W.V. Sen. Would Have Voted Against Repeal

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

December 22 2010 10:00 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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A Christmas party prevented it, but Democratic West Virginia senator Joe Manchin says he would have voted against the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" had he been in Washington, D.C. this weekend.

Machin, who was in Pennsylvania at the time, apologized for missing the vote: "Saturday was our (family's) Christmas and Saturday evening was our Christmas dinner. I got up Sunday and came back to Washington to make the votes I had to make," he said, according to West Virginia's MetroNews.

Manchin, who won a special election to replace deceased senator Robert Byrd, also missed the vote on the DREAM Act, which would have provided a path to citizenship for immigrants who pursue college or military service--he would have voted no on that too, he said.

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