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The two senators most responsible for keeping many of Joe Biden’s radical plans from being realized have one parting gift for the departing president.
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) are leaving the Senate when their terms expire shortly after the new year. Neither senator wanted to risk running in what surely would have been a losing campaign given Trump’s overwhelming strength in West Virginia and a strong Democratic challenger for Sinema in Arizona.
Formostofthelastfouryears,SinemaandManchinhaveblockedthemostradicalaspectsoftheBidenlegislativeprogram,includingremovingseveralradicalproposalsinthe$2trillion“BuildBackBetter”bill.BothhavealsostoodsteadfastagainstenormouspressuretogetridofordramaticallyweakentheSenatefilibuster.
Now,thetwo“mavericks”areblockingtherenominationofaNationalLaborRelationsBoard(NLRB)ChairwomanLaurenMcFerran.ThiswillopenthedoorforDonaldTrumptonamehisowncandidateforchairplusfillonemorevacancyonthefive-personboardandgiveRepublicanscontrol.
Democratsareunhappy.
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