Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, a key moderate, said that fellow lawmakers — and President Biden — have known that his top line for the spending bill has been $1.5 trillion, not the proposed $3.5 trillion.
“My top line has been $1.5 [trillion] because I believe in my heart that what we can do and the needs that we have right now, and what we can afford to do, without basically changing our whole society to an entitlement mentality,” Manchin told reporters outside the Capitol.
Manchin said he has shared his top line with the President “in the last week or so,” and that Biden “would like to have a lot more than that.”
“The $1.5 [trillion] was always done from my heart, basically what we could do and not jeopardize our economy,” he said.
Manchin made clear an agreement would take a lot…
