Senator Manchin is siding with Republicans, vowing to deploy his “own little filibuster” against any judicial nominees that do not have the support of Senate Republicans.

The outgoing senator from West Virginia and longtime thorn in the side of President Biden told Politico that “Just one Republican. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster. If they can’t get one Republican, I vote for none. I’ve told [Democrats] that. I said, ‘I’m sick and tired of it, I can’t take it anymore,’” Mr. Manchin said.

Mr. Manchin’s “little filibuster” might be enough to hold up more nominees, given the Democrats’ narrow 51-seat majority in the Senate, a majority which includes both Senator Sinema and Mr. Manchin.

While it won’t be enough to put the kibosh on all  of Mr. Biden’s nominees — many of whom receive a generous amount of Republican support for one reason or another — Mr. Manchin’s filibuster could block some, like attorney Adeel Mangi, a nominee opposed by at least one other Democratic senator.

“If they don’t have a Republican, I’m opposing. That’s my way of saying: ‘I’m leaving this place, I’ve tried everything I can. Don’t tell me you can’t get one.’ If you’ve got a decent person you can at least get one. Just go ask Lisa, go ask Susan, even Lindsey,” Mr. Manchin said.

Mr. Manchin’s insistence on bipartisanship stands in stark contrast to the modus operandi of Senate Republicans and Senator McConnell, the outgoing leader of Senate Republicans in particular.

One of Mr. McConnell’s projects as GOP leader has been to pack as many conservative nominees into the federal judiciary as possible, including the Supreme Court. 

Most famously, Mr. McConnell blocked the confirmation of a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court for nearly a year, only to push through the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in about a month.