Pavlich: Is Manchin’s time in Washington limited?

Just one week after the conclusion of the 2022 midterm elections, in which Democrats kept control of the U.S. Senate, West Virginia’s Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin already has a challenger ahead of his campaign for reelection in 2024. 

“It’s been talked about a lot, but I’m going to announce. I’m announcing right now that I am officially running for the United States Senate for the seat that’s open in two years that Joe Manchin is currently in,” Republican Rep. Alex Mooney, fresh off of his reelection  to the House, said during an interview with MetroNews Talkline on Tuesday. “I’m all in.”

The announcement comes nearly two weeks after Manchin publicly slammed President Biden for gleefully declaring he planned to shut down coal plants across the country during a campaign stop in New York. 

“Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting,” Manchin said in a scathing statement. “President Biden’s comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs. Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all-in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure.”

Manchin’s words were stinging and even prompted a clarification from the White House about what Biden really meant, but those rang hollow. Manchin’s recent vote for the Inflation Reduction Act puts him closer to Biden on energy policy and eliminating the fossil fuel industry. 

According to the numbers, the Inflation Reduction Act was the biggest handout to environmental activists in history. The package is a version of the Green New Deal with a different title. 

“The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the most significant climate legislation in United States history. Energy Innovation Policy and Technology LLC® modeling finds the IRA’s $370 billion in climate and clean energy investments could cut U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030,” Forbes reports. “Though the clean energy transition is happening, coal retirements must be accelerated to reach our climate goals. The IRA will speed the shift from coal to clean and support a just transition by providing $5 billion to back $250 billion in low-cost loans for utilities to reduce coal debt and reinvest in clean technologies. Another provision provides $9.7 billion in financial assistance for rural electric cooperatives to move toward clean energy sources.”

Shortly after Manchin voted for the legislation, which doesn’t work to reduce inflation, his approval rating in West Virginia plummeted. 

“Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s job approval rating has fallen by double digits among West Virginia voters in recent months as he has played a pivotal role in advancing a pared-back version of President Joe Biden’s major domestic policy legislation, Morning Consult Political Intelligence tracking shows. This places him comfortably among America’s most unpopular senators ahead of a potential 2024 re-election run,” Morning Consult found in October. “Following a quarter in which he played a pivotal role in the enactment of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act — a massive climate, health care and taxes measure — Manchin saw a greater decline in his approval rating and a larger surge in disapproval than any other Senate incumbent.”

Manchin may be able to distance himself from Biden’s “cavalier” comments, but he can’t distance himself from codifying his anti-West Virginia energy policy with his vote. 

“No one believes Joe Manchin anymore. His words are sad attempts to cover his efforts to empower Joe Biden’s liberal agenda,” Mooney tweeted last week. “He literally handed Biden his biggest policy ‘win’ by supporting dramatic tax increases that will threaten the entire coal industry and the thousands of West Virginia jobs and communities it supports.”

West Virginia is a red state that is only getting redder. The race for 2024 has already started and time will tell if Manchin, the Mountain State’s Democratic senator in Washington, will be able to maintain his status as a power broker on Capitol Hill.

Pavlich is the editor for Townhall.com and a Fox News contributor.