On Sunday afternoon, Bob Boiarsky and Alise Reicin hosted a NORPAC pro-Israel event for Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) at their home in Englewood, New Jersey. Manchin is a former governor of West Virginia and has previously served as a state legislator. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, he serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

At the event, Senator Manchin discussed his decision to vote against the Iran Deal (“JCPOA”) in 2015 despite party pressure to do otherwise. He explained that he felt a personal responsibility to his constituents and members of his hometown community in West Virginia to make a moral decision regarding this agreement, which would see Iran end up with a clear path to having a nuclear arsenal in 10 years. He was one of just four Democratic Senators to vote against the deal.

Manchin was also one of only two senators in his party to vote in favor of Trump-nominee David Friedman for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Israel earlier this year.

Joe Manchin will be running for re-election in 2018.