Senate Republicans are actively seeking to recruit Sen. Joe Manchin to their party after the West Virginia Democrat appeared on Fox News where he effectively killed President Joe Biden’s signature legislation, the Build Back Better Act.
On Tuesday, GOP Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas said he too has reached out to Manchin to encourage him to join the Republican Party amid backlash over his opposition to Biden’s spending bill, Austin-based TV station KXAN reported Tuesday.
Cornyn told the station that hat he texted Manchin, “Joe if they don’t want you we do,” but hadn’t heard back, according to The Hill.
“I don’t know what he will decide to do. But I do know West Virginia has gotten increasingly red. … So, yeah, we’d love to have him. That would change the majority,” Cornyn added, the Hill noted, citing the report from KXAN.
As noted by The Hill, “the Senate is split 50-50, with Democrats holding the majority because Vice President Harris can break a tie. If Manchin left the Democratic Party and joined with Republicans, that would give the GOP a 51-49 majority and make Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) the majority leader.”
