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Former Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) are joining the board of directors for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a prominent Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on fiscal policy. Maya MacGuineas, the president of the organization, said in a statement on Wednesday that the additions underscore “the committee’s longstanding commitment to fostering bipartisan solutions to our nation’s fiscal decline and working to put forward solutions for America’s elected leaders.” “Both former senators have been staunch advocates for responsible budgeting, but more than that, they have not shied away from working across the aisle to find solutions...

The reason you generally have pardons or commutations is because there's a problem with the case. Maybe improper prosecution or some question about the evidence, for example. In the case of the Jan. 6 defendants, there are a variety of questions along those lines -- unfair prosecution and/or sentences. But in the case of the 37 cases of commutation of the death penalty by Joe Biden, it was just because Biden -- or the handlers behind him -- thought that the death penalty was wrong. There weren't any questions in any of the cases he commuted. Biden/the handlers were replacing...

A new Congress will be introduced in a matter of days, and a myriad of outgoing lawmakers have made their concerns and questions for their and the country’s future known. Some had advice for the upcoming Congress. Others were thankful they were leaving. Most were frustrated with political parties, partisanship, or the slow going process in the chambers. Here’s what they said.Sinema withstood a torrent of attention at most every turn during her time in Congress, and found praise from both Republicans and Democrats. The political independent, who sometimes caucused with her former Democratic Party, drew a hard line on...

Outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) wrote a scathing tweet about President Joe Biden after he granted clemency to 37 prisoners on federal death row who received life sentences without the potential for parole. He called it “horribly misguided and insulting,” especially regarding the two men convicted of murdering a student at Marshall University. The Democrat-turned-Independent said he felt a moral obligation to speak out against the outgoing president on behalf of the parents of Samantha Burns, a 19-year-old girl who was killed in November 2002. However, her remains were never found. Manchin said her family wrote letters to Biden pleading...

Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) said Sunday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that he was no longer a Democrat because the party’s brand had become “toxic.” Host Manu Raju asked, “Do you still consider yourself a Democrat?” Manchin said, “I am not a Democrat. in a form of what? What the Democratic Party has turned itself into the national brand? Absolutely not. And they know that. They’re all good people on both sides.” He continued, “The brand got so bad the D brand has been so maligned from the standpoint of. It’s just toxic, and the D brand is basically this. You...

Citing "evidence" provided by the Romanian Intelligence Service alleging that Russian participation in a social media campaign may have unduly influenced voters, Romania's Constitutional Court annulled the first round results in which Calin Georgescu (Independent) finished first (22.9%) and Elena Lasconi (Save Romania Union) second (19.17%). This effectively cancels the top-two runoff leaving it up to Parliament and the Prime Minister to reschedule a new round one election. Lasconi opposed the court's action, saying "the Romanian state trampled over democracy" and predicted that "God, the Romanian people, the truth and the law will prevail." Alliance for the Union of Romanians...

During an interview with CBS’s “The Takeout” podcast released on Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) said that the 17 Nobel laureates that the Biden administration used to justify spending in the American Rescue Plan were “17 educated idiots” who told the Biden administration what it wanted to hear because the administration “paid them.” Manchin stated that [relevant remarks begin around 12:05] inflation, immigration, and Afghanistan were the biggest blind spots of the Biden administration and the Harris campaign and addressed inflation first by stating, “I warned of that, and I got criticized, as you recall, they told me they had...

During an interview with CBS’s “The Takeout” podcast released on Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) wondered why the Biden administration can’t admit it made a mistake with Afghanistan and said, “When you make a mistake and you can’t own up to it, then that means, did you make it intentionally then, since you don’t think it’s a mistake?” While discussing Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy, Manchin said, [relevant remarks begin around 10:25] “[W]hen they said, do you support everything that was done? I’m on the team. I’m number two. This is not my gameplan. I didn’t put the gameplan out....

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) stated that while 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is saying the right things, “it is basically what you say and what you do are two different things,” and that while he can’t endorse 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, “I like a lot of his policies.” Host Wolf Blitzer asked, “Kamala Harris, as you know, has positioned herself as being more moderate. Is she moderate enough to get your support?”

Former Democrat turned independent Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) endorsed former Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan on Thursday in the state’s Senate race. Manchin’s endorsement is a blow to little-known Democrat nominee Angela Alsobrooks, who is under pressure to stave off Hogan’s surge to flip Maryland’s typically Democrat Senate seat to Republican. If Democrats lose the seat, Republicans will likely retake the Senate with a strong majority. “Forget about being a Democrat or Republican,” Manchin told DC News Now. “Larry Hogan is just the right person with the right attitude for the job. He’s not afraid to speak against your party,...

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV (WOWK) — It was a dramatic night at Shepherd University in the eastern panhandle as protesters briefly shouted down West Virginia’s two U.S. senators. Fortunately, no one got hurt. More than a dozen protesters took the stage at Shepherd University Thursday night, disrupting the “Beyond Pepperoni Rolls” forum with U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I) and Shelley Moore Capito (R). The forum was moderated by MetroNews “Talkline” host Hoppy Kercheval. The group is concerned about climate change, and its belief that both West Virginia senators are still too supportive of the fossil fuel industry. Campus police came to the...

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) is reportedly thinking about returning to the Democrats and running for the White House now that President Joe Biden has announced he would be ending his 2024 re-election bid. CNN’s Jake Tapper reported Sunday on X that sources close to Manchin said the senator is considering re-registering to the Democratic Party and “throwing his hat into the ring.” Sources also told NBC News that Manchin was considering a bid against Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the only declared candidate seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination so far.

Sen. Joe Manchin is considering challenging Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential ticket, according to a report Sunday. Manchin — a longtime moderate West Virginia Democrat who turned independent this year — is weighing whether to return to the Democratic Party and make a run for the White House, sources close to his office told CNN.The 76-year-old called for Biden to drop out of the race Sunday morning just hours before Biden, 81, announced his withdrawal.What to know about President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:President Biden announced Sunday he is dropping out of...

Sources close to Sen Joe Manchin, independent of WV, say he's considering re-registering as a Democrat and throwing his hat into the ring

Former Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) revealed that the Democrat Party is expected to reach a consensus on Joe Biden’s viability as their nominee for the White House by this Sunday. The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Sen. Manchin suggested that clarity about Biden’s intentions in the upcoming election might soon emerge. When asked by NBC’s Ryan Nobles about Biden’s capability to continue his campaign and serve another term, Manchin responded evasively, urging the public to “wait until this weekend” for a more definite perspective. Ryan Nobles: Are you personally confident that he has what it takes to not only...

<p>Sen. Joe Manchin had planned to publicly call on President Biden to step aside after last week’s train wreck debate, but top Democrats got wind and convinced him not to — as a growing number of White House officials say they are “freaking the f–k out,” according to reports.</p>

Sen. Joe Manchin is registering as an independent, according to a person familiar with the matter — a move that is sure to stoke speculation he could run for Senate or governor without a party affiliation this fall. A longtime Democrat, Manchin’s decision comes ahead of a deadline for filing as an independent in West Virginia. He’ll have several more weeks to decide whether to run for his Senate seat or mount a bid for his old job as governor. The move is no guarantee he will run for either office, however. Manchin previously announced he would not run for...

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a longtime political moderate, on Friday announced he is leaving the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent. In a statement, Manchin, who is not running for re-election, said he switched his party affiliation at the West Virginia State Capitol. "From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s...

Sen. Joe Manchin leaves the Democratic Party and registers as an independent Manchin's decision, after years of bucking party leadership, could allow him to run for governor or try for another Senate term this fall after ruling out doing so as a Democrat.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a longtime moderate Democrat, announced on Friday that he is registering as an independent. Manchin announced last year that he would not run for reelection in the deep red state, creating an opportunity for Republicans to flip the Senate seat. The news that Manchin has registered as an independent raises fresh questions, however, over his political future and aspirations. “Our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground,” Manchin, who has long been a pivotal swing vote in the Senate, said in a statement. “To stay true...