Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., should be commended for the "difficult stance" he is taking against the Build Back Better Act, but deal-cutting could come that could later entice him to change his mind, Rep. Doug LaMalfa said on Newsmax Monday.
"There's still almost 13 months before the next election takes effect with the new Congress, and so there could be a lot of deal-making, deal cutting on that," the California Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report." "Maybe it'll entice him later. I hope not … I hope they can stay strong on this until a Republican majority can come out in the House and/or the Senate should just do little more fiscal responsibility."
Meanwhile, LaMalfa called the White House's stance on the bill, including press secretary Jen Psaki's statement on Sunday, that the spending bill is fully funded, a "fantasy."
"I don't even know where that comes from," said LaMalfa. "This is borrowed money, and if interest rates creep up, we're in a world of hurt on how we're going to manage federal debts. That's why this is so important. We just had a year where we spent trillions dealing with the COVID situation here, and that was borrowed money."
Much of that spending had to happen, given the situation, said LaMalfa, but "there is a lot of spending that wasn't necessary and it just continues to go up. That's why Republicans are so opposed to this debt ceiling raise because there's no accountability to go with it."
Manchin is also coming under fire from House progressives for his comments on Sunday about not wanting to vote for the bill, and LaMalfa said he hopes Americans are "watching who those voices are."
"You've got some very radical people in that little cabal in the House that somehow has been allowed to right there on the screen, is given front page," said LaMalfa. "The ones that seem to get elected, especially come from urban areas are following this path, and it's amazingly dangerous."
LaMalfa also spoke about the situation in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he'll seek more than $300 million in extra law enforcement funding to fight back against the smash-and-grab thefts taking place in San Francisco and other locations.
"Can you imagine what people in other countries see and how they look at the United States?" said LaMalfa. "We can't manage our affairs in Afghanistan. Or you see those break-ins like that, and we're just letting it happen in these urban areas. We're becoming a laughing stock of the world. But it's not funny."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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