Sarah Bloom Raskin's candidacy for the Fed may be dead in the water.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-Not D) is at play in the fields of the Lord again. Well, not the Lord, exactly, but certainly the fields of his donors. He has monkey-wrenched the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to the board of the Federal Reserve. Raskin was both a deputy Treasury Secretary and a member of the Fed board during the Obama years. Now, you may wonder what this particular nomination has to do with Manchin’s eternal devotion to various fossil fuels. He’s more than happy to explain that for you. From CNN:

Raskin's stance on environmental issues, including her view on the transition away from fossil fuels, are colliding with soaring gas prices and a renewed debate about oil independence in the face of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "Her previous public statements have failed to satisfactorily address my concerns about the critical importance of financing an all-of-the-above energy policy to meet our nation's critical energy needs," Manchin said in a statement on Monday announcing his opposition to Raskin's nomination. Manchin is not a member of the Senate Banking Committee that will be voting on Raskin's candidacy.

Maintaining a certain amount of consistency, Manchin’s opposition contributes to a general Republican stonewall. The GOP members of the Senate Banking Committee boycotted a hearing on Raskin’s nomination. They've also stalled two other Biden nominees to the board, as well as the renomination of Jerome Powell for another term as Fed chair. From the Washington Post:

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) and other GOP lawmakers have attacked her view that the Fed should do more to mitigate the financial risks of climate change, including by potentially changing the way it regulates energy producers. Manchin — who represents West Virginia and its high concentration of energy jobs — is adding his high-profile voice to those warning the Fed against tackling climate issues.

First of all, Toomey’s “high-profile voice” ought to be audible only to dogs since he’s retiring anyway. But, assuming his ideas carry the day, it will be the latest indication that the institutions of our government are unwilling and/or incapable of coping with the onrushing magnitude of the climate crisis. Of course, Joe Manchin is also an indication.