Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) punted a question Sunday about whether he would leave the Democratic Party, saying, "I’ll let you know later what I decide to do."
Driving the news: Manchin told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that he would wait and see how the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act "plays out."
- "If people are trying to stop something from doing so much good because of politics, thinking that somebody else will get credit for it, let’s see how that plays out," Manchin said.
- "I'll let you know later what I decide to do, but right now I have no intention of changing anything," he said.
The big picture: Manchin's remarks come after Sen. Krysten Sinema (I-Ariz.) announced this month that she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, sending shockwaves throughout the Senate.
- Manchin released a statement last week criticizing the Senate's failure to pass his energy permitting reform amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, saying: "I serve West Virginians and the American people with an independent voice, not a political party."
Go deeper ... Sinema's mutually assured destruction
