Joe Manchin Tests His Power

USA Today: “Anyone who thought his outsized influence in the evenly divided Senate was overstated needed only to see how the chamber came to a screeching halt when the West Virginia moderate raised questions about the size of unemployment benefits.”

“Manchin already effectively derailed one of Biden’s Cabinet nominees. And he showed his clout again during the debate of Bidens’ Covid-19 relief bill. After he objected to the $400-per-week payments, it was lowered to $300 following an hours-long delay where the senator was at the center of negotiations.”

CNN: How Democrats miscalculated Manchin and later won him back.