Biden And Manchin 'Talked On The Phone' Hours After Senator Tanked Spending Bill

President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reportedly talked over the phone just hours after the latter stood his ground in not supporting the $2 trillion Build Back Better Act that the House already passed.

Three sources with knowledge of the matter told Politico that the two Democratic politicians spoke cordially Sunday night and agreed to hold talks again about legislative priorities.

The sources added that the call seemed to have ended with hints that negotiations around the bill would resume sometime in the next year. The conversation between Manchin and Biden has raised hopes for a potential renewal of negotiations after the West Virginia senator said Sunday that he was done negotiating for the legislation and will not support the agenda.

The Build Back Better Act seeks to reduce household spending on child care and also reduce healthcare premiums as part of the plan to expand affordable healthcare coverage within a period of 10 years. The bill also represents massive climate change efforts by reducing consumer energy costs and advancing green and smart energy practices across various industries

The bill currently has no chance of getting signed by the president unless Manchin gives his support as the Senate is split in half between Democratic and GOP parties. Manchin has repeatedly demanded major changes to the act if Democrats want to claim his backing.

On Sunday, Manchin went on Fox News to declare that he has “done everything humanly possible” to try to reach a compromise on the legislation but that he could not support it. “When you have these things coming at you the way they are right now … I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” he said.

In the same interview, Manchin admitted that while he backed some aspects of the bill, it was “a mammoth piece of legislation,” adding that the government should prioritize addressing inflation and the omicron COVID-19 variant instead of pushing for the bill.

The bill currently has a price tag of roughly $1.75 trillion. The senator reportedly gave a heads-up to Biden's team regarding his public opposition only 20 minutes before he went on the interview.

After Manchin’s Fox News appearance, White House press secretary Jen Psaki released a statement, criticizing the senator’s comments, claiming they were “at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances.”

Psaki said Manchin “committed to the President” weeks ago in support of the legislation, adding that if Manchin’s Fox statements “indicate an end” to negotiations, the senator was representing “a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.”

Manchin wants to implement major changes to the bill’s framework, including the social program aspect that Democrats want to authorize for only a few years to keep the bill’s price tag in control, Associated Press reported. Manchin wants the social programs authorized for 10 years under a standard budget window. If he gets his way, Democrats would have to cut down on other aspects of the legislation.