It is not the most famous American state, nor the largest … but West Virignia is worth the detour! It is a mountainous state with magnificent landscapes. Above all, it is a workers’ and mining state, hit by the crisis and which has been rightful over the years. And it is the state of the most powerful politician at the moment in the United States: Joe Manchin. Although he is a Democrat, the latter has become Joe Biden’s nightmare.
Currently the United States is experiencing an extremely mixed legislative scenario, especially in the Senate since there are 50 Democratic senators and 50 Republican senators. And if you have a senator who defects, well your law does not pass. Unless you get an opponent’s vote, but that’s rarely the case.
Joe Manchin, Democratic senator in a state that voted 68% for Donald Trump, regularly does defection to his own camp, or negotiate long weeks or months to vote on government measures. Why ? First, because he considers (and he is not the only one elected) that before being accountable to the government he must answer to his electors … but also because he is suspected of conflicts of ‘interests.
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>> A letter from America, a series of exceptional episodes to be found every Tuesday. A sound postcard to help us better understand this America of today, both so familiar and sometimes totally disconcerting. An RTL Originals podcast.
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