Democrats seeking to pass the Build Back Better Act by luring the centrist holdout Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., would have been better off cozying up to them instead of harassing and bullying them for their vote, Sen. Ron Johnson told Newsmax.
''I don't know what Democrats are thinking,'' Johnson, R-Wis., said Monday on ''Stinchfield.'' ''I think if they actually want a vote from Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, then I'd be a little bit nicer to them than what they're being.''
Johnson denounced White House staffers and Democrats effectively bullying Manchin for representing his constituents in voting against Biden's social programs bill in the 50-50 Senate.
''I thank him for standing up and having the courage to push back against the viciousness of his own party,'' Johnson told host Grant Stinchfield of Manchin's courage under pressure from fellow Democrats.
Despite Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., suggesting the ''old boys club'' of the Senate needs to become more partisan to the left, Johnson reminded civics neophytes that the Senate is supposed to get to 60 votes, not 50, to pass bills with bipartisan support.
''It's why we need to sweep Democrats in power,'' Johnson continued. ''Our nation is hanging by a thread right now.
''That thread is comprised of Sen. Sinema and Manchin, and we need to sweep Democrats in power for local elections, statewide, as well as federal elections in November 2022.''
Johnson said, instead of talking about stacking a partisan Senate, Congress should be working on ''kind of cooling down the passions, passions of the time.''
''One of things I told both Joe and Kyrsten is that, you know, a lot of people, a lot of patriots who love this country, are praying for them — that they are appalled by how his Democratic colleagues are treating him, or people are following Kyrsten Sinema into the bathroom to harass her,'' Johnson said.
''That's not how politics should work, that level of viciousness.''
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