Manchin Warns Democrats Will Bear Blame for Shutdown, Accuses Party of Losing Compassion

Lead Former Senator Joe Manchin warned on September 19 that Democrats would be blamed if Congress allows a government shutdown and criticized his former party for losing compassion during debate on a resolution honoring late activist Charlie Kirk.

Nut Graf Speaking separately to Semafor and Fox News, the West Virginia independent argued that congressional Democrats lack leverage in budget negotiations and have abandoned empathy in political discourse, underscoring his continued role as a centrist voice in a polarized landscape.

Budget Standoff Raises Stakes Manchin cautioned that, unless lawmakers reach a temporary funding agreement by September 30, public outrage over lapsed services will fall squarely on Democrats’ shoulders. He told Semafor, “They’re going to be blamed for shutting it down. Why they want to put themselves in that position-they lack leverage in such matters”.

He lamented the “business model” of partisan brinkmanship and stressed that elected officials must consider the suffering a shutdown inflicts on ordinary Americans.

Compassion Debate on Kirk Resolution In a Fox News appearance, Manchin accused Democrats of losing their ability to show compassion after they balked at a bipartisan resolution to honor Charlie Kirk, the late founder of Turning Point USA, whose death sparked calls for congressional recognition. He argued that declining to commemorate a public servant is emblematic of a party that has strayed from empathy.

Maverick Message in Memoir Tour Both interviews came days after Manchin’s memoir, Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense, was released, in which he reflects on his years as a Senate swing vote and urges Americans to return to pragmatic, bipartisan governance. As congressional recess approaches, Manchin’s warning underscores the fragile balance of power in Washington and the human cost of legislative deadlock.