West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin planted his foot firmly Wednesday and gave advice on his decision not to vote for the weakening or removal of the filibuster.
“I have said this before and will say it again to remove any doubt: there are no circumstances in which I would vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster,” Manchin said in an article for the Washington Post. “The time has come to end these political games, and to usher in a new era of duality, where we are laying the foundations for the most important policy debates facing our country.”
MANCHIN: ‘I SUPPORT THE FILIBUSTER’ BUT ‘IT MUST BE PAINFUL’ TO USE
Left-wing Democrats in the House, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, have repeatedly called for reform or removal of the filibuster.
But it has remained largely unclear how most Democrats in the Senate feel about the filibuster adaptation.
Manchin said he could not justify a valid reason for his constituents to weaken the measure that currently requires the Senate to vote at least 60-40 to pass a bill.
Critics of the practice say it works as a policy block, and in a split 50-50 Senate, it makes legislation in a biased upper chamber problematic.
“Generations of senators who have come before us have put their heads down and set aside their pride in resolving the complex issues facing our country. We must do the same. The issues facing our democracy today are not “insurmountable if we choose to tackle it together,” Manchin said. said in his op.
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However, the filibuster has seen changes since its implementation in the early 1900s.
Filibuster rules had earlier required a senator to stand on the floor of the chamber and constantly speak to block a vote on legislation they objected to – a scene made popular in the film, “Mr. “Smith Goes to Washington.”
But by the 1970s, it was no longer necessary. Senators can now lodge their objection to a bill, causing the 60-vote requirement to advance the bill.
The ease of easier filibuster requirements has led to a drastic increase in account stagnation. In 2019-2020, 298 votes were cast in an attempt to overcome a filibuster, a sharp increase in the six such votes held in 1969-1970, 50 years earlier, Reuters reported.
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But Manchin noted that both Democrats and Republicans have a duty to find compromises in addressing legislation.
“Senate Democrats should avoid the temptation to abandon our Republican colleagues on important national issues. However, Republicans have a responsibility to stop saying no and participate in finding a real compromise with Democrats,” Manchin concluded .