(DCWatchdog.com) – United States Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is the only Democrat to announce he will vote against the Build Back Better Act, ostracizing him among the party. As a result, many have speculated Manchin could be convinced to leave the Democratic Party.
Talking to the Washington Times, Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that while he didn’t know what Manchin would decide to do, he was aware that “West Virginia has gotten increasingly red,” adding that he believed Manchin’s potential vote against Build Back Better reflected his constituents in West Virginia.
Cornyn’s comments also reveal that the Republican Party would love to have Manchin since it would change the Senate majority. If Manchin were to join the GOP, his presence would give the GOP 51 senators compared to 47 Democrats and two independents who vote alongside Democrats.
These remarks come after a very public spat between Manchin and White House staffers, in which he accused Press Secretary Jen Psaki of using borderline bully tactics to earn his vote. Psaki hit back, saying she had no regrets for her tough talk.
Manchin also mentioned that the Democrats had applied “absolutely inexcusable” pressure to get him to vote in favor of the Build Back Better Act, saying that White House staffers were approaching the legislation as if they had “50 or 60 senators that are Democrats.”
Considering his misgivings, it wouldn’t surprise some if he left the party. However, joining the GOP wouldn’t be an easy transition for Manchin, at least according to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who said that given Manchin has been a Democrat all of his life, joining the Republican Party would be a “tough hill for him to climb.”
However, Cruz didn’t entirely bash the possibility saying that if the Democrats were “nasty enough,” they would drive Manchin over to the Republican Party, who’d welcome him.
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