THEIR MONEY BACK OR NOT ON SUCH
SHORT NOTICE.
WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED.
MEANTIME, KEEPING YOU POSTED ON
PROGRESSIVE ANGRY AT JOE MANCHIN
FOR TORPEDOING WHAT THEY THOUGHT
WAS A SURE WIN ON GETTING THE
BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN PASSED IN
A TIGHTLY DIVIDED SENATE.
ANDY LEVIN JOINS US, THE
MICHIGAN CONGRESSMAN, THE
DEMOCRAT.
CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS
DEPUTY WHIP.
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME,
CONGRESSMAN.
>> MY PLEASURE.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> Neil: SAME HERE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT JOE
MANCHIN?
>> WELL, I DON’T GET MAD.
I GET MAD WHEN PEOPLE WHACK ME
ON THE ICE RINK PLAYING HOCKEY.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHERE SENATOR
MANCHIN IS COMING FROM.
WEST VIRGINIANS BENEFIT FROM
THIS.
A WEST VIRGINIA FAMILY WITH TWO
YOUNG KIDS THAT EARN $40,000 A
YEAR WOULD SAY $10,000 A YEAR
UNDER BUILD BACK BETTER ON
HEALTHCARE, CHILD CARE AND MORE.
WEST VIRGINIA HAS MORE OLD
PEOPLE THAN THE AVERAGE STATE,
MORE CHILD POVERTY THAN THE
AVERAGE STATE.
I DON’T GET WHERE HE’S COMING
FROM.
HE REPRESENTS ABOUT 40% AS MANY
PEOPLE AS LEVIN IN THE METRO
AREA.
SO THAT ONE SENATOR IS HOLDING
UP THIS TRAIN OF PROGRESS FOR
OUR COUNTRY.
WE’LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM.
WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO IS
HAVE THE PRESIDENT BEGIN TO TAKE
EXECUTIVE ACTION NOW ON SOME
THINGS THAT HE CAN WHILE WE
CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE TO GET
THIS DONE EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, HE COULD
NEGOTIATE -- HE COULD TAKE
EXECUTIVE ACTION TO LOWER
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES NOW.
HE COULD TAKE MULTIPLE EXECUTIVE
ACTIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE NOW.
HE COULD GIVE A CHRISTMAS
PRESENT TO THE MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE THAT OWE STUDENT DEBT AND
ELIMINATE A LOT OF STUDENT DEBT
RIGHT NOW BY A STROKE OF THE
PEN.
THAT’S WHAT --
>> Neil: OR HE COULD REDUCE THE
WHOLE MEASURE, RIGHT?
THERE’S TALK THAT HE MIGHT
RE-VISIT TALKING TO JOE MANCHIN
AGAIN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUILD
BACK BETTER, MORE FOCUSED
PROGRAM WHERE YOU GET RID OF THE
THINGS OR PUT A PRIORITY ON THE
THINGS THAT YOU WANT, MAYBE THE
THREE ITEMS YOU MENTIONED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM
IS THAT WE HAVE ONESHOT AT THIS.
NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN IS GOING
TO VOTE TO PROVIDE CHILD CARE
FOR ALL AMERICAN FAMILIES AND
THEY MAY NO MORE THAN 7% OF
THEIR INCOME.
NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN WILL
VOTE TO GIVE PRE-K TO ALL THREE
AND 4-YEAR-OLDS.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR
THE CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES AND
GO DOWN THE LIST.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THIS THROUGH
RECONCILIATION AND WE HAVE TO
GET THE VOTES OF ALL 50
SENATORS, DEMOCRATIC SENATORS.
SO WE’LL HAVE TO PUT IT TOGETHER
IN ONE PACKAGE.
>> REAL QUICKLY.
THERE HAD BEEN TALK AND
OBVIOUSLY THINGS GOT FRAYED AND
TEMPERED PRETTY FRAYED,
CONGRESSMAN.
A LOT OF FELLOW DEMOCRATS SAID
OF JOE MANCHIN THAT HE’S NOT A
REAL DEMOCRAT.
SEEM TO BE A QUASI THREAT THAT
HE MIGHT LEAVE THE PARTY MAYBE
AS AN INDEPENDENT.
CAUCUS WITH DEMOCRATS.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
EACH LEGISLATOR CAN DO WHAT THEY
WANT.
I HOPE JOE MANCHIN REMAINS A DEMOCRAT.
I THINK HE IS TO BE LAUDED FOR
HAVING TO BIGGEST SPREAD OF ANY
SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE, NEIL,
BETWEEN HIS VOTES AND TRUMP’S
VOTES.
SO HATS OFF TO HIM FOR THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, HE PROVED IN HIS
PROPOSAL FOR VOTING RIGHTS THAT
HE WILL STAND UP FOR A LOT OF
DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES.
WE JUST NEED HIM TO COME THROUGH
AND STOP CHANGING HIS POSITION
ALL THE TIME ON BUILD BACK
BETTER.
YOU KNOW, COME TO AN AGREEMENT
AND PASS THIS THING FOR THE SAKE
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> Neil: WE’LL WATCH IT CLOSELY.
CONGRESSMAN LEVIN, VERY GOOD
HAVING YOU.