Manchin criticizes Biden for not pursuing offshore oil, despite voting against a measure that would have required the administration to do so.

Biden Administration Under Fire for Failure to Develop Offshore Oil and Gas

Senator Joe Manchin Criticizes Administration’s Lack of Action

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is criticizing the Biden administration for its failure to develop offshore oil and gas, despite voting against a measure that would have mandated offshore lease sales. During a recent committee hearing, Manchin attacked Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for disregarding “the resources that the good Lord has given us.”

• Manchin’s criticism comes as he contemplates running for reelection in a state that former President Donald Trump carried easily in both 2016 and 2020.
• Manchin has worked to repair his image in West Virginia by bashing Biden’s signature spending bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $1.2 trillion in green energy subsidies.
• However, Manchin’s role as the bill’s “chief architect” undermines his criticism.
• One Nation, a spending group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, has already spent millions on ads dinging Manchin for his work on the Inflation Reduction Act.

Manchin’s History of Swearing Off Liberal Positions

Manchin has a history of swearing off his liberal positions as he faces a tough reelection bid. In 2017, he repeatedly said he opposed building a wall on the Mexican border, only to later call it a “flat-out lie” that he opposed the wall.

Should he run for Senate, Manchin will immediately become a top target for Republicans as they work to gain a majority in the upper chamber. West Virginia voted for Trump by a whopping 42 and 39 points in 2016 and 2020, respectively, reflecting the difficulty of Manchin’s potential bid for a third term.