Sen. Joe Manchin stops to speak to reporters in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on June 1, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Democrats held a slim majority in the upper chamber throughout Biden’s term and depended on the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris to pass the administration’s agenda, meaning the moderate West Virginia senator’s cooperation was key in getting many items passed.
Manchin would eventually decide not to run for re-election and leave the Democratic Party altogether after a decades-long political career in the party, arguing that he had to be "true" to himself.
"To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority," Manchin said in a May 2024 announcement.
Sen. Joe Manchin waves to visitors on the Senate steps as he leaves the Capitol on May 4, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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"You’ve got inflation coming at you hard when you do this, and now you’re still keeping people out of the workforce because you’re going to give them an extension clear up until October 2021 of unemployment benefits, and they can’t go back and can’t be threatened to lose their unemployment benefits," Manchin said. "You’ve got a perfect storm hitting you."
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/manchin-slams-17-educated-idiots-were-advising-biden-during-covid