Centrist Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said this week that he won’t vote for judicial nominees who lack Republican support—a declaration court-watchers say could present an extra hurdle for party-line picks as the end of President Joe Biden’s first term nears.

Michigan State University political science professor Ian Ostrander said Manchin’s new rule could pose a slight  challenge for some of Biden’s nominees in a Senate where Democrats have a 51-49 majority plus vice president Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote. It could slow down confirmations if uncertainty about a nominee forces Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, to wait for Harris’ presence when scheduling an expected close vote, Ostrander said.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, introduces a judicial nominee before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2019. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)