Democrats really don't want Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to lead the energy committee
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.V.) re-election may have saved a blue Senate seat in a very red state. That still doesn't mean Democrats like him.
As it stands, Manchin is likely to become the top ranking member on the Senate Energy Committee next year due to his seniority. But some high-profile Democrats have mounted a campaign against Manchin, and others are pushing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to step up and snag the spot, The Daily Beast reported Thursday.
Despite representing a state that overwhelmingly voted for President Trump in 2016, Manchin's centrism and support for the coal industry preserved his seat. But Manchin's wavering track record on environmental legislation has led two potential 2020 Democrats to oppose his ascent within the energy committee. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) sent an email to supporters Tuesday, alleging Manchin "supports Donald Trump's dirty energy agenda." California billionaire Tom Steyer told The Daily Beast Manchin would not protect the American "right to clean air and clean water." On Thursday, Inslee told The Hill that it's "simply intolerable" to imagine Manchin in the top spot, and he called on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to override the seniority rules.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Aligning with Inslee and Steyer, Democrats have "privately" pushed Sanders to drop his budget committee ranking spot for energy, The Daily Beast says. Yet despite his strong stances on environmental policies, Sanders reportedly doesn't want Manchin's position. Current Energy Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) will likely ascend to a leadership spot in another committee, as will two other Democrats who outrank Manchin. That would leave Manchin — the man who literally shot a piece of climate change legislation in a 2010 campaign ad — as the most powerful Democrat overseeing the Department of Energy.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Switzerland could vote to cap its populationUnder the Radar Swiss People’s Party proposes referendum on radical anti-immigration measure to limit residents to 10 million
-
Political cartoons for February 15Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include political ventriloquism, Europe in the middle, and more
-
The broken water companies failing England and WalesExplainer With rising bills, deteriorating river health and a lack of investment, regulators face an uphill battle to stabilise the industry
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
