WASHINGTON (AP) — A moderate Democratic senator from West Virginia is suddenly one of the most powerful people in Washington.

Sen. Joe Manchin has had multiple one-on-one phone calls with President Joe Biden. He can send the White House into a tailspin with a single five-minute interview or three-sentence statement. And he may have already derailed some of the administration's policy priorities and a Cabinet nominee.

And it's not just Manchin who's wielding outsize influence over Biden's agenda. With a 50-50 split in the Senate leaving little room for error on tough votes, other moderate Democ...