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Sen. Joe Manchin says no to $2T bill: ‘I can’t vote for it’

Joe Manchin Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a centrist Democrat vital to the fate of President Joe Biden's $3.5 government overhaul, updates reporters about his position on the bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. Despite months of being courted and cajoled, Sen. Joe Manchin is still not a yes on President Joe Biden's big $2 trillion domestic package and has thrown Democrats into turmoil. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

WASHINGTON D.C. — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he can’t back a $2 trillion social safety net bill, and his opposition is dealing a potentially fatal blow to President Joe Biden’s signature legislation.

Manchin tells “Fox News Sunday” that he’s always made clear he had reservations about the legislation.

Now, after five-and-a half months of discussions and negotiations, Manchin says, “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation, I just can’t.”

The West Virginia senator cites a multitude of factors weighing on the economy and the potential harm he saw from pushing through the “mammoth” bill, such as persistent inflation, a growing debt and the latest threat from the omicron variant.

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