Sen. Joe Manchin knocks 'hypocritical,' 'senseless' Biden for continuing to buy up Russian oil while they invade Ukraine



President Joe Biden is expected to tout his administration's sanctions campaign against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine during his State of the Union address Tuesday night — but at least one Democratic lawmaker thinks the president's response is mightily lacking one key area.

What are the details?

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) rebuked the president on Monday over his refusal to cut off Russian energy imports, calling the White House's response "hypocritical" and "senseless."

Instead of continuing to buy up Russian energy, the moderate Democrat said the U.S. should be hitting the Kremlin where it hurts by curtailing purchases of Russian crude oil and energy while building up American energy independence.

"We produce energy cleaner than anybody in the world," Manchin told Bloomberg. "We’re buying 650,000 barrels a day from Russia. It’s ridiculous. Totally ridiculous."

The senator, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, later said in a statement: "The entire world is watching as [Russian President] Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon in an attempt to extort and coerce our European allies. While Americans decry what is happening in Ukraine, the United States continues to allow the import of more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia during this time of war."

Continued reliance on Russian oil poses a "clear and present danger to our nation’s energy security," he added before calling on the Biden administration to "ramp up domestic energy production" right away.

"To continue to ask other countries to do what we can do for ourselves in a cleaner way is hypocritical," Manchin charged. "To continue to rely on Russian energy as they attack Ukraine is senseless."

Chairman @Sen_JoeManchin's statement urging the Biden Administration to take the necessary measures to ensure American energy independence and security.pic.twitter.com/BUIGtLagIs
— SenateEnergyDems (@SenateEnergyDems) 1646095318

Oil sales are a major income stream for Moscow and so remain a key funding source for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Given that fact, curbing energy imports seems like an obvious strategic maneuver, especially for a country as resource-rich as the U.S.

It's something even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau figured out — though Trudeau's declaratory ban on Russian crude oil imports was quickly called out as nothing but a public relations move. Canada hasn't imported Russian crude for years.

What else?

Nevertheless, Biden continues to allow Putin and his warring administration to benefit from foreign oil purchases, even while other sanctions levied by the U.S. and Western allies wreak havoc on the Russian economy.

A ban on crude oil imports from Russia could be the death knell for Moscow's war machine.

But just as he initially balked at imposing some of the most severe sanctions — such as removing Russia from SWIFT, a vital international banking system, and personally sanctioning Putin — Biden here again seems content to wait and see if such steps are necessary.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is burning.

Biden's FDA 'nomination is an insult to the many families and individuals who have had their lives changed forever as a result of addiction'



Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has declared his opposition to President Joe Biden's selection of Dr. Robert Califf to serve as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a statement announcing his pick, the president urged the Senate to confirm Califf to the post.

"Dr. Robert Califf is one of the most experienced clinical trialists in the country, and has the experience and expertise to lead the Food and Drug Administration during a critical time in our nation's fight to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic," President Biden said in the statement.

"As the FDA considers many consequential decisions around vaccine approvals and more, it is mission critical that we have a steady, independent hand to guide the FDA. I am confident Dr. Califf will ensure that the FDA continues its science and data driven decision-making. Dr. Califf had strong bipartisan support in the Senate in 2016, and I urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Dr. Califf so he can continue the important work being done at this critical moment," Biden said.

Califf previously served as FDA commissioner during the end of the Obama administration — back in 2016 the Senate overwhelmingly confirmed him by a vote of 89-4.

But Manchin said that he did not back Califf's nomination in 2016 and he will not do so now.

"Dr. Califf's nomination makes no sense as the opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on families across this country with no end in sight," Manchin said. "2020 was the deadliest year on record for drug related overdose deaths with 1,386 West Virginians and nearly 95,000 Americans dying from a drug related overdose.

"I have made it abundantly clear that correcting the culture at the FDA is critical to changing the tide of the opioid epidemic. Instead, Dr. Califf's nomination and his significant ties to the pharmaceutical industry take us backwards not forward. His nomination is an insult to the many families and individuals who have had their lives changed forever as a result of addiction. I could not support Dr. Califf's nomination in 2016 and I cannot support it now," the senator said in the statement.

My statement on the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to serve as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner:pic.twitter.com/vuhcx3Kcs7

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) 1636737371

Earlier this week, Manchin sounded the alarm about the financial pain Americans are experiencing amid rampant inflation.

"By all accounts, the threat posed by record inflation to the American people is not 'transitory' and is instead getting worse. From the grocery store to the gas pump, Americans know the inflation tax is real and DC can no longer ignore the economic pain Americans feel every day," Manchin tweeted.

The senator has been a persistent roadblock as members of his party have sought to ram though a massive spending plan. Manchin has said that he will not "support a package that risks hurting American families suffering from historic inflation."

Sen. Joe Manchin fires back at Sen. Bernie Sanders after op-ed calls Manchin out for opposing $3.5 trillion spending plan



Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia fired back on Friday after far-left Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called him out in an op-ed for opposing the Biden administration's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill.

In the piece, Sanders argued in favor of the plan to shell out trillions of dollars on various initiatives, and specifically put heat on Manchin for failing to lend his support.

Sanders wrote that "the political problem we face is that in a 50-50 Senate we need every Democratic senator to vote 'yes.' We now have only 48. Two Democratic senators remain in opposition, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va."

Manchin hit back in a statement, saying that a piece "from a self-declared Independent socialist," will not change his position.

"This isn't the first time an out-of-stater has tried to tell West Virginians what is best for them despite having no relationship to our state. Millions of jobs are open, supply chains are strained and unavoidable inflation taxes are draining workers' hard-earned wages as the price of gasoline and groceries continues to climb. Senator Sanders' answer is to throw more money on an already overheated economy while 52 other senators have grave concerns about this approach," Manchin said.

"To be clear, again, Congress should proceed with caution on any additional spending and I will not vote for a reckless expansion of government programs. No op-ed from a self-declared Independent socialist is going to change that," he concluded.

Sanders is an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has also refused to support the massive spending proposal.

https://t.co/iU96GLGzsT https://t.co/ly944dr2dE

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) 1634338997.0

McConnell torches Democrats' $3.5 trillion 'human infrastructure' bill as progressives complain it's not big enough



Senate Democrats have put forward an infrastructure proposal that is "wildly out of proportion to what the country needs right now," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday.

McConnell's comments come the day after Democrats came to an agreement on a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package that will address President Joe Biden's so-called "human infrastructure" priorities. These policies including expanding Medicare, free community college tuition, national paid family leave, extending Biden's revamped child tax credits, and various climate change policies watered down from the Green New Deal.

"Every major program that President Biden has asked us for is funded in a robust way," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters at a news conference announcing the plan Tuesday.

The $3.5 trillion bill will advance in the Senate along with a $1.2 billion bipartisan deal for "hard infrastructure" — funding for roads, bridges, and other projects traditionally thought of as infrastructure improvements. There are two "infrastructure" bills because Republicans would not support a broad spending package costing upwards of $4 trillion, but the White House badly wanted to have a token bipartisan agreement to show the American people.

As a compromise, Democrats decided to split their priorities, using a dual track strategy to advance parts of an infrastructure package Republicans might find acceptable in one bill and advancing the other via budget reconciliation, a process that lets them overcome a GOP-led filibuster and advance spending-related bills with a simple majority vote.

"We are very proud of this plan. We know we have a long road to go. We're going to get this done for the sake of making average Americans' lives a whole lot better," Schumer said.

Negotiations were fraught for weeks and it remains uncertain whether Democrats will ultimately be able to send either bill to President Biden's desk.

McConnell's remarks reflect how Republicans may be preparing to walk away from the bipartisan agreement because Democrats are demanding it be paired with the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday, McConnell slammed Democrats for proposing trillions of dollars in new spending as inflation rises at the fastest rate seen since the 2008 financial crisis.

"Just this morning we learned that runaway inflation is continuing to hit working American families and hit them hard. Consumer prices spiked in June considerably more than had been forecast. Inflation is up 5.4 percent year-on-year, the fastest jump in about 13 years. Stunningly, it's up 0.9 percent just month over month," McConnell said.

"What Democrats say they want to force through this summer through reconciliation would make our current inflationary mess look like small potatoes," he warned.

Republicans and economists all warned that Democrats’ last massive spending spree would hurt Americans. Sure enough… https://t.co/ODn5ZzVOla

— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) 1626187240.0

If Republicans kill the bipartisan deal, Schumer would still have the option of combining the two bills and passing all $4.1 trillion of Biden's infrastructure priorities in one budget reconciliation package. But the real problem for Democrats are internal divisions within the party.

The democratic-socialist Senate Budget Committee chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and many of the most progressive members of the House Democratic conference had hoped for a more expansive $6 trillion bill — for many of them $3.5 trillion is not enough spent. But moderates in the Senate, namely Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would not support spending so much and Democrats in a 50-50 Senate could not afford even one defection from the reconciliation package.

Sanders ultimately agreed to the $3.5 trillion compromise once it included Medicare expansion, but other progressives in Congress are dissatisfied. Sanders reportedly held a call to brief lawmakers with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a leading progressive in the House. Together they informed progressives that the deal would not include all of their priorities, leading at least one lawmaker to say "many in the squad and squad adjacent will vote no."

One progressive reacting to news tn: "This is a capitulation by progressives as just yesterday Sanders and Jayap… https://t.co/p1mXibko6w

— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) 1626231692.0

As progressive support remains in doubt so too does moderate support. Manchin remains noncommittal until Democrats put forward a plan to fully fund their priorities.

"I think everything should be paid for. We've put enough free money out," Manchin told reporters.

In a statement on the $3.5 trillion deal, Manchin reiterated that he is "very interested in how this proposal is paid for" and said he will reserve judgment until he's had the opportunity to read the bill.

My statement on the Senate Budget Committee's $3.5 trillion infrastructure package: https://t.co/qstcR85flP

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) 1626271409.0


The "deal" achieved is very much in limbo, which is why Biden is scheduled to meet with Senate Democrats Wednesday to rally support for the agreement.

".@potus looks forward to attending the Senate Dem Caucus lunch today to continue making the case for the duel [sic] track approach to build the economy back better by investing in infrastructure, protecting our climate, and supporting the next generation of workers and families," White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Wednesday.

.@potus looks forward to attending the Senate Dem Caucus lunch today to continue making the case for the duel track… https://t.co/Jp32QKRPA0

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) 1626260758.0

Democrats freak out over leaked video showing GOP lawmakers praising Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema



Progressive pundits appear furious and are making renewed calls to abolish the Senate filibuster after video was leaked of Republican lawmakers telling conservative activists to praise moderate Democratic senators.

Democratic activist Lauren Windsor on Friday posted a video of Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) telling a group of conservatives that the Senate filibuster is preventing President Joe Biden from accomplishing the most radical parts of his progressive agenda. In the video, he credits Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) with preserving the filibuster.

"The reality is they're pushing as far as they can," Biggs said of the Democrats. "Fortunately for us, the filibuster is still in effect in the Senate. Without that we would be dead meat."

"Thank goodness for Sinema and Joe Manchin," he added, praising the two Democrats in the Senate who have consistently opposed calls from progressive activists to abolish the filibuster.

Another Republican who speaks in the video, Rep. Bryon Donalds (R-Fla.), urged the conservative audience to call Manchin and Sinema's offices in Washington, D.C., to thank them for standing firm.

"All of you in this room, people at home on Zoom, let me tell you right now, if you want to do one thing to keep the republic afloat, call Joe Manchin's office, call Kyrsten Sinema's office," Donalds said.

The 60-vote majority required to overcome a filibuster in the Senate has acted as a significant obstacle to Biden's agenda. The most popular legislation among the progressive left on issues such as election reform, the climate, and so-called "human" infrastructure like free college tuition, government-funded child care, and a national paid leave program, has all been defeated by filibuster threats from the Republican minority.

Democratic activists and pundits have over the course of several months expressed their fury with Manchin and Sinema, and many such critics seized on the leaked video to shame the moderate senators.

"Republicans were caught on video thanking Manchin & Sinema for blocking Dem legislation. Let's make this viral and make it clear we're sick and tired of Manchin & Sinema's obstruction," Scott Dworkin, the founder of an anti-Trump super PAC that supports progressive candidates and causes, said.

MSNBC host Joy Reid echoed Dworkin's sentiments, asking if Manchin and Sinema are "content to play this role in the fall of our democracy."

Are @JoeManchinWV and @SenatorSinema content to play this role in the fall of our democracy??? https://t.co/TQfZ2Q9qnQ

— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) 1625859942.0

"I sure hope @SenatorSinema and @Sen_JoeManchin watch this video and reconsider their positions on the filibuster for civil rights bills," added Grant Stern, the executive editor of Occupy Democrats.

"Wow, when the GOP are using you for stooges and laughing behind your backs @SenatorSinema and @Sen_JoeManchin , it might be time to join your own party," Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson said.

Biden supporters are melting down over Joe Manchin tanking Neera Tanden's nomination over her 'toxic' tweets



Supporters of President Joe Biden took to social media to express their outrage after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) said that he would vote against the nomination of Neera Tanden to the head of the Office of Management and Budget.

Manchin said that Tanden's toxic tweeting against Republicans and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) convinced him that she was not the right person for the job.

"I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget," he explained. "For this reason, I cannot support her nomination."

Some on the left were outraged at Manchin for the vote that will likely tank the nomination in the Senate, and many accused him of racism and sexism.

"I think #manchin has issues with strong, smart, independent, say what they want to women of color. Last month @VP didn't pay him the proper homage. This month @neeratanden's tweets are too much. Seeing a pattern?" said journalist Sophia Nelson.

I think #manchin has issues with strong, smart, independent, say what they want to women of color. Last month @VP d… https://t.co/2Q9255gR7f
— Sophia A. Nelson (@Sophia A. Nelson)1613777825.0

"Manchin's constituents are unaware of Neera's tweets or that she exists. He'ss making her famous in WV so they will know he is putting a woman of color in her place, after another women of color -- our Vice President -- stepped out of what he thinks is 'her place'in WV recently," said Cheri Jacobus, a NeverTrump activist.

"He is using sexism and racism as a weapon," she added in a second tweet.

"Let's call a spade a spade: The senator has decided to hold an immensely qualified woman of color to an unfair double standard," said another critic.

"This is straight-up misogyny. Is @Sen_JoeManchin aware that this is the 21st century?" said author Greg Olear.

Tanden has also taken harsh criticism from her own side, especially from far-left progressives who see her as too aligned with the centrist Democratic establishment. Many happily endorsed the decision by Manchin to undo her nomination.

Republicans control 50 of the votes in the Senate so one vote from a Democrat will almost certainly doom Tanden's nomination, unless Democrats are able to pick up at least one vote from a Republican.

Tanden had previously apologized for her past remarks during her confirmation hearings before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and promised to work in a "bipartisan and nonpartisan manner."

Here's more about the Manchin denial:

Sen. Joe Manchin opposes OMB nominee Neera Tandenwww.youtube.com