Speaking at an event in Carlsbad, Calif. on Friday, highlighting the Democrats’ achievements leading up to the midterm elections, Mr. Biden celebrated the passage of the Chip and Science Act by championing new energy technologies, including coal-fired power generation. He suggested that the place should be a thing of the past.
“Even if all the coal was guaranteed for the life of the power plant, no one is building a new coal plant because they cannot rely on it. deaf,” Biden said.
He then added:
Manchin called the comments “outrageous and surreal” on Saturday.
“Comments like this are why the American people are losing faith in President Biden,” Manchin, who represents coal-producing states, said.
“His position seems to change depending on the audience and the politics of the day,” Manchin added.
In an evenly divided Senate, significant pieces of Biden’s agenda often succeeded or failed based on Manchin’s tendencies. Put the brakes on the trillion-dollar social spending package.
Manchin said Biden owes the coal workers an apology.
“The complacency about the loss of coal jobs for the men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally risk their lives to build and empower this country is offensive and disgusting,” said the senator. said.
Shortly thereafter, White House press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre issued a settlement statement.
“President Biden knows that the men and women of the coal country built this country. I was. “They have made this country the most productive and powerful country on the planet.”
Jean-Pierre said on Saturday that Biden’s words were manipulated to do harm, pointing out that the president did not want more Americans out of work. , she said, noting that the unemployment rate was 6.2% last month before the president entered the White House.
“The president’s remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest unintended meanings. If anyone was offended by these remarks, he regrets it,” said Jean-Pierre. “The president was commenting on economic and technological facts. America is once again in the midst of an energy transition, as it has been since its early days as an energy superpower.”
