Manchin won't back Biden judicial nominees without at least one supportive Republican

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Wednesday indicated that he would not support President Joe Biden's judicial nominees if they could not secure the support of at least one upper chamber Republican.

"Just one Republican. That’s all I'm asking for. Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster. If they can't get one Republican, I vote for none. I've told [Democrats] that. I said, 'I'm sick and tired of it, I can't take it anymore," he said, according to Politico.

The moderate senator, who is retiring at the end of his current term, has long taken positions in defiance of his party, notably refusing to consider changes to the filibuster to permit federal action on a range of Democratic priorities, including to codify abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. He further told the outlet that he was encouraging donors to ask candidates to commit to keeping the filibuster.

In the narrowly divided Senate, a single vote can often affect the outcome of a critical nomination. Manchin, however, remains adamant that cross-party support is a requirement for him. He specifically pointed to moderate GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, and Susan Collins, Maine, as lawmakers from whom the Democrats could seek support.

"Lisa and Susan both are not controlled by just voting party line, I know that. But you’ve got to ask them," he said.

Manchin's exit comes as his home state has trended increasingly toward the GOP in recent years. He attracted considerable attention as a prospective third-party candidate, but ultimately opted against such a bid.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.