U.S. Democrat Manchin opposed to using reconciliation to pass legislation

(C) Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senate panel holds hearing on interior secretary nominee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he is opposed to using a procedural process known as reconciliation to pass legislation without Republican support, dealing a potential blow to President Joe Biden’s chances of passing a huge infrastructure bill.

“I simply do not believe budget reconciliation should replace regular order in the Senate,” Manchin said in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. “Senate Democrats must avoid the temptation to abandon our Republican colleagues on important national issues,” he said.