White House rebukes Manchin after ?no? to Biden spending plan deals huge blow

The West Virginia senator Joe Manchin dealt a huge blow to Joe Biden on Sunday, saying "no" to the $1.75tn Build Back Better domestic spending plan. The White House issued a stinging rebuke in return, stoking a bitter war of words in a party sharply divided between moderates and progressives.

The White House accused Manchin of going back on his word.

"Senator Manchin's comments this morning on Fox are at odds with his discussions this week with the president, with White House staff and with his own public utterances," Jen Psaki, the press secretary, said in a statement.

Adding to angry accusations of betrayal from leading progressives including Senator Bernie Sanders, Psaki said: "Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the president, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the president then announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalising that framework 'in good faith'.

Citing work by Manchin on the proposed bill this week, Psaki said: "Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground.

"If his comments on Fox and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the president and [his] colleagues in the House and Senate."

Biden and Democrats said this week they would delay the bill until next year but the president vowed it would pass and said he would continue talking to Manchin.