Manchin convenes bipartisan group to talk Senate rules reform
By Jordain Carney - 12/14/21 02:20 PM EST
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) met with a bipartisan group of senators this week to discuss how to “restore the Senate,” including how to make it easier to bring up legislation.
The group, which met in Manchin’s Senate basement office on Monday night, included Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) and GOP Sens. Mike Rounds (S.D.), Susan Collins (Maine), Mitt Romney (Utah), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Roy Blunt (Mo.).
“We’ve had informal talks on several different occasions ... to try to find a way to make it simpler, to make easier to get on subject matter [bills],” Rounds said.
One idea that was floated during the meeting was getting rid of the 60-vote hurdle on proceeding to legislation, though nothing was decided. Such a change would still require 60 votes to end debate on legislation.
Rounds added that he was supportive of getting rid of the 60-vote threshold for starting debate on a bill but that he was “very much in favor of maintaining the filibuster” required to end debate on a bill.
“That’s part of the discussion that we had,” he added.
Tester said the meeting was about how to “restore the Senate.”
The meeting comes after The Hill first reported last week that Manchin, who has been vocally opposed to getting rid of the filibuster, was talking with Republicans about smaller rules changes that could make it easier to get votes on amendments or bills to the floor.
“There was no meeting of the minds,” Romney said.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/585767-manchin-convenes-bipartisan-group-to-talk-senate-rules-reform
