President Joe Biden. Credit: JONATHAN ERNST / REUTERS
Senator Joe Manchin accurately described why he would not support President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act. Manchin proclaimed that Democrats intended to “reshape our society” with the BBB Act. And reshaping our society is exactly what Democrats promised to do. President Biden explicitly stated, both before and after he was elected, that one of the purposes of the BBB Act was to show that democracy was still capable of transforming society. Regardless of whether the social programs in the BBB Act would squash the anti-democratic well-spring in the country, President Biden has modeled his efforts on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.
The efforts of Joe Manchin and a few other Democratic politicians to pare down the BBB Act raises a fundamental dilemma about a minimalist BBB ACT. Will a minimalist BBB Act be enough to demonstrate that democracy works? But one of Manchin’s primary objections to BBB is that it would change our country. FDR successfully defeated domestic fascism because his programs yielded significant changes in our society. If, as some say, the way to gain Manchin’s support for BBB is to strip most of its transformative provisions, President Biden’s ability to save our government may also be reduced.
Manchin has been unable to think of a single reason to support the BBB Act. For example, Manchin has not mentioned his regret for opposing President Biden and the Democratic caucus. Instead, Manchin has put forward many reasons for his opposition, none of which is strongly supported by objective observers. For example, he has argued that the bill is inflationary, even though 56 economists, including 15 Nobel prize winners, say the bill is not inflationary. Further, Eric Levitz has pointed out that although Manchin had succeeded in killing off a key climate provision, he called for eliminating other green energy tax credits in his latest rejection of BBB. And Manchin, as an investor in a coal mine, personally benefits from his opposition to renewable energy. Also, Manchin says that some of his opposition to BBB programs is based on it being partisan. According to Manchin, Republicans, who do not support for the bill, will overturn it when they take control of Congress. One might think legislation that transforms our society could not be easily toppled.
The efforts of Joe Manchin and a few other Democratic politicians to pare down the BBB Act raises a fundamental dilemma about a minimalist BBB ACT. Will a minimalist BBB Act be enough to demonstrate that democracy works? But one of Manchin’s primary objections to BBB is that it would change our country. FDR successfully defeated domestic fascism because his programs yielded significant changes in our society. If, as some say, the way to gain Manchin’s support for BBB is to strip most of its transformative provisions, President Biden’s ability to save our government may also be reduced.
Manchin has been unable to think of a single reason to support the BBB Act. For example, Manchin has not mentioned his regret for opposing President Biden and the Democratic caucus. Instead, Manchin has put forward many reasons for his opposition, none of which is strongly supported by objective observers. For example, he has argued that the bill is inflationary, even though 56 economists, including 15 Nobel prize winners, say the bill is not inflationary. Further, Eric Levitz has pointed out that although Manchin had succeeded in killing off a key climate provision, he called for eliminating other green energy tax credits in his latest rejection of BBB. And Manchin, as an investor in a coal mine, personally benefits from his opposition to renewable energy. Also, Manchin says that some of his opposition to BBB programs is based on it being partisan. According to Manchin, Republicans, who do not support for the bill, will overturn it when they take control of Congress. One might think legislation that transforms our society could not be easily toppled.
Because Manchin’s vote is essential for passing the BBB Act, Democrats have an exacting calculation to make about how much they will let Manchin dictate what is in it. Biden and Democrats appear weak, in part, because they have not been able to overcome the opposition of one Democratic Senator and pass their hallmark legislation. Thus, passing this legislation is not simply helping people today with BBB; it is also a matter of maintaining power to help people tomorrow. If Democrats cannot defeat the current style of domestic fascism, then people here will suffer as they do in other countries that have overthrown their democracies. BBB is designed to defeat one of the critical elements undermining our democracy: the perceived sense that democratic government no longer works for them. The passage of a minimalist BBB may not reverse the perception that Democrats, and by extension democracy, cannot solve the problems they face.
Some Democrats persist in believing that all they must do is pass BBB, regardless of its provisions, so that they can run on it. But they forget that the Republicans will quickly point out deviations from a BBB Act that passed from promised one. While Republicans may be hypocrites, they are not mute. Considering the negative consequences of passing a weakened BBB Act, it may be better for Democrats to admit that they cannot pass a meaningful bill. Then they could run against those who opposed BBB and ask voters to help Biden by sending lawmakers who would support him and Democrats. Democrats would still have the rest of their accomplishments to crow about and demonstrate what they could do with a few more good Democrats. It may be that Democratic voters will be more motivated to come out and vote by their losses than by their wins. In any event, Democrats may have no choice.
Some Democrats persist in believing that all they must do is pass BBB, regardless of its provisions, so that they can run on it. But they forget that the Republicans will quickly point out deviations from a BBB Act that passed from promised one. While Republicans may be hypocrites, they are not mute. Considering the negative consequences of passing a weakened BBB Act, it may be better for Democrats to admit that they cannot pass a meaningful bill. Then they could run against those who opposed BBB and ask voters to help Biden by sending lawmakers who would support him and Democrats. Democrats would still have the rest of their accomplishments to crow about and demonstrate what they could do with a few more good Democrats. It may be that Democratic voters will be more motivated to come out and vote by their losses than by their wins. In any event, Democrats may have no choice.