Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin buried his head in his hands as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed Republicans shortly after the Senate passed a short-term debt ceiling increase.
Shortly after eleven Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted to lift a filibuster and allow Democrats to extend the debt ceiling by $480 billion, Schumer blasted McConnell for creating a “Republican-manufactured crisis.” He also accused Republicans of trying to push the U.S. over a “cliff’s edge.” (RELATED: ‘Get Out Of The Way’: Schumer Announces Third Debt Limit Vote)
“Republicans played a dangerous and risky partisan game, and I am glad that their brinkmanship did not work,” Schumer said. “Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans insisted they wanted a solution to the debt ceiling but said Democrats must raise it alone by going through a drawn-out, convoluted and risky reconciliation process. That was simply unacceptable to my caucus. And yesterday, Senate Republicans finally realized that their obstruction was not going to work. I thank, very much thank, my Democratic colleagues for showing our unity in solving this Republican-manufactured crisis.”
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During the speech, Manchin was seen sitting behind Schumer, burying his head in his hands before walking away.
Manchin reportedly described the speech as “fucking stupid,” and later told reporters that he thought it was “inappropriate.”
Senate Minority Whip John Thune and Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, both of whom voted to break the filibuster, confronted Schumer on the Senate floor following the speech.
The short-term bill would extend the U.S.’s debt ceiling until Dec. 3, avoiding a government default. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has repeatedly said that without the extension, the federal government would be unable to pay off its debt past Oct. 18. This could lead to a worldwide stock market collapse, a downgrade of U.S. government credit, and an inability to pay off Social Security benefits.
Democrats are able to use the budget reconciliation process to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally, but have repeatedly declined to do so.