Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) lashed out at Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) on Thursday after he said he would not support Democrats’ $3.5 trillion in proposed spending, accusing him of “killing people” with “‘bipartisan’ corruption.”
“Manchin has weekly huddles w/ Exxon & is one of many senators who gives lobbyists their pen to write so-called ‘bipartisan’ fossil fuel bills,” the progressive congresswoman wrote in a tweet in response to an essay Manchin wrote for the Wall Street Journal about the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation plan.
“It’s killing people. Our people. At least 12 last night,” Ocasio-Cortez said, referring to the deaths caused by flooding in New York City during Tropical Storm Ida on Wednesday. “Sick of this ‘bipartisan’ corruption that masquerades as clear-eyed moderation.”
Fossil fuel corps & dark money is destroying our democracy, country, & planet.
All day our community has been pulling bodies out of homes from the flood. Entire families. And we’re supposed to entertain lobbyist talking points about why we should abandon people & do nothing? No.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 2, 2021
She continued: “Fossil fuel corps & dark money is destroying our democracy, country, & planet. All day our community has been pulling bodies out of homes from the flood. Entire families. And we’re supposed to entertain lobbyist talking points about why we should abandon people & do nothing? No.”
Representative Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), who is a member of the progressive “Squad” along with Ocasio-Cortez, was also critical of Manchin’s essay.
“Instead of writing op-eds, why don’t you look into the faces of my residents who have had their basements flooded with sewage multiple times and their power out for days, Senator Manchin. We deserve better,” she tweeted.
Instead of writing op-eds, why don't you look into the faces of my residents who have had their basements flooded with sewage multiple times and their power out for days, Senator Manchin. We deserve better. https://t.co/jSMlIB4SYa
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 2, 2021
The “Squad” members’ criticism comes after Manchin said Thursday he would not support his party’s $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill in its current form and criticized Democrats’ efforts to pass the measure “with no regard to rising inflation, crippling debt or the inevitability of future crises.”
“Some in Congress have a strange belief there is an infinite supply of money to deal with any current or future crisis, and that spending trillions upon trillions will have no negative consequence for the future. I disagree,” Manchin wrote.
Democrats on the House and Senate committees are working to draft and mark up sections of the spending bill ahead of September 15, the soft deadline to complete the draft.
In order to pass the massive spending bill using budget reconciliation, the party will need the support of all 50 Democrats in the Senate to reach a simple majority.