FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 3, 2024
Contact: info@wvgop.org
Charleston, WV — West Virginia Republican Party (WVGOP) Chairman Matt Herridge released the following statement on Monday, refuting Joe Manchin’s most recent misleading claims regarding his record in office:
“Senator Joe Manchin portrays himself as a moderate, but his record contrasts starkly with this description and disqualifies him from any potential political future in West Virginia. Although Manchin announced he would not run for election last November and again said he is not running today, it’s still worthwhile to make clear how voters reflect on Manchin’s time time in office: a disappointment from a career politician who has consistently aligned with liberal policies and leadership.”
Here are just a few key points that highlight Manchin’s liberal record:
1. Votes to Impeach President Trump:
- Senator Manchin voted not once, but twice, to impeach President Donald J. Trump. These votes were critical moments where he sided with the liberal agenda against a sitting Republican president who won the Mountain State overwhelmingly twice — and again very soon.
- His actions demonstrated a clear opposition to President Trump and prove his loyalty to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
2. Backroom Deals to Draft the Job-Killing Inflation Reduction Act:
- Manchin not only cast a decisive vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, a job-killing, inflationary piece of legislation widely criticized for its negative impact on economic growth, but he also co-authored it in secret negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
- This act, touted as a major legislative win by the Democratic Party, imposes heavy regulations and taxes that are detrimental to coal jobs, small businesses, and working families.
- Manchin even admitted that the law allowed the Biden Administration to “push their radical climate agenda at the expense of both our energy and fiscal security.”
- Manchin’s support for this act clearly indicates his alignment with liberal policies that harm our coal jobs and his willingness to fall in lockstep with the Democratic Party.
3. Misleading Claims of Independence:
- While Senator Manchin claims to be an independent voice in Congress, reality paints a starkly different picture. Even now, he will be caucusing with the Democrats and will continue to take orders from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
- This affiliation compromises his purported independence and reveals his true allegiance to the Democratic Party.
- He has voted with Joe Biden nearly 90% of the time.
4. Anti-Second Amendment:
- Joe Manchin is out of step with West Virginians’ deeply held belief in the 2nd Amendment’s guarantee that all of us have a right to bear arms.
- His past campaigns have featured pro-gun control stances.
- He has received a “D” from the National Rifle Association.
5. Voted Against Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee:
- Joe Manchin claims to support constitutionalist judges and justices but voted NO on President Trump’s SCOTUS nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, saying: “Is she the most qualified? No.”
- (Barrett graduated from Rhodes College before attending Notre Dame Law School, earning a J.D. in 1997 ranked first in her class. She then clerked for Judge Laurence Silberman and Justice Antonin Scalia before joining the nation’s high court.)
The evidence clearly points out that Senator Joe Manchin’s record is not reflective of “independent” or “moderate” values. His votes to impeach President Trump, negative rhetoric towards the former president, support for economically harmful legislation, cultish support of Joe Biden’s policies, misleading claims of independence, anti- 2ndAmendment stance, and opposition of conservative judges all point to a politician who is far from being the independent representative he claims to be. Luckily, West Virginians recognize this dissonance and know Manchin doesn’t truly represents their interests.
Sources:
- Senate Vote on Trump Impeachment (2020) – [Source Link]
- Senate Vote on Trump Impeachment (2021) – [Source Link]
- Inflation Reduction Act – [Source Link]
- Manchin’s Caucusing with Democrats – [Source Link]
- FiveThirtyEight – Does Your Member Vote With Or Against Biden? [Source Link]
- Manchin’s anti-NRA ad [Source Link]
- Manchin’s “D” Rating [Source Link]
- Manchin Opposes Barrett [Source Link]
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