U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who is key to President Joe Biden's hopes of passing a $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill, said on Sunday he would not support the package, drawing a sharp rebuke from the White House.
Manchin appeared to deal a fatal blow to Biden's signature domestic policy bill, which is known as Build Back Better and aims to expand the social safety net and tackle climate change.
"I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation," Manchin said during an interview with the "Fox News Sunday" program, citing concerns about inflation. "I just can't. I have tried everything humanly possible."
He then released a statement accusing his party of pushing for an increase in the debt load that would "drastically hinder" the United States' ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical threats.
