Associate Editor Bob Woodward and national political reporter Robert Costa of the Washington Post released excerpts from their new book, “Peril,” which includes interviews with more than 200 people and will be released next week.
In the book, President Joe Biden allegedly pressed Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin to approve the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package during a phone call on March 5, the eve of the Senate’s vote.
“If you don’t come along, you’re really f**king me,” the president allegedly told Manchin.
During a February appearance on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Manchin promised viewers that Republicans would have a say in the stimulus package’s final vote, guaranteeing that the legislation, known as the American Rescue Plan, would be passed “in a bipartisan way.”
On the day of the alleged phone call, Manchin reached a deal with his fellow Senate Democrats over a disagreement over a provision for unemployment benefits that were included in the legislative package. Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman’s proposal would have provided only $300 in weekly unemployment benefits through July 18, but Democrats favored paying $400 in weekly jobless benefits, and the West Virginia senator supported the Republican proposal.
The American Rescue Plan was approved by the Senate on March 6 by a vote of 50 to 49. American households earning less than $150,000 per year received $2,800 in direct stimulus payments, while families earning less than $75,000 received $1,400 in direct stimulus payments under the legislation. Among other things, the package included $800 million in federal food assistance, $470 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, and $100 million for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Because of concerns about the national debt and inflation, Manchin has come out against Biden’s campaign for the Senate to enact the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation plan, which is a 10-year plan that aims to boost education, healthcare, and infrastructure expenditures.
In May, the House of Representatives enacted a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief package. According to Forbes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated in August that she will continue to advocate for the $3 trillion COVID-19 spending package, which was passed in 2017.
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