First, links to the story as told by multiple Internet posts. Foremost, the "Agreement" itself, July 28, 2021, date; signed by perp Manchin and perp Schumer. What role, re the document specifics, was Schumer signing onto, back months ago? The document is silent on that, silent on any secret intent, silent on whether Biden was scammed without notice, as were others.
Coverage: Politico, HuffPo, eenews.net
Quoting from the latter link for context -
Climate policy has emerged as one of the toughest challenges in striking a deal on Democrats’ reconciliation package, with a chasm between Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and much of the rest of the party.
That divide crystallized yesterday after POLITICO reported a July 28 memo signed by Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) specifying a $1.5 trillion top line for reconciliation — much lower than House Democrats’ $3.5 trillion package — and the inclusion of natural gas, coal and carbon capture in clean energy tax policies (Greenwire, Sept. 30 [behind subscription wall]).
Manchin’s stance is threatening to derail the proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) that would likely be central to meeting President Biden’s emissions goals, frustrating Democrats who see reconciliation as one of the last chances to address climate change before it’s too late.
“It’s not anything that you can really negotiate away,” Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Chair Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) said in an interview yesterday. “We either follow the science, or we condemn ourselves to higher costs and more catastrophes.”
The leaked document, which Manchin confirmed to reporters yesterday, inserted another twist into the ongoing fight in the House over the bipartisan infrastructure bill. It was initially scheduled for a vote yesterday, but progressives planned to sink it without a deal with Manchin and fellow moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) on reconciliation. The vote was delayed after talks that dragged into yesterday evening.
The document includes several climate-related stipulations, namely that Manchin’s committee be charged with writing any clean energy standard and that if clean energy tax breaks are extended, fossil fuel tax benefits should be preserved.
Climate spending, it says, should be “fuel neutral,” and carbon capture and storage should allow natural gas and coal to “feasibly qualify” for energy tax policies. Manchin is also doubling down on his concerns with the CEPP, which he laid out in detail this week during an Energy and Natural Resources hearing (Greenwire, Sept. 28).
[italics added] A horde of Democrats should be big-time pissed-off by this. By both content of the document, and its genesis/reach/secrecy.
The big question, what did Biden know of this, when? If he left others hanging out to dry, what has he to say now? If he was not in the loop back then, Schumer keeping it from Biden disqualifies him from any further leadership role in the Senate, as untrustworthy.
And Pelosi, same question, what did she know of it and when did she know?
Most of the good Democratic Party members appear to have been hung out to dry over this betrayal. Of the others, when did Clyburn first know of it, and what did he do?
Manchin should be confronted - cut the partner bill by whatever proportion the $3.5 trillion ends up cut; with West Virginia losing its perks. Or cut the playing-God crap out and accept reform. Do the damned job, Joe.
Particularly galling is the question of the fossil fuel flunky's position on climate change provisions, including funding and actions. He's looking at the future of generations - young people now able to vote, and generations yet to come; and Manchin is taking a dump on their future - or am I missing something in dealings?
Schumer, traitor is the term coming to mind, being a party to this document while seemingly letting Democratic colleagues in both houses left hanging out to dry.
Or is this some new power ploy to try to dislodge Jayapal and her voting bloc from insisting on $3.5 trillion in landmark legislation, after scaling back from initial $6 trillion of needed measures, making hard choices to get it down to half the desired amount?
Either way, it will take several days to sort out the fallout from Schumer's betrayal of everybody else besides Manchin. He is, so far, the one clear villain in these dealings. He knew. He let the thing fester and let rancor develop with no thought to how incensed people would be when learning he'd cut a backroom deal.
There should be a loud and clear demand for Schumer to step down from Senate leadership roles of any kind. The Republicans torpedoed Cheney for much less of an affront - exercising her right to vote Trump to be the bastard he's shown himself to be. Cheney did not hide anything for several months. Cheney did not backstab others, she simply voted as her conscience led her.
This story is expected to grow legs. Readers can monitor other outlets for future developments. However, the situation cried out for commentary, now, about impressions formed from initial mainstream media coverage.
___________UPDATE___________
Schumer and mendacity - Guardian reporting (not about the Manchin-Schumer "Agreement" per se, but to be read in light of it) --
A clutch of corporate lobby groups and organizations have mobilized to oppose the proposed $3.5tn budget bill put forward by Democrats, which contains unprecedented measures to drive down planet-heating gases. The reconciliation bill has been called the “the most significant climate action in our country’s history” by Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the US Senate.
It takes a special type of person to call a proposal a landmark bill, a "most significant climate action in our country's history," while sitting on a secret agreement to gut it, via agreeing to allow a fossil fuel hack to have committee authority to write the Senate version of such climate law.
That kind and degree of special willingness is brazenly disrespectful toward the public Schumer was elected and is paid to serve.
AOC should primary the man. He is ripe for a fall after pulling that stunt with Manchin and having the audacity to tout proposals he's agreed to substantially dismember.
While at it, Manchin needs to be primaried too, but at least he's not cutting a back-room deal while singing praise for landmark climate legislation. Manchin is up front about what you see is what you get. Ugly. Yes, but honest about it.
Schumer weaseled big time. Go AOC! Retire the Senator, and gain a bigger paycheck along with a proportionally greater voice. Senator OC! It has a ring to it.