Manchin looking for potential decrease in relief bill jobless benefits
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., has said he wants to see some changes to Biden's COVID-19 relief package, including it becoming more targeted, a phrase heard Monday after moderate Democrats met with Biden.
Manchin, who is a key swing vote in the split Senate, told reporters on Capitol Hill that he takes issue with the provision that adds $400 per month to unemployment insurance, saying he feels like people are coming off of unemployment now, so increasing it "doesn't make sense."
"It's kind of hard to explain...I would prefer that they stay at $300 [per month]," Manchin said.
Democratic leadership says since this is not a position supported by the majority it will be a tough needle to thread. It is the last minute for Manchin to be seeking the kind of change that would really shake up the bill. The goal is to have the Senate's reconciliation bill ready to hit the floor late Wednesday.
-ABC News' Trish Turner