• Included in the $1.7 trillion omnibus package supported by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was a provision to give $200 million to the Appalachian Regional Commission, an agency headed by Manchin’s wife, Gayle.
• The Appalachian Regional Commission operates as an economic development partnership between the federal government and 13 Appalachian states, distributing infrastructure grants in those states.
• Its head, Gayle Manchin, makes $160,000 in her role as its federal co-chair, according to a Fox News report. She was confirmed by the Senate in 2021.
• The $200 million in funding is a $5 million increase from last year.

Tagged: Capitol Hill