their social spending bill will ease rising inflation and cut the federal deficit.
In a statement, Biden said it is "important" for lawmakers to approve his social spending package which he says will be fully financed and won't pile on more to the federal debt. He argued it will encourage Americans to re-enter the workforce by cutting childcare and eldercare costs, among other provisions.