Committee Chair Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) arrives for a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup on nominations in Dirksen Building on November 2, 2021. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Nov 04, 2021
Over a hundred climate activists confronted Sen. Joe Manchin outside his Washington, D.C. houseboat on Thursday to protest the West Virginia Democrat's obstruction of climate policy in the Build Back Better Act.
The activists from the youth climate group Sunrise Movement, some who have been participating in a hunger strike to demand a $3.5 trillion climate and jobs package, corralled around Manchin as he walked to his parking garage from his yacht to leave for a committee meeting.
Watch:
\u201cBREAKING: We\u2019re here at sunrise at @SenJoe_Manchin\u2019s dock, home to his $5M houseboat, bought by fossil fuel money, to call out his greed and corruption that\u2019s torching our future.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
Referencing Manchin's significant ties to the fossil fuel industry, the activists demanded President Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership remove him as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
"It is egregious and completely unacceptable that Joe Manchin, who has profited millions of dollars from his family's own fossil fuel firm, is in charge of creating consequential climate agenda," said Lauren Maunus, advocacy director of Sunrise Movement. "Manchin must be immediately removed as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."
\u201cWe demand Senate Democratic Leadership remove @Sen_JoeManchin from his position as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee as a clear, egregious conflict of interest.\n\nOne man, a sad greedy man, stands in the way of bold climate legislation. Enough is enough.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
As Common Dreams reported in October, Manchin has accepted $400,000 from fossil fuel industry PACs and executives in the last quarter alone, making him Congress' top recipient of oil and gas donations this election cycle. Manchin has made a fortune from his family's coal empire, raking in a total of $5.2 million since joining the Senate in 2010.
The confrontation comes as Manchin continues to stall progress on the reconciliation package, demanding reductions in climate spending.
In addition to calls to remove Manchin from his leadership position, Sunrise Movement activists called on Biden and the Democratic Party to fight back against special interests and immediately pass a Build Back Better Act that meets the scale of the climate emergency.
"Our lives are worth more than [Manchin's] coal money," said Kidus Girma, a climate hunger striker. "We'll keep fighting until President Biden, Joe Manchin, and Democrats pass a climate and jobs package that meets the moment of the climate crisis. One sad, greedy man, cannot stand in the way of life saving climate legislation. Enough is enough."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Over a hundred climate activists confronted Sen. Joe Manchin outside his Washington, D.C. houseboat on Thursday to protest the West Virginia Democrat's obstruction of climate policy in the Build Back Better Act.
The activists from the youth climate group Sunrise Movement, some who have been participating in a hunger strike to demand a $3.5 trillion climate and jobs package, corralled around Manchin as he walked to his parking garage from his yacht to leave for a committee meeting.
Watch:
\u201cBREAKING: We\u2019re here at sunrise at @SenJoe_Manchin\u2019s dock, home to his $5M houseboat, bought by fossil fuel money, to call out his greed and corruption that\u2019s torching our future.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
Referencing Manchin's significant ties to the fossil fuel industry, the activists demanded President Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership remove him as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
"It is egregious and completely unacceptable that Joe Manchin, who has profited millions of dollars from his family's own fossil fuel firm, is in charge of creating consequential climate agenda," said Lauren Maunus, advocacy director of Sunrise Movement. "Manchin must be immediately removed as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."
\u201cWe demand Senate Democratic Leadership remove @Sen_JoeManchin from his position as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee as a clear, egregious conflict of interest.\n\nOne man, a sad greedy man, stands in the way of bold climate legislation. Enough is enough.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
As Common Dreams reported in October, Manchin has accepted $400,000 from fossil fuel industry PACs and executives in the last quarter alone, making him Congress' top recipient of oil and gas donations this election cycle. Manchin has made a fortune from his family's coal empire, raking in a total of $5.2 million since joining the Senate in 2010.
The confrontation comes as Manchin continues to stall progress on the reconciliation package, demanding reductions in climate spending.
In addition to calls to remove Manchin from his leadership position, Sunrise Movement activists called on Biden and the Democratic Party to fight back against special interests and immediately pass a Build Back Better Act that meets the scale of the climate emergency.
"Our lives are worth more than [Manchin's] coal money," said Kidus Girma, a climate hunger striker. "We'll keep fighting until President Biden, Joe Manchin, and Democrats pass a climate and jobs package that meets the moment of the climate crisis. One sad, greedy man, cannot stand in the way of life saving climate legislation. Enough is enough."
Over a hundred climate activists confronted Sen. Joe Manchin outside his Washington, D.C. houseboat on Thursday to protest the West Virginia Democrat's obstruction of climate policy in the Build Back Better Act.
The activists from the youth climate group Sunrise Movement, some who have been participating in a hunger strike to demand a $3.5 trillion climate and jobs package, corralled around Manchin as he walked to his parking garage from his yacht to leave for a committee meeting.
Watch:
\u201cBREAKING: We\u2019re here at sunrise at @SenJoe_Manchin\u2019s dock, home to his $5M houseboat, bought by fossil fuel money, to call out his greed and corruption that\u2019s torching our future.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
Referencing Manchin's significant ties to the fossil fuel industry, the activists demanded President Joe Biden and the Democratic leadership remove him as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
"It is egregious and completely unacceptable that Joe Manchin, who has profited millions of dollars from his family's own fossil fuel firm, is in charge of creating consequential climate agenda," said Lauren Maunus, advocacy director of Sunrise Movement. "Manchin must be immediately removed as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee."
\u201cWe demand Senate Democratic Leadership remove @Sen_JoeManchin from his position as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee as a clear, egregious conflict of interest.\n\nOne man, a sad greedy man, stands in the way of bold climate legislation. Enough is enough.\u201d— Resist Reckless Redevelopers (@Resist Reckless Redevelopers) 1636027042
As Common Dreams reported in October, Manchin has accepted $400,000 from fossil fuel industry PACs and executives in the last quarter alone, making him Congress' top recipient of oil and gas donations this election cycle. Manchin has made a fortune from his family's coal empire, raking in a total of $5.2 million since joining the Senate in 2010.
The confrontation comes as Manchin continues to stall progress on the reconciliation package, demanding reductions in climate spending.
In addition to calls to remove Manchin from his leadership position, Sunrise Movement activists called on Biden and the Democratic Party to fight back against special interests and immediately pass a Build Back Better Act that meets the scale of the climate emergency.
"Our lives are worth more than [Manchin's] coal money," said Kidus Girma, a climate hunger striker. "We'll keep fighting until President Biden, Joe Manchin, and Democrats pass a climate and jobs package that meets the moment of the climate crisis. One sad, greedy man, cannot stand in the way of life saving climate legislation. Enough is enough."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.