Democrats have two problems at the moment with pushing their radical agenda through—and their names are West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, both of whom have taken stands against ending the legislative filibuster.
So needless to say, President Biden’s nomination of Manchin’s wife, Gayle, to become co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, raises questions.
President Biden is nominating Gayle Manchin, Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife, to be what it calls a “key member” of his administration. pic.twitter.com/a79KvyBuxj
— Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) March 26, 2021
Notable Nominee: Among a slate of picks announced today by the White House: Gayle Manchin, wife of @Sen_JoeManchin and a longtime educator, to serve on the @ARCgov. pic.twitter.com/asqcQfoQdl
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) March 26, 2021
As West Virginia’s Metro News reports, it’s not that Gayle Manchin is unqualified for the position in the federal agency—"She is a life-long professional educator, former president of the state Board of Education, and a driven advocate for improving lives through education." Having her in the role will likely be good for the state. But what will it do to her husband’s independence? Like Elaine Chao serving as Transportation Secretary during most of President Trump's tenure, though she is married to Sen. Mitch McConnell, then-Majority Leader, this nomination could also change the perception of Manchin's independence.
Does Manchin now owe Biden something? West Virginia's Metro News is wondering.
Manchin has embraced the role of a high-level bipartisan dealmaker, saying he will do what is right even if it costs him politically. He has placed himself in a position of moral authority.
But now what? Does he owe Biden a favor? If he does then it is business as usual in Washington and Manchin will have squandered his opportunity to return a modicum of independence to our DC politics.
But let’s say Manchin is not under any obligation to the President, that he will, as promised, abide by the courage of his convictions. There is still a problem because if Manchin sides with Biden on a controversial vote—getting rid of the filibuster for example—there will still be a perception that it was a favor returned. (Metro News)
When asked for comment on the nomination, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki wouldn't say.
“That nomination came as a surprise to some working on the Hill, and I’m wondering if you could talk a little bit about the process of how the White House settled on Gayle Manchin for that job,” Bloomberg News’s Nancy Cook asked Psaki during Monday’s press briefing. “And what kind of input Senator Manchin had in that.”
“I’ll have to follow up with our personnel team on the exact process there,” Psaki answered. “We can do that after the briefing.”
