Joe Manchin; Mitch McConnell
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia; Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
  • McConnell was critical of Manchin's deal after Democrats withdrew his leverage.

  • If Biden's agenda was advanced, he would block the computer chip bill.

  • Schumer and Manchin made a deal hours after the vote.

McConnell criticized the agreement between Manchin and Democratic leaders.

The Kentucky Republican said that the Democrats had crushed American families with historic inflation. They want to raise taxes that will hurt workers and kill jobs.

The Democratic initiatives that were considered dead two weeks ago have been resuscitated. The "Inflation Reduction Act" would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs, extend financial assistance for people to buy health insurance, and fund climate and energy programs.

Less than five hours after 17 Senate Republicans, including McConnell, joined every Senate Democrat in approving a bill to strengthen the Semiconductor industry, Manchin released a statement announcing the deal. These are computer chips that are used in high tech items.

If Democrats tried to advance their health, climate, and tax bill, McConnell would hold them up. The budget reconciliation process allows the measure to pass with only Democratic votes.

McConnell used another name for the bill and said there would be no bipartisan USICA as long as Democrats pursued a partisan reconciliation bill.

Cornyn downplayed the possibility that Manchin and Schumer outmaneuvered Republicans on the chip bill. Some people gave it a thumbs up.

Cornyn said that if they had the votes to pass reconciliation, they would do it. There isn't anything we could do to stop them.

The bill is going to the House, where Republicans are beginning to oppose it. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said Senate Democrats had been "deceitful" for drawing GOP support on the chips bill.

If Republicans were angry at Manchin, she could empathise with them. "We've all been there," the lawmaker said.

Business Insider has an article on it.