During an interview with CBS’s The Takeout podcast, released Friday, Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) sharply criticized the Biden administration’s reliance on 17 Nobel laureates to justify spending under the American Rescue Plan, calling them “17 educated idiots” who told the administration “what it wanted to hear because [the administration] paid them.”
Manchin reflected on what he sees as major failures of the Biden administration, citing inflation, immigration, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan as blind spots. Addressing inflation first, he recounted his warnings against excessive spending, particularly through direct stimulus payments and extended unemployment benefits, which he argued fueled inflation.
Manchin’s Criticism of Stimulus Spending
Manchin explained that bipartisan stimulus checks issued during the Trump presidency were a necessary response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he argued the continuation of similar measures under President Biden exacerbated economic problems. “We didn’t do that during the Great Depression,” Manchin noted, describing the pandemic as an unprecedented crisis. However, he asserted that by the time Biden proposed the American Rescue Plan, the economic context had changed:
- Vaccines were available.
- Americans had money saved from stimulus payments.
- Supply chains were weakened, leading to inflationary pressures.
Manchin said he raised concerns during debates over the American Rescue Plan, temporarily delaying proceedings in the Senate. He recalled warning that extending unemployment benefits through October 2021 would discourage people from returning to work, further compounding inflation. “You’ve got a perfect storm hitting you,” he stated, predicting that Americans, eager to spend their stimulus funds, would face inflated prices due to pent-up demand and disrupted supply chains.
The Role of Nobel Laureates
Manchin specifically took aim at the 17 Nobel laureates whose economic analyses supported the administration’s policies, alleging their conclusions were biased. “That’s when they threw out the 17 Nobel laureates, and I said, you’ve got 17 educated idiots that are telling you what you want to hear because you paid them,” he claimed, dismissing their expertise as serving political ends rather than offering impartial economic advice.
Manchin’s Broader Concerns
Manchin’s broader critique centered on what he described as the administration’s failure to consider long-term economic consequences, such as inflationary pressures from stimulus spending. While acknowledging the uncertainty of the pandemic, he contended that caution was warranted once vaccines were available and the economy began reopening.
The remarks come as Manchin, a centrist independent, continues to emphasize fiscal responsibility and moderate policy positions, often clashing with both Republican and Democratic leadership. His strong critique underscores the ongoing debate over the legacy of pandemic-era economic policies.
