| Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and President Biden. Photos: Kevin Dietsch; Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images The White House and some Senate Democrats aren't giving up on Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) just yet — and are leaving the door open to pursuing climate legislation in a potential second reconciliation package, Axios' Hans Nichols and Alayna Treene report. Why it matters: The keep-hope-alive approach means President Biden can't antagonize Manchin by taking immediate executive actions on issues that matter deeply to the moderate West Virginia senator, like pipeline permitting. The latest: The White House decided not to declare a "national climate emergency" this week that would have opened up federal resources to address global warming, AP first reported. However, Biden is expected to announce some executive actions aimed at addressing the issue. State of play: Democratic leaders still plan to move quickly on legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs and provides subsidies for the Affordable Care Act — and get it to Biden in early August before Congress leaves for recess. - But if June's 9.1% inflation rate cools off enough to keep Manchin interested, they could take a final shot at the climate provisions he forced them to abandon this month.
- "We're open to it, whatever the vehicle may be," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told Axios. "There is a second possibility."
Driving the news: Over the weekend, Democrats were depressed and demoralized that Manchin appeared to slam the door on the climate provisions after spending the year winnowing down the core of Biden's ambitious Build Back Better agenda. - Some outside climate advisers urged Biden to declare a climate emergency and achieve administratively what he couldn't accomplish legislatively. If executive action was the only route, there was no need to keep Manchin happy or be sensitive to his pet priorities, some Democrats argued.
- But then Democrats started to process what Manchin actually said on Hoppy Kercheval's West Virginia radio show last week. They didn't hear a final "no."
- "We have to take Sen. Manchin at his word. He says it's not off the table," Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) told NBC News on Monday.
What they're saying: Manchin today seemed willing to address climate policy this summer. "Let's see what the Congress does. The Congress needs to act," he told ABC when asked whether he supports Biden declaring a national climate emergency. - "We are going to keep fighting on climate, " Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said at his weekly press conference. "We're going to look at everything we can do. ... There's always a second reconciliation bill available to us."
- "We're much closer to a climate deal than people realize. Let's not throw in the towel just yet. Fighting climate change is more important than any August recess," Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) tweeted.
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