US President Joe Biden believes he can find a middle ground with Senator Manchin, who has announced that he is withdrawing his support for nearly $2 trillion economic plan called Build Back Better.
Answering journalists’ questions at the White House on Tuesday, Biden said, “I think it’s still possible to achieve Build Back Better (BBB). “We’re going to do something with Senator Manchin,” he said. Pointing out that Goldman Sachs lowered its growth forecasts for the USA after Manchin’s statements, Biden said that the BBB is a plan aimed at fighting inflation. “Everything in the law will lower prices and costs for the middle class and working class,” Biden said.
Manchin’s exit on Sunday caught the US administration off guard, and White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki stated that the senator always supported the plan in his statements until Sunday.
Manchin and Biden spoke on the phone Sunday evening after the surprise statements. With 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans in the Senate, Biden cannot afford to lose the support of a single Democrat.
