Reconciliation Bill, as We Know It, Is Dead, Thanks To Senators Manchin, McConnell — and Schumer

By Lawrence Kudlow, Special to the Sun| September 30, 2021 

The so-called reconciliation bill, as we know it, from the House Budget and Ways and Means committees — the Senate never did produce a tax bill, but no matter — the reconciliation bill as we know it is dead. It died with a brilliant statement from Senator Joe Manchin. And with the cleverness of the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell.

If there is a vote, the outcome is still up in the air. Left-wing progressives might boycott the bill. Moderate Republicans might support it. At this point, no one knows. The big issue, though, is the $4 trillion-plus reconciliation budget, which Senator Manchin killed.

Now, there may be a new budget resolution that would contain Mr. Manchin’s conditions. It might also include Senator Sinema's concerns about taxes and spending. I think that would require months of re-negotiation and might never get done. Were the version right now brought to the Senate, it would fail 52 to 48.

Congratulations Senator Schumer. The New Yorker ignored Mr. Manchin in July. The Mountain State mensch, as the Sun calls Mr. Manchin, wouldn’t go away with his opposition. That was Mr. Schumer’s mistake, and President Biden’s same mistake, doomed the bill. Nor, let it be remembered for all time, was Mr. Manchin prepared to vote for a bill that fails to restore the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortions. Good for him.............To Read More.....

My Take - None of this changes my views on Manchin, McConnell or Schumer.  McConnell may be a master legislator, but he's not a real conservative, he can't be trusted and is a leaky vessel when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction.  Not to mention there are issues surrounding his actions that need to be investigated.  

Schumer is a corrupt leftist to the core and treasonous, or he's insane, which being a leftist of his ilk means being certifiable, otherwise they couldn't believe, say or promote their insane policies.  

As for Manchin, I never expected him to be the rock in the current, it's not in his character.  If he had an ounce of respectability and integrity, and had honest concerns about where the Democrats were going, he'd have abandoned the Democrat party and become a Republican, and he didn't. Then again, if he did the Republicans would just have had another pain in the butt backstabbing RINO to deal with.  

Having said that, if the Republicans take over the Senate I could see him making a change for the 2024 election in order to avoid being defeated.  West Virginia has become far more Republican during his tenure.  In 2010 he won his Senate seat with 54% of the vote in a special election.  In 2012 he won with 61%, but in 2018 his margin dropped to under 50%. He will see the handwriting on the wall and in my view will either retire or change parties.