Biden nominates Sen. Manchin’s wife for federal commission

March 27, 2021 KT1 US 0

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) (L) looks in the direction that Vice President Joe Biden (R) points as Manchin's wife Gayle Manchin (2nd R) holds a Bible and his mother, Mary Manchin, looks on before Manchin's ceremonial swearing in inside the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol November 15, 2010 in Washington, DC. Manchin, a former governor of West Virginia, ran for the senate seat left open by the death of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd (D- WV). (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 15: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) (L) looked in the direction that Joe Biden (R) pointed as Manchin’s wife Gayle Manchin (2nd R) held a Bible and his mother, Mary Manchin, looked on before Manchin’s ceremonial swearing in inside the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol November 15, 2010 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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UPDATED 12:10 PM PT – Saturday, March 27, 2021

Joe Biden selected Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) wife to help lead a federal panel tasked with increasing investment in the Appalachian Region.

The White House announced Gayle Manchin’s nomination to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission on Friday.

President Biden is nominating Gayle Manchin, Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife, to be what it calls a “key member” of his administration. pic.twitter.com/a79KvyBuxj

— Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) March 26, 2021

The panel is an economic development agency involving 13 state governors and aimed at boosting job creation, among other issues.

Given it’s even split, Joe Manchin is considered one of the most pivotal votes in the Senate.

Though the White House has cited Gayle Manchin’s education and career as the reason for her nomination, critics have suggested it may be a strategic way to get her husband on board with more Democrat agendas in Congress.