He’s swamped.
Joe Biden has somewhat quietly appointed Senator Joe Manchin’s wife to a powerful federal commission. She won’t just be a member of the commission, Biden chose her to be the federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. This is a position that must be approved by a vote in the Senate. Let’s be honest — Joe Biden’s bringing on Gayle Conelly Manchin in hopes of scoring points with Joe Manchin. Biden needs Manchin to vote along with the other Senate Democrats to move his agenda through. In a 50/50 Senate, the Biden administration has to sweat every vote. The headline for this story automatically raises an eyebrow if the reader understands just how powerful Joe Manchin is at this point in time. Manchin can pretty much get whatever he wants from Biden in exchange for Manchin’s support. INBOX: Biden nominates Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife to be co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission pic.twitter.com/gUCSuoiPec Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) March 26, 2021 This announcement is described as being “tucked at the bottom of a statement also announcing nominees to the Department of Labor, U.S. Marshal Service, Office of Management and Budget and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” Her resume and background in West Virginia politics run through a long history of experience as a teacher and in leadership positions in West Virginia education, as announced by the White House. An educator from West Virginia, Gayle Manchin worked in Marion County Schools, served on the faculty of Fairmont State University, and was the Director of the university’s first Community Service Learning Program. She directed the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in WV and implemented a statewide initiative, WV Partnerships to Assure Student Success. Manchin previously served as West Virginia’s First Lady and was appointed to serve as a member of the State Board of Education, serving her last two years as President.
