🧷 From Ally to Adversary: A Voting Record Autopsy

Senator Joe Manchin’s Journey from Coal Country Champion to Corporate Gatekeeper

“He said he’d fight for West Virginia. He fought for Wall Street instead.”

🧠 Campaign Persona

Joe Manchin rose to prominence as a Democrat from West Virginia, branding himself as a centrist who understood working-class struggles. He spoke of protecting coal miners, expanding healthcare access, and defending rural communities from economic abandonment. His folksy charm and bipartisan tone positioned him as a bridge-builder in a polarized Senate.

🧾 Voting Record Shift

Despite his working-class branding, Manchin’s voting record increasingly aligned with corporate interests—especially fossil fuel and financial sectors. Key moments include:

• Blocking Climate Legislation (2021–2022):

  Manchin repeatedly stalled or watered down climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act, citing “economic concerns” while personally profiting from coal investments.

• Opposing Medicare Expansion:

  He resisted efforts to expand Medicare coverage for dental, vision, and hearing—despite broad public support.

• Filibuster Defense:

  Manchin became a staunch defender of the filibuster, effectively blocking voting rights legislation and other progressive reforms.

• Bank Deregulation (2018):

  He voted to roll back parts of Dodd-Frank, loosening oversight on mid-sized banks—many of which later faced instability.

💰 Donor Influence

Manchin’s campaign and personal finances reveal deep ties to fossil fuel and banking interests:

• 💰 Enersystems Inc. (a coal brokerage firm he founded) → Manchin earned over $500,000 annually from this company while serving in the Senate

• 🏦 Banking Industry Donations → Supported by PACs and lobbyists pushing deregulation

• 🛢️ Fossil Fuel Lobby → Received significant contributions from oil and gas interests opposing climate legislation

🧠 Pattern Recognition

Manchin’s trajectory reflects a broader pattern: politicians who use regional identity and centrist branding to mask corporate allegiance. His obstruction of climate and healthcare reforms didn’t protect West Virginians—it protected shareholders.

This autopsy shows how personal profit, donor pressure, and institutional inertia can override public interest—even in states that desperately need economic and environmental justice.

🧷 Never Forget Statement

🧨 Joe Manchin didn’t compromise. He cashed in.

We remember. We resist. We archive.

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