Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) recently said he would not support judicial picks by President Joe Biden that lack support from the GOP.
Sen. Joe Manchin said he will not support President Joe Biden's judicial picks who don't have any Republican support. "Just one Republican. That's all I'm asking for. Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster," Manchin said. MORE: https://t.co/72o8YmXDBP pic.twitter.com/Wz2ygUCIr2
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) March 21, 2024
While speaking to Politico, the West Virginia congressman, who is not seeking reelection in the fall of 2024, said he would vote against multiple of Biden’s judicial nominees.
“Just one Republican. That’s all I’m asking for. Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster,” Manchin said. “If they can’t get one Republican, I vote for none. I’ve told [Democrats] that. I said, ‘I’m sick and tired of it, I can’t take it anymore.”
Manchin also spoke to CNN when asked about Biden’s nominee for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Adeel Mangi.
“I’m going to be very honest with everybody, if my Democratic colleagues and friends can’t get one Republican vote, don’t count on me. You can’t make it bipartisan, don’t count on me,” the West Virginia lawmaker added. “I’m not leaving this place unless I can practice what I preach and I’m preaching, basically bipartisanship. This is my little way of doing it.”
The National Review reported that Manchin’s filibuster would bar Mangi from serving on the appeals court.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has said she would oppose Mangi’s nomination. The judge currently has no support from Republicans in the chamber.
Mangi previously served on the board of an organization called the Center for Security, Race and Rights at Rutgers. The group “produced several extremist programs, featured speakers with ties to known terrorist organizations, and sponsored lectures brazenly touting antisemitic themes,” according to the National Review.
The outlet added that Manchin’s bipartisan stance equips him with the political flexibility to serve in a potential Republican or Democratic administration.
The president’s judicial nominees in the past have garnered the support of Senate Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Manchin said he would need the Biden administration to act more to obtain GOP votes for judicial picks.
“If you’ve got a decent person you can at least get one. Just go ask Lisa, go as Susan, even Lindsey,” he said. “Lisa and Susan both are not controlled by just voting party line, I know that. But you’ve got to ask them.”
