House Democrats lashed out at West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Republicans for a “double standard” on President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees, Politico reports.
Manchin last week announced that he would not support Neera Tanden to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, citing past tweets critical of senators from both parties.
California Rep. Judy Chu said “there’s a double standard going on” after Manchin voted to confirm numerous Trump appointees.
“Her nomination is very significant for us Asian American and Pacific Islanders,” said Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “I do believe that this double standard has to do with the fact that she would be a pioneer in that position.”
Manchin backed controversial Trump picks:
Some Democrats have criticized Manchin for opposing some of Biden’s picks after he voted to confirm ex-Attorney General Jeff Sessions despite a history of racist comments, ex-Germany Ambassador Richard Grenell despite extensive combative tweets, and controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
“We can disagree with her tweets, but in the past, Trump nominees that they've confirmed and supported had much more serious issues and conflicts than just something that was written on Twitter,” New York Rep. Grace Meng told Politico. “This is not just about any one nominee like Neera, or whoever else — it's just about this pattern that is happening and increasingly hard to ignore.”
Will Manchin back Deb Haaland?
Manchin told NBC News on Monday that he remains undecided on whether to back Deb Haaland, who would be the first Native American to head the Department of Interior.
Manchin previously criticized Haaland for opposing fracking and drilling on public lands.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Manchin for backing Sessions but expressing concerns about Haaland.
“Jeff Sessions was so openly racist that even Reagan couldn’t appoint him,” she tweeted. “Manchin voted to confirm him. Sessions then targeted immigrant children for wide-scale human rights abuses w/ family separation. Yet the 1st Native woman to be Cabinet Sec is where Manchin finds unease?”
