WASHINGTON – With a key U.S. Senate vote less than a week away, Sen. Joe Manchin is ramping up his public support of maintaining the Senate’s filibuster rules.
And, it seems more Democrats might be behind him as well – both publicly and privately.
Senators “can follow in the footsteps of our patriotic predecessors in this chamber or they can sit by as the fabric of our democracy unravels before their very eyes,” Manchin (D-W.Va.) told reporters.
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On January 11, as President Biden traveled to Georgia to plead his case about changing the filibuster rule to pass voting rights legislation, Manchin was asked about the issue.
“We need some good rules changes to make the place work better,” Manchin told a group of reporters. “But getting rid of the filibuster doesn’t make it work better.”
Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) have been the two most vocal Democrats who have said they don’t want to change the filibuster, which requires 60 votes for most bills to advance in the Senate.
Democratic leaders have suggested less drastic changes such as a talking filibuster that would allow opponents to delay a bill as long as they could hold the floor. But the bill still would be able to pass with a simple majority. They’ve also discussed a carveout to exempt just the voting rights legislation from needing the 60 votes to pass.
“This is a tough game,” Manchin told reporters. “And I understand they have a tough job to do. I think Chuck has tried to be as fair as he could be this whole year. We did some great things, now they’re coming down to crunch time.
“And I understand the position they’re in and what they’re doing. But I’ve been very clear where I am. So hopefully they respect that, too.”
Republicans, however, likely won’t allow any such rule changes, leaving Democrats with only the “nuclear option” that would allow them to change the rules with a simple majority.
Manchin hasn’t publicly supported any rule changes either, and he always has said he opposes using the “nuclear option.”
In fact, he suggested to reporters Tuesday that rules should be changed to require a 2/3 majority for passage.
“We need some good rules changes,” Manchin told reporters. “We can do that together. But you change the rules with two-thirds of the people that are present so ... Democrats, Republicans changing the rules to make the place work better. Getting rid of the filibuster doesn’t make it work better. …
"I'm looking at everything I can to make this place work. But to break the opportunity for the minority to particulate completely, that's just not who we are.”
West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, a Republican, said he thinks there are more Democrats who don’t want to change the filibuster rules but are afraid to speak up.
“I think they’ve appreciated that Senator Manchin has been the one taking the heat and the pressure,” Warner told The West Virginia Record. “I think there are more people supporting him than they’ve let it be known publicly.”
And, there are other factors for the Democrats.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) has yet to back any idea, telling reporters he would wait to see more specifics. Kelly is a centrist who is up for re-election this year.
“I’ve never been part of an organization where it’s really, really hard to do things,” Kelly said Monday. “So if there’s a real proposal, I’ll take a look at it and evaluate it based on what’s in the best interests of the country.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) supports the idea of a talking filibuster, but he hasn’t commented on the possibility of using the nuclear option and has said he’s “not crazy” about a carveout for voting legislation.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) organized a bipartisan group in 2017 to support the filibuster. But now he says he’s “seriously weighing” his options.
While Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak in Georgia, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said voting legislation will be on his agenda this week. He also says a vote on the filibuster rule change will take place by January 17, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"I support changing the Senate rules, whichever way they need to be changed to prevent a minority of senators from blocking actions on voting rights," Biden said Tuesday.