Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Posted: 2021-12-19T18:38:16Z | Updated: 2021-12-19T18:38:16Z

The group of House progressives who took flak for opposing the bipartisan infrastructure legislation earlier due to concerns that moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) wouldnt support the Build Back Better bill have a message for their fellow Democrats : We told you so.

This is exactly what we warned would happen if we separated Build Back Better from infrastructure, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted on Sunday after Manchin announced his opposition to the social spending and climate package, dooming half of Bidens legislative agenda.

Omar was one of six House Democrats who broke from the party to vote against the infrastructure bill in November. Those lawmakers consistently called for both the infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act to move together, ensuring they both would become law.

But Democratic leaders in the House delinked the two bills, passing the infrastructure bill with the hope that Biden would eventually reach a deal with Manchin and other moderates to pass the second bill as well.

For months, Manchin expressed concerns with the Build Back Better legislation based on rising inflation and debt, withholding his support for the bill while continuing to negotiate with the White House. On Sunday, he formally announced his opposition to the $1.75 trillion measure in an interview on Fox News .

Ive tried everything humanly possible. I cant get there, he told host Bret Baier on Fox News Sunday. This is a no.

Manchins stance left progressives, especially those who voted against the infrastructure bill, fuming.

When a handful of us in the House warned this would happen if Dem leaders gave Manchin everything he wanted 1st by moving BIF before BBB instead of passing together, many ridiculed our position, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted . Maybe theyll believe us next time. Or maybe people will just keep calling us nave.