President Biden’s economic agenda is on hold — thanks, in no small part, to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). The families in his home state could pay the price for it.

Read more:

The constant man in the middle, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), is trying to scale back the president’s Build Back Better economic plan. Part of the White House agenda on Manchin’s chopping block: the permanent expansion of the child tax credit. It’s a recent policy that experts say has been a key part of reducing child poverty in the United States, especially during the pandemic.

Amid reports that Manchin wants to impose caps and include work requirements for families receiving the credit, economics reporter Yeganeh Torbati takes us to the senator’s home state. And she poses the question: What happens when Manchin’s political calculations collide with the realities of West Virginians?

If you value the journalism you hear in this podcast, please subscribe to The Washington Post. We have a deal for our listeners - one year of unlimited access to everything the Post publishes for just $29. To sign up, go to washingtonpost.com/subscribe.

The mystery of Manchin’s motivations 22:16 Share

Post Reports

Shownotes Transcript

The mystery of Manchin’s motivations