Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) wrote an op-ed on Friday calling out the Biden administration for its poor implementation and branding of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The centrist senator has been a constant thorn in Biden's side and has used the signature law as a cudgel repeatedly to hammer the president. Manchin was the most important player in the Senate getting the law passed, but he has been a regular critic of the way it has been implemented.
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"Despite this administration’s best efforts to botch the law’s implementation, fossil-fuel projects are getting off the ground because of the act," Manchin wrote.
Manchin has been wary of a full pivot to green energy as the economy of his Appalachian home state depends heavily upon the coal industry. He touted the way the Inflation Reduction Act has defied the wishes of Biden and most other Democrats and successfully led to a job and production boom for fossil fuels in West Virginia, citing the billions of dollars worth of investment in coal and natural gas production incentivized by the enhanced 45Q tax credit for carbon capture as well as the reinstatement of several onshore and offshore oil and gas leases that have contributed to $239 billion in debt reduction.
Widely regarded as a kingmaker in the Senate, Manchin has been known to bridge the divide between factions in the Democrat and Republican parties, as minuscule majorities have forced Democrats to cater to the senator's demands.
However, Manchin's time as a bridge builder in the Senate might be coming to an end ahead of the 2024 presidential contest, as he appears to be the likely favorite presidential candidate for No Labels, a third-party organization fighting to get itself on ballots in several states ahead of the 2024 contest.
On Friday, Manchin made his frustrations with both parties and the current administration clear.
"Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, Washington hypocrisy has been on display, with both sides politicizing the bill to gain a partisan advantage," Manchin wrote. "On the far left, the administration has touted the bill as a transformational piece of green-energy legislation."
"That’s what people hate about Washington: Both parties mislead constituents to fit narratives. Our parties are tearing each other down instead of working together to build up America."
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Manchin stressed that he was "proud of the Inflation Reduction Act" for its increase in domestic fossil and green energy production without sacrificing economic stability for those dependent on the energy sector.
"This is the greatest country on earth," he wrote, "and we don’t have to choose between energy security and building a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren."