Manchin Manifesto

Sen. Joe Manchin – You are hereby advised that your Democratic, liberal, and progressive constituents in the State of West Virginia find your voting record in the U.S. Senate to be intolerable. Today, we demand that you recommit to the values of the Democratic Party if you wish to continue to represent us.

We have formed the #NoMoreJoe campaign, a grassroots activist group, with the purpose of exposing your poor voting history, which voting history lacks Democratic ideology. We encourage you to change your voting practices. The campaign characterizes you, Sen. Manchin, as a Democratic senator who is known to reject his party’s values in favor of pandering to a pro-Trump radically conservative base. We are devastated and demoralized by your continued support of Trump in the wake of his hateful rhetoric, unconstitutional edicts, and questionable international ties. We expect more from you, Joe; why do you continue to disappoint us?

We expect our WV Senators to be leaders. You could have been our champion and made history had you reached across the aisle and persuaded GOP senators to oppose Kavanaugh in light of his increasingly worrisome and disqualifying temperament. Instead, you caved to a nationalist Trump regime. Ironic, since he and Trump, Jr., come to WV regularly to stump for your opponent. Why side with Trump, someone who continuously kicks you in the teeth on your home turf, and promotes policies that could harm West Virginians?

It is unfortunate that your vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court will likely have far reaching consequences, many of which are contrary to the very principles you claim to defend, such as accessible health care, women’s rights, and equal rights for all Americans. There is little you can do now to prevent disastrous rulings by our judiciary, now deeply stacked with Trump’s far right-conservative, anti-democratic appointees. These effects will be felt for a generation that includes our children and yours.

Nevertheless, we now require that you return to the ideals of the Democratic Party and our nation, and that you alter your voting practices to ensure liberty and justice for all. We demand support for:

- Women’s Reproductive Rights and Funding for Planned Parenthood Services

- Affordable and Accessible Health Care and Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions
- Protections for Senior Citizens’ Investments in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
- Respect and Support for our Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Humanitarian Efforts for Americans, Refugees, and those Lawfully Seeking Asylum
- Civil Rights and Marriage Equality
- Environmental Protections for Clean Air, Water, and Land
- Fair Labor Rights and a $15.00 per Hour Minimum Wage
- Gun Control Laws that will Safeguard all Americans, including School Children
- Voting Equality for all United States Citizens
- Clean Energy Alternatives
- Tax Reform that will Strengthen the Middle Class
- Support of the Mueller Investigation into Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections.