John Oliver addresses the senators blocking Biden’s plan: ‘You owe people more than vague platitudes’

On Sunday’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the host focused on the Build Back Better Act and why it’s in danger of being blocked. The bill is a key part of President Joe Biden’s agenda and contains things like: funding for at-home care, universal pre-kindergarten, free community college, steps to address climate change, and an extension of the child tax credit.

While there are at least two senators who aren’t on board, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Oliver said they aren’t even around to explain themselves. He pointed to a recent video of people who rode in kayaks to find Manchin on his yacht, where they tried to get an explanation from him.

“I'm not sure which stage of capitalism we've reached if we're now kayaking out to a politician's yacht to beg him to help the poor, but it's gotta be one of the last ones,” Oliver said.

Oliver said that Sinema, who left in the middle of negotiations for a fund-raising event at a high-end resort and spa over the weekend, is also doing her best to not discuss the bill by giving what Oliver calls “cutesy” answers to serious questions. She was asked what she would say to progressives who don’t know where she is and her response was, “I’m in the Senate.”

Now, with the bipartisan infrastructure bill on shaky ground as well due to the issues surrounding the Build Back Better Act, Oliver is demanding more from those who are standing in the way.

“This bill could materially benefit people's lives. And if you are blocking it, you owe people more than vague platitudes shouted from a boat, and a cutesy, ‘I'm in the Senate,’ comment,” Oliver said. “Because if these two keep this s*** up, their window for saying, ‘I'm in the Senate,’ may rapidly be closing.”

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO.

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