On Monday afternoon, four hours after resigning as West Virginia’s 34th Governor, Joe Manchin was sworn in as the nation’s newest United States Senator by Vice President Joe Biden in the Senate chambers of the U.S. Capitol. Senator Manchin was accompanied by his wife, Gayle, and his mother. Senator Manchin is 84th in seniority of the 100 member United States Senate.
Just two days after being sworn in as West Virginia’s newest United States Senator, Joe Manchin extracted a promise from Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that cap and trade legislation would not come before the Senate next year (2011). According to NMA, Reid’s office confirmed the promise. "Given the election results, there is no chance we can deal with cap and trade," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said.
Following a meeting on Tuesday with prominent Democrats, including Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told reporters “whether we like it or not, cap and trade has no chance of passage in the next Congress.” (in part from NMA Mining Week)