Joe Manchin Slams ‘Out-Of-State Socialist’ Bernie Sanders Over VA Op-Ed

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) says he ‘won’t take orders from a socialist’ after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote an op-ed in a West Virginia newspaper urging Manchin’s constituents to support President Biden’s infrastructure bill.

“This isn’t the first time an out-of-stater has tried to tell West Virginians what is best for them despite having no relationship to our state,” wrote the 74-year-old Manchin in a Friday statement.

“Congress should proceed with caution on any additional spending and I will not vote for a reckless expansion of government programs,” he continued, adding: “No op-ed from a self-declared Independent socialist is going to change that.”

https://t.co/iU96GLGzsT pic.twitter.com/ly944dr2dE

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) October 15, 2021

Sanders, 80, slammed Manchin and fellow Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona in the Charleston Gazette-Mail Op-Ed over the moderate Democrats’ opposition to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.

“Poll after poll shows overwhelming support for this legislation,” claimed Sanders, “Yet, the political problem we face is that in a 50-50 Senate we need every Democratic senator to vote ‘yes.’ We now have only 48. Two Democratic senators remain in opposition, including Sen. Joe Manchin.”

“This is a pivotal moment in modern American history,” Sanders continued. “We now have a historic opportunity to support the working families of West Virginia, Vermont, and the entire country and create policy which works for all, not just the few.”