Manchin furious with Biden White House over climate law's implementation: 'This is bulls--t'

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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., is reportedly "livid" with how President Biden has begun implementing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the major Democratic Party legislation that was signed into law only after the senator from West Virginia pledged to support it.

Even though Manchin pledged support for the bill after months of debate with party members and the president on proposed legislation, Politico reported Thursday he has been "raising hell" on Capitol Hill over how the Biden administration is rolling it out. 

In a blistering statement, the lawmaker torched Democrats who view the act as a vehicle to fight climate change rather than an "energy securing measure." He called their perspective "bulls***" and accused them of seeking to "starve" Americans "out of energy."

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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., rides on an elevator at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 2022. ( Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Politico’s recent report opened by stating that "the West Virginia Democrat is livid about how his party’s president and his administration are rolling out a party-line bill that served as a crowning achievement for both men — and he’s particularly peeved at a delay in new guidelines on who gets the law’s generous electric vehicle tax credits."

The piece explained that Manchin has introduced a bill to "halt the credits until Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen implements strict requirements for electric-vehicle battery sourcing," as he has been seeking a way to use to the credits "to boost U.S.-manufactured rather than overseas-made vehicles." 

Politico reported on a recent interview with the lawmaker, who claimed that talks over the legislation with the administration have been contentious. He said, "I’ve been raising hell."

Bashing how the administration wants to implement the act’s EV tax credits, Manchin claimed, "They almost act like they gotta send $7,500 or a person won’t buy a car. Which is crazy, ludicrous thinking for the federal government."

He added, "I just totally and absolutely am disagreeing with what they’re doing."

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Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks alongside President Biden at an event celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Manchin’s IRA grievances go beyond the EV tax credits. He sees his party promoting the law as a "climate change-fighting one" rather than an "energy security measure" he believes it truly is.

Politico noted that of late, Manchin has been touting "the power of the bill he wrote in order to puncture Democratic hopes of ending U.S. reliance on fossil fuels."

He saved some harsh words for Democrats who would promote the law to make this transition. The outlet quoted him saying, "This is bulls***. So they’re gonna basically starve us out of energy that we have a tremendous, abundant supply of because of their aspirational thoughts?"

Manchin added, "I will continue to fight and I’ll do everything I can to make sure the public knows what they’re doing and what it will do to you and your economy and your lifestyle." 

President Biden, right, gives Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., the pen he used to sign the Inflation Reduction Act alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 16, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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Manchin’s support for the IRA has proven controversial, especially among his constituents in the red state of West Virginia. As the outlet noted, "Manchin’s approval ratings back home took a hit after he supported the Inflation Reduction Act." 

Voters may have viewed Manchin signing onto the legislation as an act supportive of Democrats’ climate agenda. But as one anonymous Manchin colleague told Politico, the senator earnestly believes that the law puts the U.S. "on track to energy independence."