Manchin to vote to nix Biden vaccine mandate

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said on Thursday night that he is supporting a GOP effort to nix President Biden’s vaccine mandate for larger businesses, which is expected to get a vote in the Senate next week.

“Let me be clear, I do not support any government vaccine mandate on private businesses. That’s why I have cosponsored and will strongly support a bill to overturn the federal government vaccine mandate for private businesses,” Manchin said in a statement.

“I have long said we should incentivize, not penalize, private employers whose responsibility it is to protect their employees from COVID-19,” he added.

“I have personally had both vaccine doses and a booster shot,” he went on, “and I continue to urge every West Virginian to get vaccinated themselves.”

Big picture: Because all 50 Republicans are supporting the effort, Manchin’s vote gives Senate Republicans enough support to pass a resolution to nix Biden’s vaccine mandate for larger employers. The resolution would still need to pass the House and, even then, would likely be vetoed by Biden.