Eli Zupnick of Fix Our Senate: “Senator Manchin’s comments are the latest sign that Senate Democrats understand that the filibuster is being abused and the Senate rules must be reformed before it’s too late.”
WASHINGTON, DC — In new comments to NBC reporter Julie Tsirkin, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) reiterated his openness to filibuster reforms in order to pass voting rights legislation.
On Twitter, Tsirkin reported that she asked Senator Manchin if he would be open “to a carve out to pass voting rights by simple majority” and he responded:
“We’re talking about that. Talking about everything, the rules. How do we make the senate work better? How can the senate function the way it was designed to function?”
Punchbowl News reported that Senator Manchin will meet Tuesday with a “group of moderate Democrats on voting rights. Voting-rights advocates want to see if Manchin would be open to a ‘carve-out’ to the Senate’s filibuster rule for voting rights legislation. The idea gained more urgency for voting rights advocates after the chamber approved a ‘one-time exception’ to its rules to approve a debt-limit increase by a simple majority vote.”
Senator Manchin’s latest comments echo his June 2021 remarks reported by The Intercept, in which he outlined support for the talking filibuster and other filibuster reforms. In 2011, Senator Manchin voted for a series of filibuster reforms to restore the functioning of the Senate.
Eli Zupnick, spokesperson for Fix Our Senate, issued the following in response:
“Senator Manchin’s comments are the latest sign that Senate Democrats understand that the filibuster is being abused and the Senate rules must be reformed before it’s too late.
“The entire Democratic caucus supports essential voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation, but Senator McConnell and his Republican caucus will continue to abuse the filibuster to run out the clock and prevent these popular bills from even coming up for a debate and an up-or-down vote.
“After last week’s agreement to suspend the filibuster to pass a debt limit patch, Senate Democrats can and should do the same for voting rights and democracy-protecting legislation.”