Joe Manchin Just Says “NO” To D.C. Statehood Legislation
You’ll never guess what Democrat activists are calling him. Starts with an “R” and ends in a “T”
You know who is the most racisty racisty racist in America right now according to Democrats? That would be one Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, who just drove a stake through the heart of Democrat dreams to make the District of Columbia a State.
Making D.C. a state would be unconstitutional, even with an attempt to carve D.C. into pieces and make one piece a state. So unconstitutional even John Roberts might switch sides and join the conservatives on the high court. But nonetheless, Democrats wanted to go there, perhaps hoping more threats from Chuck Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse to go all insurrectionist against SCOTUS would work.
But in order for it even to be in play legislatively, Democrats would need to bust the filibuster AND get all Democrat Senators plus the Vice President to vote for it. Joe Manchin has said he’s not busting the legislative filibuster, and today he said he’s also not voting to make D.C. a state, arguing that a constitutional amendment would be needed for that.
Sen. Joe Manchin III told reporters in his home state of West Virginia on Friday morning that he does not support the bill to make D.C. the nation’s 51st state, according to audio provided by the Democrat’s office and a report from WVNews.
Manchin, a key swing vote in the closely divided Senate, said he believes a constitutional amendment, rather than legislation, would be required to admit D.C. as a state. His stance deals a major blow to statehood advocates who were hoping for his support after the bill passed the House last week.
Manchin cited findings from the Justice Department under Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and comments from then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in reaching his decision.
“They all came to the same conclusion: If Congress wants to make D.C. a state, it should propose a constitutional amendment. It should propose a constitutional amendment and let the people of America vote,” Manchin said in a radio interview with Hoppy Kercheval of West Virginia’s MetroNews, the full audio of which was provided to The Washington Post by Manchin’s staff.
Manchin was among four in the Senate Democratic caucus who had yet to reveal their positions on statehood; all the other Democratic senators have said they support the idea, but Republicans have been vocally opposed. (One Democrat, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, co-sponsored a statehood bill in the last Congress but has not signed on as a co-sponsor this year.)
The Washington, D.C. Admission Act passed the House 216 to 208 last week, along strict party lines, for the second time in history. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said that “we will try to work a path to get [statehood] done.”
The bill faces high hurdles in that chamber, with or without Manchin. Because of the Senate filibuster, 60 senators would need to support statehood for the bill to advance — making passage all but impossible as long as the filibuster is in place….
He said in the radio interview that he viewed the 23rd Amendment as a chief obstacle for D.C. statehood, echoing arguments from congressional Republicans who have called D.C. statehood unconstitutional. The 23rd Amendment, ratified in 1961, gave D.C. three electoral votes in presidential elections.
He’s RACIST!
Stasha Rhodes, campaign director of 51 for 51, noted Friday that every state admitted to the union, including West Virginia, was admitted by Congress. She argued it should not be different for D.C.
“No member of the Senate should deny voting rights to 700,000 mostly Black and Brown Washingtonians based on a flimsy understanding of the Constitution and American history,” she said in a statement.
DailyKOS, Joe Manchin Isn’t Complicated, He’s a Racist.
To hell with Black people in Washington D.C., King Joe Manchin the First wants the rest of America -through a process that will never happen (Constitutional Amendment) — to determine if D.C. can have representation in the Senate. Everything we can possibly do to expand the voices of marginalized people in this country must first bend the knee to King Manchin’s will.
Whether His Majesty is merely trying to sustain his own power or not, his actions serve the interests of systemic racism. Much like his refusal to end the Jim Crow filibuster, or even reform it in such a way as to allow for a vote on essential voting rights, King Joe will continue to hold a gavel given to him by Black voters in Georgia, and use his newfound glory and power to suppress Black voices and Black votes.
Joe Manchin is acting to sustain white power from a position of incredible, ridiculous, undeserved and unearned privilege and authority in the Senate. He is giving the middle finger to every progressive effort we have. He is pissing on the labor and sacrifice of Georgia voters, of voters in Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and Arizona. He is shitting on Joe Biden’s chance to make real change in this country.
Only a cowardly racist would say they don't support statehood for three quarters of a million people in a predominantly black and minority inhabited area, and would recommend a constitutional amendment that he knows would go nowhere.
Manchin is a pig. His true self is showing.
— Larry Middleton (@l78lancer) April 30, 2021
What an idiot. What state required a constitutional amendment to be admitted to the union. Manchin is a racist fool.
— Edwin Hollins (@edwinhollins) April 30, 2021
You know what might change his mind? Umm… calling him a “hillbilly”?
Manchin is a racist, no ploy , just a fact..He's a hillbilly. https://t.co/WvCwSkgiZj
— GATEKEEPER….. GQP = RIP (@Gatekeeperkenny) April 30, 2021
It’s about time Democrats stopped putting up with Manchin. Kick him out of the party, make him caucus with Republicans.
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Comments
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Love it when lefties get their panties in a twist!
Edwin Hollins, another Affirmatives moron said, “What an idiot. What state required a constitutional amendment to be admitted to the union. Manchin is a racist fool.”
Thereby removing all doubt.
Probably just a pipe-dream on my part, but since Biden and the new congress were sworn in, it seems as if the stage is being set for Manchin to switch parties.
A handful of people aside (Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and the like), Manchin has done more for us than the garbage can full of people that comprise the GOP.
It is a naive pipe dream.
Manchin is not, and WILL NEVER BE, the deciding vote in favor of Republicans.
He simply pragmatically understands if he lets the Democrats pack the Senate, that his vote will become significantly less valuable, and they’ll get rid of him the second they don’t need him anymore.
The stage is being set for him to demand an appropriate bribe before ‘evolving’ on the issue, and then retiring with his payoffs.
Exactly. Manchin is as Swamp as you can get. Google Heather Bresch.
He won in 2018 narrowly, is feathering his nest before 2024.
Clearly the communitariat has its talking points in a row.
The reason the other states didn’t require a Constitutional amendment is because the Constitution already provided for that (Article IV, section 3). But DC doesn’t qualify since it was expressly set aside as a national district (Article I, Section 8), reflecting the concerns (valid at the time) that a national capital within a state would be a problem.
This is what happens when you don’t teach the constitution in school.
Constitution? Democrats have only one criterion: “We want it now!”
Is anyone else getting as mad as I’m getting? I’ve just about had it.
The corrupt FBI is watching us. So is the corrupted Pentagon.
We’re the enemy now.
History has shown when a government is so completely corrupted as our government has become, there is no hope for the corrupted nation. Zero. Never happened in world history.
Secession is our only hope.
I want Michigan to split into 3 states. South Mich. North Mich. and Superior.
We’d get 2 more R governors, 4 more R senators, Take away house reps and electoral votes from S. Mich.
Diversitist (i.e. color judgment) is the general state of prejudicial dogma.
I don’t want him in my party until he loses his fascination with fruitlessly oppressing gun owners.
Hope he has a bodyguard and food tester.
right now he is still all talk, i’ll be convinced once he casts an actual vote
“It’s about time Democrats stopped putting up with Manchin. Kick him out of the party, make him caucus with Republicans.”
Manchin – a Mitt Romneycare clone – voted to remove President Trump on utterly specious grounds. I don’t believe it is possible for the GOP to get any more toxic than it already is, but Manchin as a Republican could put my theory to the test.
But the issue is moot. This is just posturing by Manchin to squeeze more goodies out of the Communist leadership while the squeezing is good.
All they’re doing is showing how dopey they are…once again.
If Manchin keeps pissing Leftist activists and donors off, they’ll primarily him. They do, his Senate seat flips.
Manchin isn’t up for re-election until 2024. Don’t forget he was the governor before he became a senator, so West Virginians knows him quite well.
He knows he’s got a lot of leverage right now. It’s a 50-50 Senate; the only reason the Democrats have control is because of Harris. Kick him out of the Dem caucus and even if he decides not to join the GOP or even caucus with them it’s still hello, Majority Leader McConnell, goodbye Democrat agenda. Not to mention a very likely slowdown in the confirmation process for a bunch of Biden nominees.
(Bernie Sanders and Angus King from Maine are classified as Independents but caucus with the Democrats in order to get committee positions.)
Another Dem senator who has quite a bit of say but isn’t as publicly vocal about it as Manchin is Kyrsten Sinema (AZ).
Yes indeed. Mr. Manchin would not have this power if the Senate was 51-49 Democrat.
And if the Dems primary him out (very unlikely), it would present the Pubs with an excellent opportunity to pick up that seat. The state political structure is in a holding pattern right now, usual when the two Senate seats are locked up. A successful primary against Manchin would definitely shake things up there.
He won in 2018 with less than 50 percent. The Libertarian took 4 percent. If he had to stand for election right now, he would go down in a landslide.
He is as corrupt as any; he is just maximizing the dollar value of his vote.
Seeing the Dems will stop at nothing, and the courts are not reliable to enforce the Constitution, perhaps we should cut this off at its knees.
Next time the GOP has the Congress and the Presidency, they need to simply cut out the ring around the National Mall, and hand that area over to Maryland. The 750K of people complaining of taxation without representation can now enjoy taxation with representation. And a lot of it, Maryland being a deep blue state.
What would really be fun is seeing the DC local government being dissolved. The mayor, the city council, the local school board, etc, all those worthless people would actually have to get a job.
Reading the boundaries, and I admit my head hurts right now just envisioning it, this new “state” would have every embassy located within it. I’m also rather certain that the Naval Observatory, which includes the VP’s residence, would be part of it, since otherwise they’d have to carve out an island on the map.
To me, the big policy issue is not how much voting power black DC voters should have, but rather whether the DC government should have the power to impose a “commuter tax” upon residents of MD and VA who happen to work in DC.
If people wanted to really help promote democratic principles, they would admit Puerto Rico as a full state.
Add PA, WV, and DE to that list.
My understanding is that PR has had several popular votes on this issue, and the population has always voted “hell, no.”
If we had a Constitutional government where the states did everything that the federal government isn’t given the power to do originally, I wouldn’t mind if every big city became a state. But no, this centralized system is bad in so many ways.
100% go back to MD to Restore voting rights but that’s not what the Dems really want, Such liars.
Haven’t heard any of the usual suspects say anything about dark money in politics lately. JS
No quotes on “NO.” It’s indirect statement.
Manchin likes to talk tough, but when it comes time to vote, he does what Chucky tells him to
How about a compromise. DC gets statehood, and we split up California and Washington so that the residents in the eastern half of those states are no longer disenfranchised.
That’s a nice thought but it doesn’t help Democrats so Unfortunately no.
Manchin will continue to be a Democrat. I will continue to remain a Conservative (I’m disgusted with establishment Republicans, right now). But above any party affiliation, I am an American first. Because America is my first priority, I’m considering sending Manchin some campaign funds just because he opposes the insane and malevolent Leftists that have been trying to take over the Democrat Party and have largely succeeded.
Tough to see Senator Manchin or any other small population Senator for that matter truly supporting this. Sure the small State d would get initial log rolling carve outs and special goodies for their State.
Longer term? Any increase in the number of Senators directly diminishes and dilutes the power of every Senator. Temporary d/progressive majority sure. That is likely fleeting.
Look at the current Senate d members. Many are not going to be in the Senate in six or eight years based on age. Some are from States shifting from blue to purple or like Manchin in a State that has shifted red.
Their name recognition, incumbency and political machine/war chest keeps them in office. As soon as they retire the jockeying to replace them begins.
The Democrats figure they have until the 2022 campaign gets going to lock in a permanent majority. Some combination of ballot harvesting, statehood for DC and/or PR. Packing the SCOTUS. Huge payoffs (AKA “stimulus”). All they have to do is get one or two of those and they don’t have to worry about their Senators aging out. I live in CA. Charles Manson (D, Dead) wins by ten points. Or, as Pelosi says: “a glass of water.”
Again, CA experience. Once you go single party, you never go back.
lichau,
I don’t see any of those actually passing. Lots of sound and fury about them but sounding up the votes?
IMO, there are enough d Senators who will view those actions as bad for their State or in general and will put that in front of party. Not all by a long shot but enough.
CA is a great example of Calvinball as practiced by the d/progressive. No one outside of d/progressive true believer want that. Politicians are many things, true believers ain’t one of them.
Heck even CA d/progressive may have overstepped. What if the long shot Jenner actually wins? Then if SEN Feinstein becomes unable to serve Jenner would get to replace her.
Democrats: unhinged.
Simple: decree that all residents within Washington DC are Maryland residents, unless they’ve maintained their residency in another State.
Schumer may be evil, but he’s not stupid.
I don’t agree that it would be unconstitutional, but it’s still a very bad idea.
Article 1 section 8 doesn’t require a separate federal district. It just says that if one or more states cede land for a federal district, Congress shall have exclusive jurisdiction there. OK, that happened. But Congress can decide that we no longer need such a district.
If so, it can offer the land back to MD. But it doesn’t have to. MD ceded it, and thus lost all rights to it. It’s federal territory now, just like the old territories in the West, and it’s up to Congress what to do with it.
If, as they now propose, a small federal district would remain, that would completely dispose of any concerns about that clause, even though I don’t think such concerns are valid in the first place. It would raise an issue with the 23rd amendment, but that’s easily dealt with. Since Congress would retain exclusive jurisdiction over the remaining district it could simply provide by legislation, in the same act that made the rest of it a state, that the district will no longer exercise the right it gained under the 23rd amendment, and will no longer appoint any electors. It can even provide that the few people who live in the remaining district shall be treated for election purposes as if they were citizens of the new state, and shall vote there.
He’s just covering his butt. Right now, Manchin is literally the most powerful Senator; he loses that if they pack in another two Senators from a new DC state. He’s a swampthing, and he is reveling in his new role as power broker.
Besides, adding DC as a state is such a blatant powergrab by the left that I’m not convinced Demoracts actually want to go there with their Congressional margins so slim. Likewise the SCOTUS court-packing pipedream. They would probably be so-inclined if they had anything resembling a mandate, but they don’t. And they know it.
By the way, the reason the founders wanted a federal district wasn’t that without it the host state would have undue influence on the legislators, it was that they were afraid the host city and state would refuse to defend Congress if it were attacked, as happened to the old pre-constitution congress in Philadelphia.
I don’t disagree with the Manchin detractors here…he is definitely a swamp creature.
That said, I believe there is another reason he will never switch parties. I can’t remember a time in the modern era that a party switch has bade well for the political future of that particular member of federal politics. It’s one of the reasons, among others, for the rarity of the move. A few reps can get by with it here and there and be okay, but it has never advanced a politician’s career that I can remember.
Phil Gramm? Ben Nighthorse Campbell? Or do you define those as before the “modern era”?