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West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed each other, crossing party lines, arguing that working together should not be defined by one's party. The situation comes as Manchin continues to face criticism from his own party for his opposition to several bills.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska crossed party lines after appearing in a joint TV interview on Sunday, where they showed support for each other.
The two lawmakers made a public appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," where the West Virginia senator endorsed Murkowski, calling her a "dear friend." Manchin said that it was hypocritical for some people to work with someone else throughout the day and be against them just because they were labeled by either party.
Manchin and Murkowski
The senator said that, if the people he was working with were good people who have helped him and the country accomplish great things, he would want to continue working with them. On the other hand, Murkowski, who is currently going up against Trump-endorsed primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka, said she also supports Manchin if he chooses to run for re-election in 2024, Business Insider reported.
Manchin added that a person's party, whether it be with Democrats or Republicans, did not matter when serving the country. He noted that the people he has worked with have become his friends and that it was better to be working together with them.
The West Virginia Democrat, who is one of the few moderates in his party, made a similar move in 2020 when he endorsed and offered to campaign for Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. In April of last year, Manchin said he was in full support of Murkowski's re-election, which the female senator announced in November.
Fox News reported that Murkowski is also among the seven Republicans who voted in favor of convicting former United States President Donald Trump during his impeachment trial after the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot. The Alaska senator is the only one who is facing re-election in the midterm elections this November.
Party Criticism
Furthermore, Murkowski, who has been a member of the Senate since 2002, lost the Republican primary for her seat in 2010. But she ultimately won after launching a successful write-in campaign. She has joined Democratic lawmakers several times on high-profile votes, including opposing Trump's effort to repeal former President Barack Obama's health law in 2017.
On the other hand, Manchin has continued to face criticisms from the progressive wing of his party over his reluctance to back broad climate and social safety net legislation. The proposal is one that United States President Joe Biden envisioned would pass with support from all 50 Democratic senators.
Manchin initially indicated that he would be supporting a version of that bill moving forward but announced in December that he would not vote for the legislation. He argued that the proposal, in its present form, was dead.
The West Virginia senator also indicated on Sunday that he recently talked with President Biden but noted that the topic of the legislation did not come up. He argued that it was because of the need for separate action by Feb. 18 on a different funding bill. He emphasized that he wanted to pass smaller pieces of Biden's proposal with recommendations and support from Republicans, as per Newsy.
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