Manchin on reported boos at Democratic luncheon: ‘I heard a lot of nos’

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Sunday said he “heard a lot of nos” during a Democratic caucus luncheon last week at which he reportedly was booed for bringing up the federal deficit.

“I heard a lot of nos. I don’t know if it — maybe it was boo no or no boo or something,” Manchin told host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“And what it was was this. I just said basically that — just what I told you. Both of these bills should go up on its own merits,” Manchin added, referring to the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation spending package supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Politico reported last week that Manchin was booed by other Senate Democrats for mentioning the deficit. One unidentified source told the news outlet that the moderate Democrat was “jokingly booed.” But another “did not see it that way,” it added. 

Manchin told Tapper on Sunday that the text of the bipartisan infrastructure bill will likely be made available later in the day and that the amendment process should be finished by Thursday.

“[Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)] has really been great on this, allowing us to work this process, bringing everybody, trying to get a bipartisan deal, no matter what you might have heard. He’s been working hard, keeping us engaged. Everyone’s engaged. We keep telling him we’re getting closer and closer. We have got the text done now,” Manchin added.

Tapper also asked the West Virginia senator what course of action he would take if Pelosi follows through on her expressed plan hold up the vote on the infrastructure bill until the $3.5 trillion spending package is passed by the Senate through reconciliation.

“Well, I would never get Speaker Pelosi any advice on how she’s going to run — she does, she does a great job,” Manchin said. “And I just believe that every bill should go up on its own merits. I really do.”