Politics
Manchin: WH Staff Are ‘Real Reason’ For His Decision Against Spending Bill
Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (WV) said he decided against President Biden’s Build Back Better Act because White House staff drove him to his “wit’s end.”
“It is not the president. This is staff,” Manchin said in a local radio interview. “And they drove some things, and they put some things out, that was absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is.”
“I’m always willing to work and listen to try. I just got to the wit’s end and they know the real reasons what happened,” he continued.
Over the weekend, Manchin had publicly announced during a Fox News interview that he would be voting “no” on the “mammoth piece of legislation” and that he had “reservations” on the bill since he had first heard about it “five and a half months ago.”
In response to Manchin’s announcement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a lengthy statement claiming that Manchin’s comments were “at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework ‘in good faith.’”
Psaki additionally claimed that “If [Manchin’s] comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues.”
In response to Psaki’s statement, Manchin explained that Democrats thought they could bully him into supporting the bill because he is just one person.
“They figured surely to God we can move one person. We surely can badger and beat one person up. Surely we can get enough protesters to make that person uncomfortable enough that they’ll just say, ‘OK I’ll vote for anything,’” he said. “Well, guess what? I’m from West Virginia. I’m not from where they’re from and they can just beat the living crap out of people and think they’ll be submissive, period.”
After Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona vowed to shut down Grand Canyon University (GCU), the largest Christian university in the U.S., GCU officials are pushing back, telling Fox News Digital the crackdown stems from “deeply held bias.”
In response to Cardona’s comment about shutting down universities like GCU, a GCU spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “officials continue to make derogatory and inflammatory public statements that are legally and factually incorrect and not shared by any of the other 26 regulatory and accrediting bodies that oversee GCU.”
“The Secretary’s comments to the House Appropriations Committee were so reckless that GCU is demanding an immediate retraction, as they do not reflect the factual record in this case. He is either confused, misinformed or does not understand the actions taken by his own agency,” the spokesperson added.
The president of GCU previously expressed to Fox News Digital sentiments of being “unfairly targeted.”
Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller told FOX News Digital in October why he believes the university is being targeted by the Department of Education.
Cardona made comments during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about cracking down on GCU and other universities like it on April 10.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., asked Cardona how the administration is working to shut down GCU, which she called “a predatory for-profit school.”
Cardona openly embraced their enforcement methods, declaring “we are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message to not prey on students.”
“Last year, your Department took action against Grand Canyon University, a predatory for-profit college, over the school’s failure to accurately disclose its cost to students, driving up the true cost for those students requiring for them to pay for continuation courses before they would graduate – scam courses added about $10,000 or more to the cost of education to these kids,” DeLauro said.
“Going after predatory schools preying on first generation students. They have flashy marketing materials, but the product is not worth the paper it is printed on. Increased enforcement budget to go after these folks and crack down. Levied largest fine in history against a school that lied about costs and terminated a school from Title IV. We are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message not to prey on students,” Cardona responded.
GCU appealed a $37.7 million fine imposed by the department in November on allegations that the Arizona-based higher learning institution misled students about the cost of its doctoral programs over several years.
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rbblum
December 21, 2021 at 5:14 pm
Manchin is a true ‘statesman’ . . . One that RINOS should take notice of.
Al Johnson
December 21, 2021 at 6:14 pm
At least one DC insider thinks that Manchin will put forth a revised $1.8 trillion ‘unfrastructure” bill after talking to Brandon last night. The Dems have a $2.2 trillion tax increase bill pending ….their idea of how to raise funds to pay for something they claim will cost zero.
Al Johnson
December 21, 2021 at 6:16 pm
Correction: That $2.2 trillion tax increase bill pending might be 2.9 trillion.
LLOYD EARL GRIZZELL
December 21, 2021 at 11:13 pm
Dear Senator Manchin –
You quite possibly will go down in history as the one public servant who stood strong in the face of tremendous adversity and scorn to save our country from total devastation of irrevocable debt and inflation like the United States of America has ever, ever experienced! You are a true hero, sir. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! And, we are all still praying for your strength and resolve to stay the Course … Keep the faith in your principles and the rule of law that sets this blessed country apart from any civilization to grace planet earth. God Bless You and keep you and the ones who you serve and love.
Larry
December 22, 2021 at 6:42 am
Bravo.
Linda Orf Strebbing
December 22, 2021 at 11:01 am
May the Good Lord and Creator bless Senator Manchin
JM
December 22, 2021 at 6:02 pm
Good for him! He knows that what they want is not good for ALL AMERICANS!
Mike J
December 23, 2021 at 2:03 pm
“Manchin: WH Staff Are ‘Real Reason’ For His Decision Against Spending Bill’
That’s not good news. I though he had other legitimate reasons for saying no to this bill, then to see that his big reason for saying no was because of the white house staff is not very encouraging.