If the social-spending bill doesn't pass, Democrats will struggle to get the votes of progressives in the future.
In an interview with The New York Times that was published Sunday, the New York congresswoman said the stakes of passing the Build Back Better Act are "really, really high."
She said that the reason the Progressive Caucus voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill was because of promises from President Joe Biden and other Democrats. Biden and other Democrats assured liberals that the social spending bill would pass, so they voted for the infrastructure package.
"If those promises don't follow through, it's going to be very, very difficult for them to get votes on anything moving forward, because the trust that was already so delicate will have been broken."
The caucus has 95 members of the House and one senator.
The $2 trillion social-spending package was passed by the House Democrats. Universal preschool, child tax credits, and the expansion of Medicare are included in the bill.
The bill was cut back after opposition from centrist Democrats.
Manchin has expressed concern about the bill's cost and impact on inflation. The bill needs the support of all 50 Democrats in order to pass in the Senate.
