WASHINGTON It looks like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wont prevail in his quest to deny child benefits to unemployed parents.

Democrats told HuffPost this week that they dont expect a work requirement to be added to the child tax credit as part of the Build Back Better bill theyre hoping to pass in the next few weeks.

We wanted to make sure there were no restrictions on low-income people, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told HuffPost. No work requirement.

Work requirement is a Washington term for excluding people who dont have jobs from a given benefit. Manchin said he wanted work requirements for everything in Build Back Better, which Democrats envision as a legacy-defining bill to establish universal kindergarten and child care subsidies, promote green energy and broaden government health care coverage.

Too many new benefits, Manchin has argued, would foment an entitlement society of people who cant help themselves.

I believe government should be your best partner, but it shouldnt be your provider, Manchin said this week. We have a moral obligation to provide for those who have incapacities, such as physical or mental. But everyone else should be able to help and chip in, so thats my mindset.