The Senate has passed legislation to block President Biden's student loan relief program, which would cancel either $10,000 or $20,000 in debt for tens of millions of borrowers. The vote was 52-46, with a few moderate senators voting with Republicans. The legislation now goes to President Biden's desk, where he is expected to veto it.
Posts tagged as “Joe Manchin”
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is expected to announce his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Thursday, challenging incumbent Senator Joe Manchin in a race that could determine the majority in the upper chamber. Manchin has responded with a statement emphasizing his focus on lowering healthcare costs and protecting Social Security and Medicare. Justice and Manchin will battle for the seat in a heated race, with Justice's support for Trump and Manchin's moderate stance sure to make it an interesting one.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has threatened to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, a major law he negotiated and passed in 2020, if the Biden administration does not honor the agreement. The Act includes billions of dollars in tax credits and deductions to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change, and Manchin has noted that $384 billion of the Act was allocated for energy security. He has said he will vote to repeal the bill if the administration does not change course.
The Biden administration has auctioned off 73 million acres of waters in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling, drawing criticism from environmentalists who argue it contradicts the president's campaign pledge to ban new fossil fuel development on public lands. The sale is expected to generate over $1 billion in revenue and major oil companies like Chevron, Shell, and BP are expected to submit the highest bids. The Biden administration has defended the sale, arguing that it will help the U.S. transition to a clean energy economy.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave speeches that provided a glimpse into the potential 2024 Republican nomination race. Trump offered his usual rhetoric, while DeSantis took a more measured approach. Meanwhile, on "Face the Nation," a variety of guests discussed the current state of the Republican Party, as it struggles to define itself in the face of a growing list of issues on Capitol Hill. It remains to be seen how the 2024 Republican nomination race will play out, but Trump and DeSantis’s CPAC speeches have provided a glimpse into the potential future of the party.
President Joe Biden has signaled his support for a Republican-backed effort to rescind a Washington, DC, crime law, which has been criticized for being too lenient. The measure is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate next week, with Biden's backing and that of 31 Democrats in the House. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has also expressed his support for the effort. It is unclear if the measure will pass, or if Biden will make any further comments on the issue.
Four new members of Congress have expressed their views on what can be accomplished in the new Congress, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) supporting D.C. statehood and home-rule, but not the changes the D.C. Council put forward. President Biden has said he would not veto the Republican-led resolution to roll back these changes, which have been criticized by Republicans for lowering the maximum sentences for certain crimes. If passed, the resolution could soon be enacted.
Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have introduced the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act to prevent the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from regulating or banning existing gas stoves. The bill is a response to false claims of federal agents seizing gas kitchen appliances and is seen as an attempt to protect the fossil fuel industry from potential regulation. Environmental groups have criticized the bill, arguing that it does not address the real issue of climate change. The bill is currently under review by the Senate.