Joe Manchin – Blue Dog Democrat, Bi-Partisan Ally

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Manchin has proved to be a consistent supporter of other alternative fuels as well. In 2011, with Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), he introduced the “American Alternative Fuels Act,” a bill that sought to remove restrictions on the development and purchase of alternative fuels and to encourage research and development of algae-based fuels.

Manchin’s commitment to reaching across party lines has been recognized by the Lugar Center, an organization that ranks each congressman’s ability to cooperate in their Bipartisan Index. Manchin was ranked 4th in the group’s 2015 Bipartisan Index.

After a heated General Election, in an increasingly partisan Federal government, Manchin’s commitment to bipartisanship seems to be as strong as ever. Though not seeking to be a member of Trump’s Cabinet, the Senator praised the President-elect’s selection for the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, saying that the EPA “is in desperate need of reform.”