Joe Manchin seeks 'greater clarity' on Biden's $1.75 trillion social-spending plan, while refusing to provide clarity on his endgame

• Manchin threw cold water Monday on Biden's compromise framework, which was unveiled last week.
• He provided little clarity on whether he would support or oppose the eventual legislation.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia once again slammed the brakes on President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan, saying that he wanted "greater clarity" on the blueprint, while refusing to lay out his specific priorities.

In a seven-minute news conference, the West Virginia Democrat listed familiar complaints against the framework, registering concerns about its ultimate influence on the growing national debt and inflation, and seeking "greater clarity" on both.

Manchin didn't shut the door on backing the eventual bill but said he was just as likely to oppose it, depending on how it was designed.

"I'm open to supporting a final bill that helps move our country forward. But I'm equally open to voting against a bill that hurts our country," he said.

"I will not support a bill that is this consequential without thoroughly understanding the impact it will have on our national debt, our economy, and the American people," Manchin said, adding he wanted time to review the final bill.

"The political games have to stop," he said.

Manchin also urged the House to immediately vote on a separate $550 billion infrastructure bill focused on roads and bridges that the lower chamber has sat on since August.

"Holding this bill hostage is not going to increase my support for the reconciliation bill," Manchin said.

It appears to be a warning from Manchin to House progressives led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Up to now, progressives have refused to back the infrastructure bill until the broader social-spending plan clears the Senate with Manchin's support alongside Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, another key vote.

"We intend to pass both bills in the next couple of days," Jayapal told CNN earlier on Monday.

Democrats aim to pass both bills this week, an outcome that may be in jeopardy given Manchin's opposition to speeding up a process that's dragged on since the summer. Every Senate Democrat must be on board for the safety-net legislation to clear the 50-50 Senate, given that they're using a party-line maneuver called reconciliation to approve it over unanimous GOP opposition.

Biden's latest social-spending blueprint would set up universal pre-K for six years, renew monthly cash payments to the vast majority of American families for another year, expand Medicare so it covers hearing, transition the US onto cleaner energy sources, and provide childcare subsidies. It's financed with tax hikes on the rich and large firms, including a corporate minimum tax and a new surtax on multimillionaires.

The final bill is likely to resemble much of Manchin and Sinema's own priorities, given Democrats had to dramatically cut their economic ambitions in half from a $3.5 trillion social spending blueprint in order to have a shot at getting the holdouts' votes.

"That's partly why what he said was so shocking," Jim Manley, a former senior Democratic aide, told Insider. "He in fact, helped negotiate much of this. And for him to turn around and say that he's not ready to sign on didn't make a lot of sense to me."

Some Democratic lawmakers downplayed the significance of Manchin's comments. "We're getting both these bills done. We're getting them done," Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia told reporters. "I think there were comments that reflected some frustration that he's feeling but we're getting these bills."

The White House said it was upbeat about its odds of locking down Manchin's pivotal vote, saying the plan would cut inflation and boost jobs.

"We remain confident that the plan will gain Senator Manchin's support," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.