Dem Rep. Bowman: ‘Joe Manchin Has Become the New Mitch McConnell’

In a Monday appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) likened Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Bowman argued that Manchin “has become the new Mitch McConnell” because the Democratic senator from West Virginia “is doing everything in his power to stop democracy” in his opposition to ending the filibuster and HR-1, the For the People Act, which would federalize local elections.

“Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell,” Bowman asserted. “Mitch McConnell during Obama’s presidency said he would do everything in his power to stop Obama. He’s also repeated that now during the Biden presidency by saying he would do everything in his power to stop President Biden. And now, Joe Manchin is doing everything in his power to stop democracy and stop our work for the people, the work that the people sent us here to do.”

“[M]anchin is not pushing us closer to bipartisanship,” he added. “He is doing the work of the Republican Party by being an obstructionist, just like they’ve been since the beginning of Biden’s presidency,”

Host John Berman asked Bowman if it is “fair” to compare Manchin to McConnell, given his voting history.

Bowman replied by arguing the legislation has broad support among the “majority” of Americans, including “well over 50% of Republicans.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent