Manchin rarely votes against Democrat legislation
Sen. Joe Manchin has often frustrated Senate Democrats on key issues this Congress, and has a longstanding reputation as a moderate — but his overall voting record is closer to the party line than many other Senate centrists.
Manchin, D-W.Va., voted with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 88% of the time this Congress, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., 91% of the time, according to a ProPublica database. Significantly, he also agreed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on 91% of votes, according to ProPublica.
That number is lower than most other Democrats, including fellow moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who voted with Schumer on 96% of roll calls since 2021. The bulk of other Senate Democrats vote with Schumer 98% of the time, according to ProPublica.
Manchin, however, toes the party line on votes much more often than some GOP moderates.
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"The bottom line is he portrays himself as a moderate but at the end of the day he always ends up where Chuck Schumer needs him to be," a Senate GOP leadership aide said of Manchin.
In addition, Manchin backed and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
A different Senate GOP aide noted one specific Manchin vote from this Congress that particularly irked them: The American Rescue Plan, which the aide said is the "$1.9 trillion bill that got us into this in the first place." That bill passed along party lines and would not have been law if Manchin voted against it. The GOP aide also noted that Manchin voted against Republicans' 2017 tax cut.
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His voting record appears inconsistent with West Virginia voters. It could have an impact on future races.
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