Senator Manchin reportedly saw increase in corporate donations after combatting Biden’s Build Back Better plan

After West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin made the decision to oppose President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better social spending bill, his political action committee saw a steep increase in corporate contributions.

Manchin’s choice effectively prevented the legislation from passing the Senate, which has stopped the bill altogether.

Manchin’s PAC called Country Roads received 17 corporation contributions in the month of October, which increased to 19 last month, as reported by a CNBC analysis of Federal Election Commission filings.

The PAC raised over $110,000 in November and another $150,000 in October. There were not as many corporate contributions in any of the four months prior to October. 

Framework was released by the White House for the bill, called the Build Back Better Act, just two months ago. The legislation included roughly $550 billion to counteract climate change by putting funds toward green technologies.

Manchin, a conservative Democrat whose main demographic is linked to the coal industry, opposed key climate provisions in the bill. His donors over the past two months included natural gas company CNX Resources as well as other PACs related to the coal and mining industries.

His state of West Virginia overwhelmingly supported former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020 and is an important center for the fossil-fuel industry. 

On Sunday, Manchin said he would not be supporting the bill despite months of negotiations with the president, his team, and leaders in Congress. Corporations, business leaders, and other groups have consistently pressured Manchin to opposed parts of the Democratic administration’s agenda ever since the party gained a majority in the Senate.

The Build Back Better Act is just the latest of the Biden administration’s legislation that Manchin has resisted. He voiced disapproval back in June over the For the People Act, a bill that could make changes to upcoming elections.