Manchin sees ’no circumstance’ for voting to kill filibuster
The moderate Democrat drew a hard line amid talk about limiting Senate Republicans’ power to hold up President Joe Biden’s agenda.By MARIA CARRASCO
04/07/2021 09:50 PM EDT
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) drew a hard line Wednesday on voting to weaken or eliminate the legislative filibuster, pushing back on hopes to pass President Joe Biden’s agenda by limiting Senate Republicans‘ legislative power.
“The filibuster is a critical tool to protecting that input and our democratic form of government,†Manchin wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. “That is why I have said it before and will say it again to remove any shred of doubt: There is no circumstance in which I will vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster.â€
Manchin also spoke out against budget reconciliation, as his own party tries to pass Biden’s massive infrastructure plan amid Republican opposition.
“We should all be alarmed at how the budget reconciliation process is being used by both parties to stifle debate around the major issues facing our country today,†he wrote. “Legislating was never supposed to be easy. It is hard work to address the needs of both rural and urban communities in a single piece of legislation, but it is the work we were elected to do.â€
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https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/07/manchin-voting-kill-fillibuster-479936