U.S. Senator Joe Manchin stopped in Charleston Tuesday as part of his “Standing Up For The Next Generation Tour” in West Virginia.
As part of the tour, Senator Manchin is visiting several communities in the state and holding meetings with business, labor and community leaders regarding the country’s financial house.
During the meeting in Charleston, Manchin talked with leaders from AARP, the Kanawha County Commission and many others regarding a range of topics including Medicaid, Healthcare and debt.
Manchin said he learned that people are willing to compromise in areas when their is dialogue.
“The thing that we found out when you start talking to different groups who represent those people, whether it be Medicare, Social Security, the Medicaid and all the working poor that they are all willing to sit down and make adjustments, rational adjustments,” said Manchin.
Community leaders told Manchin that sometimes they feel there voices are not being heard because they are at a different level.
Manchin said this shouldn’t be the case and he has to do something about it.
“That’s the shame of it and now I’m going to go back and raise as much cain as I can saying hey have you been back home because people are willing to compromise and meet,” said Manchin.
During the meeting, Manchin pointed out that discussions with those across party lines regarding the issues does not happen in Washington D.C.
Manchin said this is a big reason why nothing is getting done in Washington and that there is constant gridlock . He said this gridlock is the reason for the current No Labels problem solving group he and other politicians are involved in.
“It’s not another political party and it’s not pushing any policy at all,” said Manchin. “It’s truly trying to fix Congress and make it work. It’s fixing it by giving a venue for people to come and sit down with differences.”
And that is what the Senator is trying to accomplish as he travels the state during his tour.
Manchin said he hopes his fellow colleagues are doing the same thing he is doing on this tour because it’s the way problems are going to be solved and solutions are found.
Manchin was expected to be in Clarksburg Tuesday for the next stop of his tour.