Schumer ‘Shellshocked’ as Manchin Kills Green New Deal

Democrats were outraged, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and his staff were reportedly “shellshocked,” on Thursday when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) refused to go forward with his party’s economic package, citing its climate and energy programs as well as its raising of taxes on wealthy Americans.

Manchin’s decision to pull the plug comes after weeks of negotiations with Democrats to craft a bill that he would support and seven months after he killed Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan.

“Without action by Congress, it will be impossible to meet Mr. Biden’s goal of cutting U.S. emissions roughly in half by the end of this decade,” noted the New York Times. “That target was aimed at keeping the planet to stabilize the climate at about 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to preindustrial levels.”

“Many were seething with anger at Mr. Manchin,” added the Times. “They criticized him as having strung negotiators along, while watering down a package that at one stage would have been sufficient to put a steep dent in emissions and also adding fossil fuel projects that cut against climate goals.”

“Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas as inflation soars to 9.1 percent,” said a spokeswoman for Manchin. “Senator Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, re-evaluate and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire.”