McConnell dismisses claim he was ‘played’ on reconciliation bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during an interview late Wednesday dismissed the notion that he and other Republicans were “played” on the Inflation Reduction Act negotiated by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

“There’s nothing we could’ve done to prevent the Democrats from doing a bill that only they will vote for, so it’s not a question of being played here,” McConnell told Fox News anchor Bret Baier in response to a viewer’s tweet.

“What’s the storyline here is that Sen. Manchin has agreed to something that he had said publicly and privately over the last two weeks he could never agree to,” McConnell said.

“We’re not involved in the reconciliation bill. There won’t be a single Republican vote for it,” McConnell added. “There’s nothing we can do to deter it, other than to criticize it publicly. And that’s what we’re doing right here.”

McConnell also said that “all of us were somewhat shocked by Sen. Manchin’s reversal of positions he had taken as recently as last week against raising taxes.”

“This raises taxes. It increases the burden of taxation on lower-income people significantly. Calling it an inflation reduction bill is rather laughable. Independent analysis indicates it actually increases inflation in the next two years and may have an impact over 10 years,” the Kentucky Republican said.

“And their policies from last year have already produced 40-year-high inflation. So it’s a terrible package. It appears as if they’re all in line but one. And it’ll be up to Sen. [Kyrsten] Sinema from Arizona, who’s quite independent, to determine what the final contours of the bill are,” he added.

Schumer and Manchin unveiled the climate, health care and tax package last week after the centrist West Virginia Democrat resisted a previous deal because of his concerns about inflation.

The bill would invest $300 billion in deficit reduction and $369.75 billion in energy-focused climate programs over the coming decade. On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office released estimates forecasting it would lead to a net deficit decrease of more than $100 billion over roughly the next decade.

McConnell during the Fox News appearance also brushed off concerns Republicans are giving President Biden “major victories.”

“Just because there’s a Democrat in the White House, I don’t think means Republicans should do nothing that’s good for the country in the meantime,” he said, mentioning issues like school safety, mental health, infrastructure and postal reform.

And when asked about the upcoming elections this November, McConnell said that he believes they will be “very tight” nationally.

“We have a 50/50 nation,” he said.

McConnell added: “And this fall, the American people need to decide, are they happy with what this all-Democratic government is giving them, or do they want to make adjustments, knowing full well the Democratic president is going to be there for two more years?

“Flip the Congress and Joe Biden will become a moderate. He has no choice.”

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