Schumer plans on vote for Build Back Better after Manchin objects

The Senate Majority Leader and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to regroup after Manchin said he was a no to Joe Biden’s proposed legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Democratic senators that he planned to hold move forward with a vote on both Build Back Better and voting rights legislation, after Sen Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced his opposition to Democrats’ proposed social spending legislation.

In a Dear Colleague letter, Mr Schumer had harsh words for the conservative Democrat from West Virginia and said he understood his fellow senators’ frustration.

“That frustration was evident in the past week as nearly all of us were disappointed by the decision to delay floor consideration of the Build Back Better Act because Senator Manchin could not come to an agreement with the president,” Mr Schumer wrote in a letter on Monday.

Mr Manchin told Fox News on Sunday that he would not support the legislation after months of deliberation with the White House and after the House had passed the legislation.

“However, neither that delay, nor other recent pronouncements, will deter us from continuing to try to find a way forward,” Mr Schumer wrote in his letter “We simply cannot give up. We must and we will keep fighting to deliver for working families.”

As a result, Mr Schumer wrote that the Senate “will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act, very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television.”

The New York Democrat’s words seemed to be in direct reference to Mr Manchin saying that “if I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it, and I cannot continue to vote for this piece of legislation.”

“We are going to vote on a revised version of the House-passed Build Back Better Act – and we will keep voting on it until we get something done,” Mr Schumer said.

Additionally, Mr Schumer said the Senate would take up voting rights legislation as early as its first week back in session in the new year. Voting rights has long stalled in the Senate since it has failed to overcome the requisite 60 votes to break a filibuster and Mr Manchin and Ms Sinema oppose changing the Senate rule.

“If Senate Republicans continue to abuse the filibuster and prevent the body from considering this bill, the Senate will then consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation,” he said.

Additionally, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in her own dear colleague letter to Democrats on Sunday evening that “our work For The People demands that we stay at the table to pass the Build Back Better Act.”

“While it is disappointing that we may not have a law by the end of the year, we are hopeful that we will soon reach agreement so that this vital legislation can pass as soon as possible next year,” she said.