By Adam Andrezewski for Real Clear Policy
Sen. Included in the $1.7 trillion omnibus package supported by Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) is a provision to give $200 million to the Appalachian Regional Commission, an agency headed by Manchin’s wife, Gayle.
The Appalachian Regional Commission serves as an economic development partnership between the federal government and 13 Appalachian states, distributing infrastructure grants in those states.
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Fox News reports that its chief, Gayle Manchin, will earn $160,000 as its federal co-chair. She was confirmed by the Senate in 2021.
The $200 million fund is a $5 million increase from last year.
“The West Virginia senator previously helped craft legislation that earmarked $1 billion over five years for the ARC, following his wife’s 2021 appointment,” Fox reported. Sen. Manchin was a key Democratic negotiator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which doubled the commission’s funding level.
Gayle Manchin defended the spending increase in 2021, asserting that the funding is necessary to more adequately meet the overwhelming needs of communities affected by job losses resulting from the downturn in the coal industry. These grants will contribute to long-term diversification and economic growth in Appalachia.
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This isn’t the only example of federal money being sent to family members in an omnibus bill. Rep. Jim Cooper’s brother John Cooper sent $2.7 million to Metro Nashville, where he is mayor. Sen. Ben Ray Luzon brought in $152 million for his home state of New Mexico, where Governor Michelle Luzon Grisham is a distant relative.
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Pumping money into a spouse-led agency is not illegal, but it presents a clear conflict of interest that erodes trust between people and their governments.
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