Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, whipped votes to kill Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), permitting reform bill. He felt misled and was unable to vote.
McConnell felt that he was being misled by McConnell and advised members of the GOP to not back Manchin’s reform bill. McConnell’s orders came after Manchin reached a deal on the Inflation Reduction Act with Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D.NY). McConnell felt Manchin had misled McConnell about the state of Democratic negotiations, which was disclosed by GOP senators to the Hill.
“[McConnell] suggested that we would bail him out after he lied about us. He lied to me — it was very personal — I hope that no one is thinking that,” said a Republican senator.
Manchin and Schumer reached an agreement hours after the Senate passed the major semiconductor bill known as the CHIPS Act. McConnell had previously pledged to withhold GOP support for the Inflation Reduction Act.
McConnell was considered a major loser by the Senate’s passage of the bill and the agreement between the Democrats. Former President Donald Trump wrote about Truth Social that McConnell was “played like an instrument” by Senate Democrats.
Brian Darling, a Republican strategist, stated that Manchin is wrong because the Senate is small and clubby. “When you swear to a senator, it’s considered your bond. It was a high-profile breach of commitment.
After his apparent fraud, the West Virginia senator tried to appeal to Senate Republicans by arguing that his permitting bill “is not about me”.
Manchin argued Republicans’ “No. Permitting reform is the number one priority because we can’t build anything here in America. It can take five to ten years. It takes between one and three years for the developed world.
