Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is reportedly expected to skip a first-anniversary event for the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House next week despite playing a prominent role in the creation and passage of the climate-oriented act.
Manchin's absence could be the latest sign that the relationship between the senator and the White House is fraying, as Manchin is reportedly considering a third-party bid for the presidency in 2024. Manchin continues to play with the idea of leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent, claiming on Thursday that he was "thinking seriously" about it.
INFLATION TICKED UP TO 3.2% IN JULY IN SETBACK FOR BIDEN AND FED
“I would think very seriously about that. I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time. I haven’t made any decisions,” Manchin told West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval. “I want to make sure that my voice is truly an independent voice.”
The West Virginia senator stood by the legislation in a statement on the act's anniversary, commenting that it was “one of the most historic pieces of legislation passed in decades” and noting its positive effects in his home state. But Manchin also accused the Biden administration of trying to manipulate the legislation.
“I will continue to fight the Biden administration’s unrelenting efforts to manipulate the law to push their radical climate agenda at the expense of both our energy and fiscal security," Manchin said on Tuesday.
A senior White House official downplayed Manchin's absence from the event, noting that it was taking place while Congress was out of session for its August recess.
“We will keep finding ways to work together,” the senior White House official told NBC News. The official also said the president’s team still has a close working relationship with Manchin and claimed the senator “helped us find a way to thread the needle and get things done.”
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The news comes as President Joe Biden celebrates the Inflation Reduction Act in a two-week tour that touts the legislation's alleged successes. But Biden did admit to one regret when it comes to the legislation — its name.
“I wish I hadn’t called it that," Biden said at a fundraiser in Utah on Thursday. "Because it has less to do with reducing inflation than it has to do with providing alternatives that generate economic growth."