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Bernie Sanders Says Manchin ‘Sabotaging’ President’s Agenda

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., questions witnesses during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine an update on the ongoing Federal response to COVID-19, Thursday, June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders blasted West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on ABC’s “This Week” on Saturday.

While speaking with ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz, Sanders interrupted the host after she mentioned Manchin’s refusal to back a bill that covers climate provisions.

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“Senator Joe Manchin, of course abruptly pulled the plug this week on the Democratic plan,” Raddatz said before Sanders cut her off.

“He didn’t abruptly do anything,” Sanders said. “He has sabotaged the president’s agenda”.

“Six months ago, I made it clear that you have people like Manchin, Sinema to a lesser degree, who are intentionally sabotaging the president’s agenda, what the American people want, what a majority of us in the Democratic Caucus want. Nothing new about this,” he told Raddatz.

“And the problem was that we continued to talk Manchin like he was serious. He was not,” Sanders added.

“This is a guy who is a major recipient of fossil fuel money, a guy who has received campaign contributions from 25 Republican billionaires,” he continued.

Raddatz then noted that Manchin said he wanted to act in the best interest of West Virginia and played a clip of him expressing concern about inflation.

“Same nonsense that Manchin has been talking about for a year,” Sanders told Raddatz. “You ask the people of West Virginia whether they want to expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and eyeglasses”.

“You ask the people of West Virginia whether we should demand that the wealthiest people and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes. Ask the people of West Virginia whether or not all people should have health care as a human right, like in every other country on Earth,” he continued.

“In my humble opinion, Manchin represents the very wealthiest people in this country, not working families in West Virginia or America,” Sanders added.

Raddatz also asked Sanders about President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, asking if Biden should have made the trip.

“I don’t think that that type of government should be rewarded with a visit by the president of the United States,” he responded.