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President Biden on Friday nominated Gayle Conelly Manchin, the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and the former president of the West Virginia Board of Education, to serve as co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

Why it matters: The ARC is an economic development partnership between the federal government and 13 state governments with the goal of investing in Appalachian communities. Sen. Joe Manchin is a critical moderate swing vote that Biden will need in order to pass any of his priorities in the 50-50 Senate.

Biden taps Gayle Manchin as co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission

Gayle Manchin is married to West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin.

Sen. Joe Manchin and Gayle Conelly Manchin at the senator's swearing-in ceremony in 2019. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Appalachia

Joe Biden

President Biden on Friday nominated Gayle Conelly Manchin, the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and the former president of the West Virginia Board of Education, to serve as co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).Why it matters: The ARC is an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="economic development partnership" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arc.gov/" data-vars-content-id="8125e11e-69f3-4aee-95ce-a0833c05ca65" data-vars-headline="Biden taps Gayle Manchin as co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arc.gov/" target="_blank">economic development partnership</a> between the federal government and 13 state governments with the goal of investing in Appalachian communities. Sen. Joe Manchin is a critical moderate swing vote that Biden will need in order to pass any of his priorities in the 50-50 Senate.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Biden taps Gayle Manchin as co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission

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