Chuck Schumer Is Tightening The Screws On Joe Manchin For Build Back Better

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:53 pm

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer isn’t playing games with Sen. Joe Manchin as he is pushing toward a vote on Build Back Better before Christmas.

Chuck Schumer Wants The Senate To Vote On Build Back Better Before Christmas

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Schumer said on the Senate floor:

 On the parallel track, the Senate is moving forward on the reconciliation process so that we can vote on the Build Back Better Act before the Christmas holiday. Committees that received reconciliation instructions have been submitting final text to the parliamentarian, the Congressional Budget Office, and our Republican counterparts.

Throughout the week, both Republicans and Democrats will hold bipartisan meetings with the parliamentarian. Meanwhile, I will continue to meet with my colleagues. I know the President will also continue discussions as we hammer out the final details of Build Back Better.

This remains a laborious process, requiring a lot of precision and pieces moving together. I want to thank my colleagues and their staff and especially the parliamentarian and her team for their dedication and focus as we approach a vote on the floor. The work is not yet finished. We are working hard to put the Senate in a position to get the legislation across the finish line before Christmas. 

Schumer Is Turning Up The Heat On Joe Manchin

Chuck Schumer is putting Joe Manchin on an island and betting that Manchin doesn’t want to be the Democrat who sunk Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.

Schumer isn’t going to be held hostage by the whims of one Senator. He and the White House are willing to work with Manchin to get his vote, but they aren’t going to allow the West Virginia Senator to dictate the schedule or determine when legislation gets passed.

Manchin hasn’t said anything to suggest that he wants to be the Senator who blew up a Democratic president’s agenda, so instead of allowing the inmates to run the asylum as Kevin McCarthy is doing with the House Republicans, Chuck Schumer is using the schedule to send a strong message to Sen. Manchin that passing Build Back Better is a must.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association