The conservative Senate Leadership Fund is out with new ads targeting West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D.) for his vote against tax reform, saying his vote was a "huge mistake" that will haunt him with voters in November.
"Joe Manchin made a huge mistake siding with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi to obstruct middle class tax cuts," said SLF president Steven Law. "We will take it to Democrats over and over this year on tax reform and are confident it will be a winning issue for Republicans in November."
The ads attacking Manchin for his lack of support for "middle class tax cuts" will be targeted at voters searching for more information on the tax reform bill, the group explained. They will link to a video by the group celebrating the positive impacts the tax bill has already caused and saying that all Manchin and his Democratic colleagues do is "obstruct and complain."
Manchin was viewed by the White House as one of the Senate Democrats who it could work with on tax reform, but was eventually slammed by President Donald Trump for being all talk when it comes to bipartisanship.
"Joe Manchin talks, but he doesn’t do anything," Trump told the New York Times.
"Hey, let’s get together, let’s do bipartisan," Trump said impersonating Manchin. "I say, ‘Good, let’s go.’ Then you don’t hear from him again."
Manchin voted against the tax bill but has since acknowledged its positive impacts.
"There’s some good in this bill," Manchin said in a West Virginia radio interview last year. "I acknowledge that."
"Initially people will benefit and see some changes in their taxes," Manchin said, complaining that individual tax cuts for the middle class are set to expire in 2025.
Republicans had to put an expiration date on the individual tax cuts in order to allow for the legislation to be passed with a simple majority.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) introduced legislation this week to make the cuts permanent that will need Democrat support to pass.
Manchin's office did not respond to a request for comment on the Cruz bill.