Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is voicing his displeasure with the Biden administration once again.
This time, the moderate senator says that the White House has circumvented the power of Congress by allowing the Treasury Department to implement a new rule he believes would allow Chinese entities to exploit tax credits for electric vehicles.
Manchin said there are too many loopholes in the rules.
In a statement released on Friday, Manchin said the rules “are another example of the Biden administration clearly breaking the law to try to implement a bill that it could not pass.”
He accused the White House of searching for “workarounds and delays that leave the door wide open for China to benefit off the backs of American taxpayers.”
New Biden Rule for EV Tax Credits Lets China Benefit Off 'Backs of American Taxpayers': Manchin
Sen. Joe Manchin has criticized the Biden administration's proposed new rule for EV tax credits as letting Chinese firms benefit from US taxpayer subsidies.https://t.co/GwlR2N8KLR
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) December 2, 2023
The bill Manchin is referring to is the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in August 2022. While the West Virginia senator’s supportive vote was crucial in getting the bill passed, he was also the legislator who inserted language into it that disqualified any EVs that used batteries that had ingredients that came from China and some other “foreign entities of concern.”
The Biden administration, though, is doing its best to loosen the definition of what constitutes a “foreign entity of concern.” Now, a group or company must have an ownership stake of 25% to be classified as such.
Due to this, there are concerns that licensing deals could occur.
This is what Manchin is particularly upset about.
It isn’t the first time that the moderate Democratic senator has clashed with his party. He previously blasted Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for breaking the law regarding tax credits for EVs, and he was one of the key votes that stopped Biden’s signature Build Back Better bill from becoming law.
Since he isn’t running for re-election in 2024, Manchin has no real reason to hold back his thoughts about the Biden administration. He’s also considering a run for president next year as an independent candidate, which could be why he’s blasting the president consistently recently.
