Manchin says wife hospitalized after car accident



Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said in a statement on Tuesday that his wife had been hospitalized after a car accident on Monday.

Gayle Conelly Manchin is federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, a position to which she was nominated by President Joe Biden.

"On Monday, my wife Gayle and her colleague Guy Land were involved in a car accident on the way from the airport to the hotel in Birmingham, Alabama for an Appalachian Regional Commission event that was planned for today. Both were admitted to UAB Hospital and are receiving excellent care. She remains in stable condition but will stay there for a couple of days for precautionary measures. We want to thank the first responders who answered the call and were first on-site to provide assistance and support," Sen. Joe Manchin said in a statement.

The senator and his wife have been married for more than 50 years.

Manchin, whose term ends in early 2025, announced last year that he would not seek re-election.

The lawmaker has said that he thinks President Joe Biden has veered too far left.

Manchin has also sounded the alarm about America's ever-expanding national debt.

"The national debt is the greatest threat our country faces — and we are rapidly approaching the crisis point," Manchin, GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) declared in a recent opinion piece. "There is growing appetite on both sides of the aisle to address our national debt. It is time for Congress to put the interests of the country ahead of political expediency and get us on sound fiscal footing before it is too late."

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Biden nominates wife of swing vote Sen. Joe Manchin to cushy $160K-a-year gov’t gig



President Joe Biden is set to nominate the wife of swing vote Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) to a cushy government position paying over $160,000 annually, the White House announced in a news release Friday.

In the release, the White House noted that the new president looks forward to appointing Gayle Conelly Manchin, a former president of the West Virginia Board of Education, for federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

According to ARC's website, the commission "is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region."

In her role as co-chair, Manchin will aim to spur economic growth in the region, spanning from Pennsylvania to northern Mississippi. If confirmed by the Senate, Manchin would replace Tim Thomas in the role, which, according to the Washington Times, pays $163,000 a year.

According to the readout, Manchin is a longtime educator who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Language Arts and Education and a Master of Arts in Reading from West Virginia University, and a second master's specialization in Educational Technology Leadership from Salem International University.

While certainly qualified for the role, her appointment is likely to raise eyebrows considering her relationship to a sitting member of Congress. The move will certainly draw some scrutiny from conservatives for being overtly political, especially since her husband, a moderate, is seen as a key swing vote in the gridlocked Senate.

Though Democrats control both chambers of Congress as well as the presidency, their advantage in the upper chamber is as narrow as it gets — split 50-50 between lawmakers who regularly vote with each party. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris breaks ties.

Given the balance of power, Joe Manchin has become a pivotal figure in the Senate, and one who could quite literally decide whether or not many of Biden's policy priorities become law.

He angered progressives earlier this year after he tanked the nomination of Neera Tanden, Biden's controversial pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Likewise his eventual support for Biden's massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill effectively blocked Republicans from having any meaningful influence on the legislation.

It was not immediately clear when Gayle Manchin's confirmation vote would come before the Senate.

Biden Tries Snagging Swing Sen. Joe Manchin’s Loyalty By Picking His Wife For Key Administration Role

If confirmed, former president of the West Virginia Board of Education Gayle Conelly Manchin will act as co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.