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A Lovely Present Under the Tree Both unexpected… and expected As I sat down to write to you this morning, there were a lot of people on my mind – but no one is more front and center in the mind of the No Labels community than Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. |
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Our political-media culture (supercharged by those loud, angry, extreme voices on both sides) looks at Senator Manchin’s courageous efforts to slow down the Democrats’ attempts to rush through the so-called Build Back Better bill and has some combination of three reactions: - Disdain.
- Boredom.
- Confusion.
That isn’t how we are reacting here. Joe Manchin is taking what is both the hardest and most important stand a politician can execute, especially in these times. He is bravely putting country over party, standing on principle, and being tough in the face of the negative reaction in some quarters. Don’t be confused; this is pretty simple. - At a moment when the country rightly demands transparency, Senator Manchin is calling for a clear and deliberate discussion with the American people about what is in the BBB bill.
- At a moment of frightening levels of national debt and runaway inflation, Senator Manchin wonders if now is the time to spend trillions more.
- At a moment when trust in government is rock bottom, Senator Manchin wants his party to be honest about the costs of the measure.
- And at a moment when the pandemic has skewed our economy and the financial incentives for so many, Senator Manchin wants to make sure that government assistance is going to the neediest amongst us, not to those who are already well off.
And the Senator has no plans to slow down or stop. Monday, he had a collegial dinner with the other members of the Gang of 10, the fully bipartisan Senate group that played such a major role in getting the infrastructure bill passed into law, and is now strategizing over how to achieve more two-party solutions in 2022. |
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We will have more to share with you about Senator Manchin’s courage and willingness to stand up to his own party in the coming days, and why his actions reflect the heart, soul, and spirt of our movement. For now, we ask that you reach out and support him in one of the following ways: |
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