Joe Manchin Leaves Option Open to Defund Joe Biden Vaccine Mandate

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on Thursday declined to say if he would vote for a Republican amendment to defund President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate.

Manchin, when asked if he would vote for an amendment to block funding for Biden’s vaccine mandate, said he is still “working” through it.

“I’ve been very supportive of a mandate for federal government, for military. … I’ve been less enthused about it in the private sector,” the West Virginia Democrat said.

Congressional leaders have struck a tentative deal to fund the federal government through February; however, many Senate conservatives, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), hope to use the spectre of a government shutdown to defund Biden’s vaccine mandate.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) support the strategy. – READ MORE