With the Debt Ceiling Deal, Sen. Joe Manchin Got His Way.
And once again, the environment will pay the price.
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Well, unfortunately it should come as a shock to no one that the debt ceiling deal is a bad one, and for a number of reasons. Of course, reporters have done their share of deep dives into the material and shared various reactions to it, but one stood out to me in particular offering a prime example of why this deal is going to be so damaging.
Jeff Stein with The Washington Post shared a screenshot of a statement from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities about the deal, which read:
“There are a number of troubling elements, including the privision that will put at risk food assistance for very low income older adults. This policy will increase hunger and poverty among that group, runs contrary to our nation’s values, and should be rejected. The nation must pay it’s bills — but that shouldn’t mean enacting legislation that leaves people who already struggle to afford the basics worse off.”
Funny how it always seems to work that way, right?
This country was poised to be unable to pay its bills because the wealthy refuse to pay their taxes, so how do our lawmakers respond? They put that burden on the people who are struggling the most instead. What do they care if an 84 year old woman is going to be skipping her meals? She’s not writing their campaign fund checks. At least the wealthy got that tax break they clearly desperately needed.
But of course, it doesn’t end there.
Would it really be a “deal” between corporate Democrats and Republicans without Joe Manchin sliding in to ensure he gets his way as well?
Jennifer Jacobs with Bloomberg writes:
“Democratic Senator Joe Manchin slipped into the debt-limit deal a measure meant to accelerate a multi-billion-dollar natural gas pipeline that’s been repeatedly stalled on environmental concerns, according to people familiar with the matter.
Manchin has tried for more than a year to secure a side deal for construction of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, which cuts through the Democratic lawmaker’s home state of West Virginia…”
