News of the World: Allocation Frustration

With the election of a new Democratic President, Sen. Mitch McConnell pulled out his old 2009 to 2016 rule book.

Then ol' Mitch pulled out his red Sharpie and wherever it says "Barack Obama", he's written in "Joe Biden". Otherwise, the Republican strategy is the same: whatever the President wants, do not give it to him. 

Which means to get anything done, Biden needs to cooperation of every single Democrat in the Senate.

He ain't getting it.  

1) Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia is saying no to proposed legislation that would allocate $3.5 trillion over 10 years toward a variety of purposes including subsidies for electric vehicles, programs for young children and the elderly, and expansions of health insurance coverage. 

Manchin says it costs too much. 

Ok, it's a fair question. Does this cost too much? 

I'm not knowledgeable enough to fully understand how government budgeting works but here are a few things I do understand.

a) No one is writing a $3.5 trillion check for anything. It's an allocation over 10 years.

b) Some of the allocation is not spending but tax credits and reductions. Lost tax revenue from those tax adjustment are factored in that allocation. 

c) Some of this allocation could drive revenue and cut spending.  Improved access to child care, for example, will make it easier for parents to keep jobs that pay a taxable income and not need as much in government assistance. 

Joe Manchin is a Democrat in a state which primarily votes Republican. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the country would greatly benefit from this $3.5 trillion legislation which every Republican opposes. Manchin has hung on to his cushy Senate gig by taking Republican positions, even at the point of hurting his own state. 

Also Manchin has millions in personal investment in the coal industry that would be jeopardized by this legislation's clean energy initiatives. 

So we at least know where Joe Manchin stands. But what about the other Democratic thorn in Joe Biden's side? 

2) Sen. Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona is saying no to this proposed legislation because...

Because...

OK, we really do not know what the hell her objections are. 

There's this trope in TV and movies where some character is silently playing some kind of long game. We don't know what they're up to and then suddenly the hammer comes down and we're all, "Ooh, they were being sneaky and clever, that one, weren't they?"

I don't think that's going on here.  

There's an expression that goes "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."

I think Sinema is just smart enough to know she's in a position of some power and influence but not smart enough to know what to do with it.  

There is little incentive for Sinema to tell us what she wants. As long as Manchin is gumming up the works, she doesn't need to express herself. And chances are if she does say anything, we're going to no longer think she is a dumbass but know she is a dumbass. 

So Joe Biden has to deal with these three idiots: 

• Joe Manchin who is essentially a Republican except in name.
• Kyrsten Sinema who fell into a level of power and authority that exceeds her actual skills and intelligence.
• Mitch McConnell who continues a naked grab for power by keeping any Republican for even a smidgen of a moment to consider anything Biden might want. 

And thus the gears of government grind slowly if at all as Americans who need help don't get it while those in power act from self interests to hold on to power.