WASHINGTON- Democratic Senator Joe Manchin on Sunday said he opposes using a maneuver that would enable his party to pass U.S. President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal without Republican support, saying he favors a smaller and "more targeted" bill.
Manchin, a moderate who holds the power to block the Democrats' agenda in the evenly divided Senate, rejected the idea of using a process called budget reconciliation to pass Democratic President Joe Biden's proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure legislation.
While most legislation needs 60 votes to advance in the 100-seat Senate, the reconciliation process allows for a simple majority. Democrats control the Senate because Vice President Kamala can cast a tie-beaking vote.
"More targeted," Manchin, a key vote in the closely divided Senate, told CNN's "State of the Union" program, referring to a bill that would incorporate internet broadband, roads and water infrastructure needs.
Asked if he would back another bill with other related spending through a process called reconciliation, Manchin said "no."
Biden's sweeping proposals in his infrastructure proposal also include $400 billion for in-home and community based care for the elderly and disabled as well as $100 billion for schools and child care facilities - two areas left out of a $568 billion Republican counteroffer introduced last week.
Manchin said that while more money is needed for health and child care, it was hard to build public support for a massive bill that goes beyond what he called "traditional" infrastructure needs.
"I think they should be separated," Manchin said. "When you start putting so much into one bill ... it makes it very, very difficult for he public to understand." He called the Republican proposal "a good start" for negotiations.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham) ((sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-843-6292))
