Manchin leads vulnerable Senate Democrats in push against a Biden green energy plan
Vulnerable Democrats Distance Themselves from Biden’s Policies
As the 2024 elections approach, vulnerable Democrats seeking reelection are taking a stand against President Joe Biden’s more liberal policies. This time, they are supporting the reversal of a bill that halts tariffs on Chinese solar panel manufacturers.
Lawmakers have long called for bringing the solar supply chain to U.S. soil. Senate Democrats facing a tough reelection campaign in purple or red-leaning states are taking a stand against Biden to voice their concerns over the United States losing a manufacturing opportunity to China for the sake of the president’s green energy plan.
THE STAKES JUST GOT HIGHER FOR BIDEN’S SOLAR EFFORTS
This is a tactic that they likely hope will attract centrist Democratic, independent supporters who want to see the U.S. less dependent on China and bring manufacturing jobs back home.
Leading the Charge
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who is leading centrist Democrats on this front, co-sponsored a joint resolution with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on Wednesday disapproving of the Biden administration’s tariff pause.
“The United States relies on foreign nations, like China, for far too many of our energy needs, and failing to enforce our existing trade laws undermines the goals of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to onshore our energy supply chains, including solar,” said Manchin, who is chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
“I cannot fathom why the Administration and Congress would consider extending that reliance any longer and am proud to join this CRA to rescind the rule.”
The Senate resolution invokes the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to revoke federal regulation. The House passed a similar CRA bill on Friday after it advanced out of committee last week. However, the fight against the president may be short-lived — the White House said Biden would veto the repeal should it hit his desk.
More Democrats Join the Opposition
After Manchin’s declaration, more Democrats came out in opposition, claiming the tariff pause was unfairly harming the U.S. solar industry.
- Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released a statement announcing he would be in favor of repealing the tariff suspension.
- Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) is still reviewing the bill, according to his spokespeople via Fox News.
“The Chinese government will do anything to undermine American manufacturing, and would like nothing more than to kill the American solar manufacturing industry before it takes off. Ohio is ready to lead in the manufacturing industries of the future — we must not put that progress at risk,” said Brown.
“The president got this one wrong,” Brown added.
2024 Elections
Manchin, Tester, and Brown are among a handful of Democrats whose seats are targets for the GOP heading into the 2024 election. Tester and Brown announced they are running for reelection, while Manchin has remained tight-lipped about his political future. He has left the door open to possibly even running for president, perhaps as an independent.
However, after Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) entered the race on Thursday, bringing Republicans one step closer to flipping the Senate, the West Virginia senator offered a confident statement regarding the 2024 election.
“Make no mistake, I will win any race I enter,” Manchin said.
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