Humpty Dumpty and the Recession
4th August 2022
In Washington things are rarely what they seem. It’s why Congress labels bills with names they think will be more palatable to the public rather than a name that would accurately reflect the content of the legislation. Notice how many times over the years the word “civil rights” has appeared in legislation that often has had little or nothing to do with civil rights.
Now Democrats have junked the original title of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” massive spending plan and rebranded it “The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” Clearly this was in reaction to poll numbers showing the public blames the president and Democrats for the rise in food and gas prices, increased mortgage rates and so much else.
It appears the name change and some behind-the-scenes bargaining was enough for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to end his opposition to the original bill, which he used to say would add significantly to the debt and not produce the results claimed by the administration.
That just ups his price.