Sen. Manchin defends support for Inflation Reduction Act
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., defends the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act and claims that it will lower taxes for working-class Americans.
Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin raised only a fraction of his campaign funds from voters in his home state, according to a Fox News Digital analysis, while out-of-state contributions and corporate donations make up the bulk of his fundraising.
Manchin, who shocked Washington last week after announcing an agreement to advance a green energy and pharmaceutical spending bill called the Inflation Reduction Act, received approximately $6.1 million from individual donors who gave more than $200 in aggregate to his campaign between January 2021 and June 30, 2022, according to Federal Elections Commission (FEC) filings.
Of that total, only about $65,000 donations came from individuals residing in West Virginia, while over $6 million came from individuals in other states. Manchin also received around $176,000 in small dollar donations, but it's unclear how much of that came from individuals in West Virginia since campaigns are not required to report donor information on contributions under $200.
Manchin is not up for re-election until 2024 — and he has not announced whether he will seek another term in the Senate. Manchin's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., left, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (F. Carter Smith/Kent Nishimura)
The Inflation Reduction Act, which Manchin announced as an agreement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week, includes $433 billion in new spending on green energy programs and expanded Affordable Care Act benefits. The new spending would be paid for through raising $739 billion in revenue through a corporate tax increase and stricter IRS enforcement. The balance of the additional revenue would offset the deficit, leading Democrats to insist that the bill will reduce inflation in the future.
The bill faces numerous hurdles to pass in the Senate before the August recess, including ensuring that all 50 Democrats are able to be in Washington to vote. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has also not announced whether she would vote for the bill. Sinema and Manchin were major factors in tanking the massive Build Back Better spending proposals in President Biden's first year in office.
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Manchin's support for the bill, which includes large payments for green energy grants and programs, is in part due to other provisions in the bill that could benefit West Virginia energy production.
The bill includes provisions to streamline pipeline production for natural gas, for instance. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., however, criticized the bill as "raising taxes on West Virginia’s coal mining industry and providing subsides to liberals in deep blue states to drive electric vehicles" in a local newspaper column last week.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., speaks to reporters in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., told Politico that Manchin would have trouble convincing his voters that the bill is good for West Virginia.
"It’s not good for the state, and I think it’s difficult to sell in the state," Capito said.
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Since the Inflation Reduction Act was announced, Republicans have criticized Manchin for caving to Biden's political agenda after holding the line against the Build Back Better proposals. And some suggest that he would face a challenging path to re-election if he runs again.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Manchin's seat would be a target of the GOP in 2024, Politico reported.
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