Senate approves Gayle Manchin to serve on Appalachian board

by Cameron Jenkins - 04/29/21 6:32 PM ET

The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved Gayle Manchin, wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), to serve as co-chairwoman on the Appalachian Regional Commission.

President Biden nominated Gayle Manchin – who is also chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) – last month, according to The Washington Post.

In her newly-appointed role, she will work to secure resources and funding for 13 Appalachian states, which includes West Virginia as well as some parts of 12 other states, the Post noted.

“I am pleased the Senate has confirmed my wife, Gayle Manchin, to lead the Appalachian Regional Commission. ARC is a vital partner to all those working and living in Appalachia, and I know that Gayle will bring the experience and skills necessary to successfully lead the commission as it serves the region,” Joe Manchin said, according to the Post.

“I know that she will make the states of the Appalachian region, including our home state of West Virginia, and our entire nation extremely proud,” he added.

Last month, Gayle Manchin was sanctioned by China in response to the U.S’s criticism of Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority. At the time, she noted that she was “flattered” by the move and would not stop speaking out against violations of religious freedom.

“I feel flattered to be recognized by Communist China for calling out genocidal crimes against religious and ethnic minorities in the country,” Gayle Manchin said then. “While I don’t have plans to travel to China this summer, I won’t stop speaking out when egregious violations of religious freedom are taking place as they are in China.”

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