Joe Manchin, the ‘moderate’ Democratic Senator from West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic Senator from Arizona are major roadblocks in getting Biden’s infrastructure package passed. Manchin and Sinema are at loggerheads with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party because the progressives refuse to support Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill unless the larger $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which contains a lot of social support programs and addresses climate change, is also passed. Manchin and Sinema have argued that the $3.5 trillion is too expensive and they just cannot support that much spending. In recent remarks, Manchin said that he doesn’t understand the urgency behind climate change and he does not want the United States to become an entitlement state.
Joe Manchin is from West Virginia, a coal state. According to an article in Rolling Stone, Manchin received more donations from the fossil fuel industry than any other Congressman.1 Perhaps that explains his belief that dealing with climate change isn’t all that urgent! It would almost certainly explain Manchin’s stance against the Voting Rights Bill that the Democrats are trying to pass to counter the laws being passed in Republican-controlled states to restrict voting. Part of the Voting Rights Bill is to put limits on all of the dark money that is currently being fed into our election system by wealthy businessmen like the Koch brothers.2 And just as a reminder, the Koch brothers are heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry. It doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots.
It was, however, Manchin’s statement that he doesn’t want the US to become an entitlement state, which he says will happen if the entire $3.5 trillion package is passed, that got me to thinking about the whole concept of ‘entitlement’. The reconciliation package does have a lot in it: two free years of community college, child care and universal Pre-K, Medicare expansion, extended child tax credit, paid family and medical leave, cutting prescription drug prices, addressing climate change and many other things. However, when you look at almost everything on this list that could be considered a social program, they are things that almost all other wealthy industrialized nations have in one form or another. Other countries have figured out how to do these things and still have robust economies.
The reason that the United States doesn’t have these things is because we are already an ‘entitlement’ state. Unfortunately, it’s just the wrong group who are entitled. If you look up the word ‘entitlement’ in Merriam-Webster, the definitions are:
1a: the state or condition of being entitled : RIGHT
b: a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract
2: belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges
3: a government program providing benefits to members of a specified group also: funds supporting or distributed by such a program
Manchin (and most Republicans) want us to believe they are talking about definition number three, i.e., government programs in which millions of people will be taking advantage of the US taxpayers. They want us to believe that most people are lazy and will just be unwilling to work if they have the support of these programs. There will certainly be some of those, but I would argue that this kind of investment in the country will actually enable more people to work and benefit the country as a whole. It certainly seems to work in other countries.
If you look at definition number two, “belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges,” that is really the crux of this whole issue and why we are already an ‘entitlement state’. The vast majority of wealthy people in this country believe that they are deserving or entitled to certain privileges such as: being able to pour millions of dollars into elections to obtain the outcome they desire; being able to take advantage of tax breaks not usually available to the general population; being able to pay a lower marginal tax rate than the general population; being able to manipulate the legal system; and being able to use their wealth to lobby Congressman and Senators like Joe Manchin to stand in the way of passing bills that would benefit a wide spectrum of American people versus just the wealthy.
The middle class in this country has shrunk from 61% to 51% between 1971 and 2019. “From 1970 to 2018, the share of aggregate income going to middle-class households fell from 62% to 43%. Over the same period, the share held by upper-income households increased from 29% to 48%. The share flowing to lower-income households inched down from 10% in 1970 to 9% in 2018.”3 While Joe Manchin and the Republicans would like us to believe they are terrified that lower income people will be taking advantage of the ‘system’, the fact is, the wealthy in this nation are already taking advantage of the system on a much bigger scale than any ‘welfare queen’ (Reagan’s term) could ever hope to.
The fact is, according to the IRS chief, there is likely $1 trillion in taxes that are uncollected every year due to the wealthy and corporations using various schemes available to them, both legal and illegal, to avoid paying taxes. Think about that – $1 trillion/year. That could pay for a lot of infrastructure and a lot of social programs. Unfortunately, these individuals and corporations feel like they are entitled to these ‘perks’. Yes, we have an entitlement state – but not the one that Joe Manchin would have you believe.
Manchin’s attitude and argument are just hackneyed postulations which are no longer valid in today’s world. It just shows why if this country is going to move forward, we need new and bolder thinking. Unfortunately, he is clearly bought and paid for so don’t expect any bold moves coming from him. If Biden’s agenda crashes, it will be because of Democrats like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who are more beholding to their wealthy ‘handlers’ than to the broader population of the United States. Mitch McConnell doesn’t have to lift a finger. He can just sit on the sidelines and chuckle.
There was a lot of references during the Trump administration to RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). I think Joe Manchin is a Democrat In Name Only -DINOsaur! The United States deserves better.
Entitlements
- Joe Manchin’s Reconciliation Bill Stance Is Gonna Cook the Planet – Rolling Stone
- ‘Manchin Is Only Moved by Corporate Donors,’ Says Bowman as Koch-Backed Group Lobbies Against Voting Rights Bill (commondreams.org)
- Trends in U.S. income and wealth inequality | Pew Research Center
- IRS chief says $1 trillion in taxes goes uncollected every year | Reuters