By Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
WASHINGTON, D.C. — When two Georgia Senate seats were unexpectedly won by Democrats in November 2020 and the Senate found itself with a 50-50 split, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was thrust into the national spotlight because of a history of siding with Republicans on some issues.
Manchin, who came to the Senate in 2010 after the death of Sen. Robert Byrd, has during those years consistently shown an independence that made him a wild card.
With the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan hinging on Manchin’s support, he stalled passage until some changes he sought were made, including a lower income limit on those who can receive stimulus checks, leaving the federal share of unemployment benefits at $300 a week and excluding the $15 minimum wage provision.
Senate Republicans, who all voted against the stimulus package, had also wanted those changeshttps://www.bdtonline.com/news/local_news/sen-joe-manchin-walking-thin-line-in-divided-u-s-senate/article_8db14993-64d2-5623-9dc8-1e13c2282d19.html…
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