The United States’ poverty rate experienced its largest one-year jump on record last year, with the rate among children more than doubling from 2021’s historic low of 5.2 percent to 12.4 percent according to new numbers from the US Census Bureau out today. They’re the latest data to reflect the devastating effects following the expiration of nearly all pandemic-era relief programs. That includes the end of Medicaid rules that protected recipients from getting kicked off because of administrative errors, an end to rental assistance policies, and the restart of student loan payments.
These policies might seem like a distant memory at this point. But they’re worth recalling with the arrival of every new report. Each demonstrates what happens when politicians long hostile to caregivers, universal health care, and the welfare state, for a brief moment, acted to create powerful, federally-backed safety net programs aimed at helping everyday Americans. One of the most effective programs to emerge was the expansion of the child tax credit, which provided families monthly checks of up to $300 per child and broadened eligibility rules for qualifying families. In turn, child poverty rates plummeted; the extra income allowed caregivers to quit grueling second and third jobs; parents were able to buy their kids decent clothes and help stop taunting at school. The Census Bureau previously reported that food insecurity dropped dramatically after just the first extended payment, from 10.7 million households reporting they didn’t have enough food to 7.4 million.
But as the pandemic receded, Republicans with the help of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who in private remarks reportedly warned that families were using the extra income to buy drugs, appeared to remember the country’s longstanding pre-pandemic hostility. Their opposition ultimately tanked President Biden’s agenda, and along with it, the brief life of the expanded child tax credit. That’s something worth remembering today as the predictable crowd is likely to cry about Democratic-engineered inflation.
How about we tar and feather him instead of thanking him?
I mean, he loves coal so much, let’s drench him in it’s byproduct.
What about John Cornyn, Kevin Cramer, Deb Fischer, Cindy Hyde-Smith, James Lankford, Jim Risch, Roger Wicker, and all the other Republicans?
Yes, Manchin voted with them instead of with the Democrats, but ultimately it was almost entirely Republicans who voted to end the child tax credit. I can’t see any reason why he deserves more blame than them.
We expect them to vote like assholes because they caucus with assholes. Manchin is allegedly supposed to be a Democrat and work with Democrats in Congress, but he seems to have more in common with Republicans. The only reason Democrats defend him at this point is because of their razor-thin majority in the Senate. If he switched parties or otherwise stopped caucusing with them, Republicans would take the majority and gain further control over our government. And that never ends well.
You should expect the senators from West Virginia to vote republican. West Virginia is definitely red at this point. You have a better chance of getting a Democrat to replace Susan Collins or maybe even Ted Cruz than having any other “Democrat” from West Virginia.
Yea people don’t seem to understand this. He will be replaced by someone far-right.
We get that. The complaint here is that while the far-right will fuck us over for their corporate masters, they’re generally honest about that. But Manchin’s sabotage comes from within the Democratic party. He helps the Democrats obtain technical majority in the Senate, then blocks their agenda so Republicans and trolls can say “see? Democrats are just as bad! They’re not interested in helping Americans either!”
And since the average voter isn’t following legislation and how Republicans have weaponized obstruction, they hear that and assume it must be true. All because Manchin and Sinema don’t have a problem with Republican obstruction.
You’re overthinking it. Manchin votes with Biden nearly 88% of the time. A full 20% more than the nearest Republican. The next lowest 90% is Bernie Sanders.
You’re overthinking it. Manchin votes with Biden nearly 88% of the time.
You’re ignoring that things usually only come to the floor for a vote when we think we have Manchin on board. This statistic is meaningless and you know it. Stop being dishonest on behalf of the guy who cast the deciding vote to double child poverty for you.
Call him out for ever bill he should support that he doesn’t. That’s not my point at all. My point is he’s not a Republican with a D next to his name. He’s measurably better than the best Republican. When he leaves the seat will go from 87% agreed to under 40% no matter what.
Fucking thank you. So many comments in this thread completely ignoring the entire Republican party and blaming Democrats. It’s so disingenuous.
That’s because hexbear users have decided to brigade this post, ergo, any chance of meaningful discussion is gone.
That explains it I guess… man, could you just imagine how great the internet could be if it wasn’t constantly being ruined by conservative losers?
Why are you blaming Benedict Arnold? What about all the British?
Uh… the British were the core of the problem.
So Benedict Arnold was blameless? Because that’s the logic here.
Is anyone here calling Joe Manchin blameless?
I mean, the article’s about how Manchin once again voted to fuck over poor people, and his acolytes are yet again like “Don’t blame Manchin for doing what we wanted him to! Blame Republicans!”
He betrayed the poor and his party. He’s right to catch blame for being the deciding vote here. No matter how much his supporters want to draw attention away from how he did what they wanted him to do.
Nobody is saying he doesn’t deserve any blame. Are you people here incapable of grasping nuance? Manchin doesn’t have any fucking “acolytes”, just people who are able to understand basic math.
If we didn’t have 50 Republican senators, his one vote would not matter. They’re constantly getting a pass so people who claim to be on the left can focus on the ONE DEMOCRAT that voted with those 50 Republicans, while ignoring the fact that these votes are passing with 51 votes, not 1.
If we didn’t have 50 Republican senators, his one vote would not matter.
But we do. So it does. Manchin was the deciding vote.
As long as Republicans + centrist Democrats > 50, you’ll always have just enough votes to fuck over the poor.
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You pick on the yacht, but it’s his DC residence and is essentially a houseboat. He paid $220k for it, so the real question is how that compares to the housing of other Senators while in DC.
There’s lots of great reasons to tear into Manchin, I don’t think the boat is one of them though.
That includes the end of Medicaid rules that protected recipients from getting kicked off because of administrative errors
Sorry what
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I’m sure every product suddenly costing double while wages have not budged or have even gone down in places, has NOTHING to do with it.
We stop handing out “free money” and a year and a half later, prices spike. Explain that, economists.
It’s all a joke.
Ill blame Manchin when the DNC does and opposes his reelection.
Dumb. He’s in a heavy red area and only has the seat based on family name. Any other Democrat would be steamrolled.
By who, someone that’s gonna oppose all their legislation? Oh thats Manchin already.
Supporting 5% of their legislation is better than his replacement supporting 0%. The solution is not to replace manchin but to reduce his importance by broadening the majority.
Manchin votes with the Democrats 87% of the time; 20% more often than any Republican; Only 3% less than Bernie Sanders.
Someone who would block every judicial appointment under Biden.
Manchin voted to confirm Kavanaugh and Gorsuch. Your guy helped kill Roe v. Wade.
Manchin ain’t “my guy” you fucking chode.
Sorry. Your lord and savior.
Are you allergic to good faith argument?
By a Republican who would be easily elected over any Democrat other than Manchin. Trump won WV In 2016 by a wider margin than any other state.
Only reason Manchin gets elected there is because he’s practically a Republican. He votes like shit but he’s still far better than the alternative. We need more progressive senators in winable states.
It’s overstated. He only votes against the Democrats 3% less than Bernie Sanders (87% to 90%). He votes with them 20% more than the nearest Republican.
Right. But what were those 3%? He let us down on some important votes.
Very possibly true, not all votes are weighted the same. I’d have to look further into it, but I know Bernie has done the same in the past where he wanted something better that had no traction. I can recall something healthcare related a few years back, but he may have still voted for it in the end. This also doesn’t take into consideration bills that never make it to vote.
Those stats are worthless when they don’t count all the bills that died without getting a vote because he wouldn’t support them. Put those in the voted against Biden collumn and suddenly the stats look way worse.
Not worse than any Republican.
Fuck that ball-sack-looking cunt.
Can we fucking defederate from hexbear already? I’m so tired of these tween shitheads having the worst informed hot takes and trolling. Generally, I don’t mind a good trolling, I can appreciate the humor of it, but these guys don’t have any. They’re just fucking Edge Lords for the sake of it. Be gone
I just use these threads as chances to mass block pigpoop kids
Same but it’s obnoxious and they bring literally zero value so can we just nuke em
I’m on board with defederating with them. They are basically a public nuisance at this point, filling any even remotely political post with a lot of noise in the form of memes and a toolbox of trite talking points. They downvote everyone else and upvote themselves and basically drown out any valid discussion that doesn’t toe their childish line.
Then they claim that it’s us liberals who can’t abide opposing viewpoints while simultaneously openly admitting that purging Lemmy of “right wing” opinions is the entire point of their trolling project.
I was originally inclined to be patient with them, but at this point nothing about hexbear seems like it’s done in good faith. It’s all just noise for its own sake.
I guess I will have to figure out how to block them.
Unless everyone puts them on block, which I don’t see happening, we don’t really have any reliable way of discouraging them from trolling.
10 years from now…
Juvenile crime just doubled. You can thank Joe Manchin
10 years and one second from now: Buh whubbut all the republicans?
So lets take it back. Strike up some legislation and lets get signatures. Keep calling your senators and tell them you want social safety nets, and to reinstate the child tax credit to covid-era functionality. Don’t stop. Breath down these peoples’ necks every day. Make them fear you will enter their home.
We should just shortcut it and go straight to entering their homes.
Thank Man Chin
Motherjones? Seriously? This is the best you could do OP? The fox news of the democrats?
Attacking the source rather than defending your position… nothing more conservative than that.
Cool story. But I’m not a conservative, and I have no position. Yes, I’m sure it would be easier for you if I was. Then you could demonize me and take comfort in the fact that once again you’ve attacked your enemy.
I don’t need to attack the source when it’s a left wing rag. You know what I’m saying is correct. But you people are more concerned with winning, and taking a dig at your enemy then unbiased sources.
Jesus even when saying you’re not attacking the source you can’t help making an ad hominem attack on a source you don’t bother to engage with. I hope in the future you can learn to actually read the material before engaging ignprant dismissal.
L take. I never stated I didn’t read the material. An assumption on your part. I’m sure this incident took place, but because of the source, I’m sure it’s riddled with left wing bias and twisted truths. Would you really take an article from fox news about Joe Biden at absolute face value? No, you wouldn’t, and shouldn’t.
Children or parents?
Centrist Democrats like him because of shit like this, not in spite of it.
He’s not a centrist. He’s conservative.
I said centrist Democrats like him and why.
I didn’t say if he was a centrist or a conservative, largely because it’s a distinction without a difference.
It’s a distinction without a difference.
