Manchin Delivers Final Speech on Senate Floor
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) delivered his final speech as a United States Senator on the U.S. Senate floor.
A video of Senator Manchin’s floor speech can be found here.
Senator Manchin’s remarks as prepared are available below:
My friends and colleagues,
Today, I rise with a full heart and an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
It has been the honor of my life to represent West Virginia and to serve our country in this chamber.
Fourteen years ago, I walked into this building not knowing what to expect.
I had just left the best public service job of my career as the governor of my great state of West Virginia. Everything I knew about the Senate I had learned from Robert C. Byrd. Though I was stepping into his seat, I knew I couldn’t fill his shoes.
But I truly believed I could continue to bring our commonsense West Virginia approach to Washington and do even more for my great state and my country.
Throughout my life as a public servant, I have seen the power of good people coming together to solve tough problems.
Now, as my time here comes to an end, I want you to know that my belief in the potential of this institution—and in the people it represents—remains as strong as ever.
You don’t come into politics looking for fame or fortune—at least you shouldn’t.
You come in because you believe you can make a difference in helping your neighbor, your community, and the country that’s given you so much.
I was not elected to take a side but elected to represent all sides. The only side that I have ever really believed in was the American side.
That’s why I entered public service all those years ago. And I can say, with a clear conscience, that I have always tried to serve the people first—putting country before party and principle before politics.
We are all products of our environment; you are who you are because of who raised you, how you were raised, and where you were raised and that should never leave you.
I was raised in Farmington, West Virginia, a small coal-mining town where we learned early on that the best way to get ahead was to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
My grandparents were born in Czechoslovakia and Italy and they all came to this country in search of the American Dream.
They were thrown into survival mode at early ages and wanted a better life for themselves and all the generations to follow.
They all taught me the value of a good education combined with hard work and the importance of helping others.
From them, I learned a core principle: you have a moral obligation to help those who can’t help themselves.
But able-bodied people who fall on hard times don’t need a continuous handout but a hand-up to get back in life’s game.
I believe the greatest gift you can give someone when they’re struggling is a job. It’s not just about earning a paycheck—it’s about dignity, purpose, and hope that go with it.
I’ve always believed this was true of government, too. Government should be your partner, not your provider.
The most effective government programs are the ones that put people to work, give them a sense of purpose, and help build a better future. During the Great Depression, the New Deal programs that revived our nation didn’t give out checks – they gave out opportunities.
They put people to work to rebuild America. That’s what government ought to do: help people stand on their own two feet.
There are many Americans out there today who need help or a second chance. And we should give it to them.
For example, in 1946 the federal government intervened to stop a nationwide coal strike that had crippled the country.
In exchange for returning to work, the United Mine Workers of America received a guarantee from the federal government that the pensions and healthcare benefits they had earned would be there for them when they retired.
Over the next 60 years, Congress had to step up to make good on this promise as individual coal company bankruptcies threatened to take away these hard-earned benefits.
In 2019, after Murray Energy declared bankruptcy, the entire system was on the verge of collapse. Nearly 100,000 coal miners and their families were about to lose everything, but we stepped up.
Democrats and Republicans came together to make good on our country’s promise to these hard-working families.
But somewhere along the way, government stopped being a partner and started being a provider.
That is not good for people who end up trapped in a system of dependency and poverty. And it’s not good for America.
It’s time to put the relationship between government and the people back in its proper place.
When I started in the West Virginia House of Delegates, I was one of 100 members. From there, I served in the State Senate, where I was one of 34 members, then Secretary of State, and then as Governor.
At every step, I asked myself one simple question: How can I have more impact on West Virginians?
That question has been my compass and eventually led me here to the United States Senate.
And, when asked what my politics is, I don’t hesitate to answer that I am fiscally responsible and socially compassionate, which I believe is where most Americans find themselves.
As Secretary of State, I launched a program called SHARES: Saving History and Reaching Every Student.
People were becoming disconnected and disengaged, so we decided to focus on the next generation. We went into schools, teaching kids about voting and the responsibilities of democracy. Because West Virginians could register to vote at 17 if they turned 18 on general Election Day or before.
We started a contest to reward classrooms that got every eligible student registered.
It didn’t matter which party they registered for—we just wanted them to participate in our democracy and in turn, they brought their family members back into voting.
When I became Governor, I saw the power of bringing people to the table. We could disagree in the morning and shake hands over dinner.
It wasn’t about who won or lost—it was about making things better for the people of West Virginia. I saw firsthand what we can accomplish when we focus on solutions instead of scoring political points.
It wasn’t exactly in my plan to join the Senate.
When Senator Byrd passed away in 2010, I had to make one of the toughest political decisions of my life.
But I saw it as an opportunity to serve more people and tackle bigger challenges.
I will admit that it was a harder transition than I expected. Coming to Washington was humbling.
I came in thinking we’d be working together to solve our nation’s problems. But it didn’t take long to see that the divisions here run deep.
One of my first conversations was with Harry Reid, the Majority Leader. He asked me to fundraise for Democratic candidates running against sitting Republican senators.
I told him, “Harry, I’m not going to raise money to attack my friends and colleagues just because they have an ‘R’ next to their name. How can we work together if we’re busy tearing each other down?”
That didn’t win me any popularity contests, but it felt like it was the right thing to do.
Equally important, it felt necessary if the Senate was going to do its work on behalf of the people, we needed to treat each other with respect.
So, I signed an ethics pledge on the floor of the Senate to never campaign against a sitting colleague.
I know I have other colleagues who share my view but to date. I am still looking for other Senators to sign on.
But you know I am persistent and will continue to encourage all of you to sign until I take my last step out of here – and maybe even after that.
Despite all this, we have achieved some remarkable things over the last 14 years:
We set a new standard for Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. The New River Gorge became a national park, and we just agreed to acquire 2700 acres of the Blackwater Canyon.
Our beautiful mountains have provided an outdoor playground for generations of West Virginians, and now we can share it increasingly with Americans from across the nation.
We maintained West Virginia’s status as an energy powerhouse. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is flowing. Companies like Nucor, Berkshire Hathaway and Form Energy have brought new facilities to West Virginia and thousands of new clean energy jobs.
Success in West Virginia is part of a larger American story of energy innovation and independence.
In 2023, America produced more energy than ever before, including a record 38 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, a record 4.7 billion barrels of crude oil, a record, 11 billion cubic feet daily of LNG production, 238 million megawatt-hours of solar and a record 6.4 Gigawatts of new batteries installed on the grid.
You can’t eliminate your way to a cleaner environment, you can innovate it. That’s why we funded the development of regional hydrogen hubs and made sure one of them would be in the Appalachia region.
As I have always said, a pothole doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat, it’ll still bust your tire.
By focusing on investing in roads, bridges, airports, pipelines and broadband in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – we not only created jobs, but we strengthened the very economic foundation of this nation that our people and our businesses rely on to thrive.
In West Virginia, we secured over $1.2 billion in broadband to make sure every resident has access to the internet in this decade.
We also secured funding to finish Corridor H to ensure we have the resources necessary to get the job done.
With the CHIPS and Science Act, the United States is bringing semiconductor supply chains back home, creating good-paying jobs, supporting American innovation and manufacturing, and advancing our national security.
West Virginia is one of the most patriotic states in the nation and home to many Veterans and active service members.
To honor our Veterans, we fought to expand Veterans’ access to healthcare and prevented the closure of VA facilities in West Virginia.
Every day we worked to improve the lives of West Virginians. Together, we protected health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions, brought down healthcare costs including $35 for insulin for seniors and established a multi-faceted strategy to combat the opioid epidemic.
And lastly, since day one in the United States Senate, I have worked to protect and preserve the bipartisan foundation of the Senate – the 60-vote threshold known as the filibuster.
Each of these victories required senators to come together from both sides of the aisle to find solutions for Americans. These were bills that just made common sense.
And when each side could take just a little step to find common ground, powerful things have happened.
But with these successes, I’ve seen more than my share of missed opportunities.
Legislation that was overwhelmingly supported by the American public. Bills that would have significantly improved the lives of millions.
Immigration reform. Background checks for guns. Balancing the budget. Too many opportunities to fix what’s broken in America that have slipped through our fingers.
Not because of substantive disagreements, mind you. These opportunities were missed because we’ve let politics get in the way of doing our job.
I am not saying that dealing with politics is easy. It’s not. It’s messy. I’ve had my share of tough votes.
At times I have felt like the whole senate was united…in being upset with me. So sometimes I guess we did come together.
Anytime I was confronted with a tough decision, I relied on the people of West Virginia to guide me through it. And it worked.
If it didn’t make sense to me and I couldn’t go home and explain it, I didn’t vote for it.
The stark reality is we face some serious challenges today.
In one of my first hearings in the Armed Services Committee, I asked Former Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, what the greatest threat facing our country, without hesitation he replied “Our national debt which is more threatening than any other country’s military might.”
Today, our national debt is at $36 trillion, which breaks down to 104 thousand dollars per every man, woman, and child in our country.
It is terrifying to think that by the end of this fiscal year, the U.S. will spend more on paying the interest on our debt than on national defense or improving the lives of Americans.
Our current immigration system is broken, and our southern border is a disaster. It’s plain and simple, we must secure our border and support legal immigration.
American leadership means standing with our allies and standing up against authoritarianism. We must continue to support both Israel and Ukraine as they fight to protect democratic values.
We have 4 countries of major concern, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea all of whom are challenging the international rules-based order and simply do not share our values.
And lastly, inflation is driving our high cost of living and must be addressed.
But there is nothing we can’t solve if we come together.
You know, one of my favorite memories from this place didn’t happen in the Senate chamber—it happened on Almost Heaven, when my boat docked in Washington Harbor.
I invited a group of senators to spend time there. Among them were Tom Harkin, a progressive Democrat from Iowa, and Ted Cruz, a staunchly conservative from Texas. Tom saw Ted and said, “Joe, I don’t think I can do this.” But I convinced him to stay.
Before long, they got to talking—I don’t know about what, but I suspect it wasn’t politics. By the end of the night, even they had found a piece of common ground.
Not long after, they worked together on a piece of legislation. That’s the power of sitting down, listening and getting to know each other.
We need more of that in Washington. We need to stop viewing compromise as a weakness.
This country was literally born from compromise.
In many ways, our differences today are pale in comparison to the disagreements between the Founding Fathers in 1789.
But they understood what was at stake and they were willing to put those differences aside to build something extraordinary. We need to recapture that spirit.
To my colleagues, I’ll leave you with this challenge: Every day, ask yourself, “What have I done for my country today?” Not for your party. Not for your donors. For your country. That’s why we are here!
We’ve got to stop demonizing each other. We’ve got to argue over ideas, not personalities.
George Washington warned us about the dangers of political parties dividing our country over 200 years ago, and we’re living in the world he feared.
The easiest vote to take here is NO. You can retire from that position because legislation is never good enough and half of the country is always mad about something.
The political process has taught us that Americans want to be FOR something, being for something captures the hearts and minds of people – it's not enough to just run against something or someone.
As I look around this chamber and think back on the good times and bad, I want you all to know that I still believe in our system.
I believe in the institution of democracy and the need to cherish it. We have created in America something that no one ever thought could be done.
And we still can-do great things. We can have a military that instills peace through strength while also having compassion.
We can have financial stability and prosperity while still helping Americans and people around the world in need.
You hear people talk about the American Dream like it’s some kind of myth. But let me tell you—it’s real. I am standing here before you because of it!
You don’t hear people chasing the China Dream or the Russia Dream. That’s because the American Dream is unique.
It’s about freedom, opportunity, and the belief that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can build a good life and it’s the only dream that allows you to control your destiny.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
I believe in our future. I believe in the American people. And I believe that when we come together, there’s nothing we can’t do.
We are all better because of those we put around us – we all know that our staff are the backbone that allows us to do what we do.
I want to thank each one of my current and former staff members, as they truly delivered every day for the people of my great state and our country with the heart of public service.
I am proud to submit into the record a list of all of my Senate staff from the past fourteen years.
I want to take a minute and recognize the love and support of my most important and cherished asset, my wife Gayle who is with me today along with many other family members including my children and grandchildren – my love and thanks to all of you.
So, while I may be leaving the Senate, I’m not going far. My boat will still be docked here, ready to bring people together—Democrats, Republicans, Independents—anyone willing to sit down and talk.
That’s what this country needs right now: more listening, more respect, and more working together.
May God bless each of you, and may God continue to bless the great state of West Virginia and the United States of America.
Thank you.
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