Has West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin finally had enough of the Democrat Party? The moderate Democrat has raised concern before that he’s considering switching parties but has maintained he has no plans to do so. However, Manchin’s choice to sit with Republicans instead of his own Democrat colleagues during Biden’s State of the Union address can’t help but trigger speculation he’s considering a change.
As President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Sen. Joe Manchin, stands and applauds while seated among Republican Senators and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene voices opposition pic.twitter.com/Azz7mzAtas
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The Washington Examiner reports:
The West Virginia senator instead sat between GOP Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, directly behind Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst.
As Biden gave his address, Manchin remained seated and refrained from clapping as others applauded the president for lauding items within his Build Back Better bill, including the expanded Child Tax Credit that expired in December, which Manchin opposed.
Following the address, Romney told reporters he “asked” Manchin to sit with him. Manchin chimed in, we’re “showing unity, working together. Showing the whole world we’re together in standing behind Ukraine.”
“Sen. Manchin sat with his colleague Sen. Romney to remind the American people and the world that bipartisanship works and is alive and well in the U.S. Senate,” said Sam Runyon, communications director for the West Virginia Democrat.
Manchin has a history of breaking with more radical members of his party over policy decisions, the West Virginia Senator famously refused to vote in favor of Biden’s agenda which caused many in his party to call for his ouster.
