Manchin shoots down chance that Senate Democrats nix filibuster, expand court
Source: The Hill
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday night effectively shot down any chance that Democrats are able to nix the legislative filibuster if they find themselves with control of the Senate next year.
Democrats are currently poised to have 48 seats in January and are fighting to win two seats in Georgia that would give the party control of the Senate because in a 50-50 split Vice President Harris could break a tie, giving the party the majority.
Manchin, during an interview with Fox News, said that if there's a 50-50 tie that he would not vote to nix the legislative filibuster, a decision that would take it off the table for Democrats. In order to nix the legislative filibuster should they have 50 seats, Democrats would need the support of every member of their caucus including Manchin.
"50-50 means there's a tie. But if one senator does not vote on the Democratic side there is no tie. ... When they talk about, whether it be packing the courts or ending the filibuster, I will not vote to do that," Manchin said.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/525236-manchin-shoot-down-chance-that-senate-democrats-nix-filibuster-expand-court
C_U_L8R
(45,031 posts)His greed may eventually be his undoing
CincyDem
(6,416 posts)I know, I know, it's about committee chairmanships but 75million people didn't vote for his f'ing back woods agenda. Without question the Senate is broken, as exemplified by Manchin as much as McConnell.
That we have to frame our country's future around a guy catering to the single worst state economy in the country, in the bottom 5 for education and the bottom 10 for health care.
At least McConnell is honest in his contempt for the future. Machin - not so much.
L.Pharmstrong
(152 posts)But the reality is that he is stuck. He has to pander to his constituency, which consists in significant part of hillbilly dumbfucks who vote against their own interests. If Manchin were to support a filibuster or court-packing plan, hell be gone after 2024. He was last re-elected with under 50% of the vote. While Id love to see Manchin gone, the reality is that hed likely be replaced by a Republican. Granted 2024 is a long way off.
CincyDem
(6,416 posts)I agree. Hes be gone in 2024. With his dignity intact having participated actively in bettering the world for his constituents...improving their health care, their education opportunities, the general welfare.
They may not thank him for it but such is the life of a real leader vs a charlatan not unlike Don...in it only for himself (but less obviously that Don).
msongs
(67,478 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(15,696 posts)dweller
(23,692 posts)🤬
✌🏻
DarthDem
(5,257 posts)JDC
(10,144 posts)He's getting ahead of it and creating leverage.
bdtrppr6
(796 posts)greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)ancianita
(36,207 posts)still_one
(92,492 posts)issues are not going to help our candidates in the Georgia runoffs
cstanleytech
(26,347 posts)people that live there to improve their lives and economic situation so they do not have to struggle to make ends meet.
At the same time they need to be pointing out that Perdue and all of the Republican politicians for the past 20 years have lied and continued to ignore the struggle of the average person in Georgia.
OhioTim
(259 posts)Don't really like the guy, but he is in the reddest of state. Gave Dump his highest vote percentage.
oldsoftie
(12,658 posts)The ads write themselves.
And adding to the court just starts a never ending cycle. Next time the GOP is in charge, and they WILL be at some point, they'll just add their own number. And so on.
SergeStorms
(19,204 posts)people jump all over my shit or I get alerted on. "He's a democrat in a red state", yada, yada, yada. So I won't say anything bad about Mr. Manchin. His actions speak for themselves.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)Polybius
(15,518 posts)Manchin opposes abortion and marriage equality.
KitSileya
(4,035 posts)He is reassuring moderates in those states that it is safe to vote Dem, and he's doing a stellar job too. Moderates in those places aren't going to vote for a Dem Senate if they think the Dems are going to blow things up.
Fullduplexxx
(7,877 posts)Fullduplexxx
(7,877 posts)maxsolomon
(33,449 posts)Fuck yes he's needed.
Lonestarblue
(10,143 posts)What Manchin just did was to blow up any possibility for negotiating with Republicans to pass needed legislation because he just summarily removed the threat that could have been used. Anyone who has ever conducted corporate negotiations knows that you dont announce your capitulation to the other party before negotiations even begin. Even if Manchin sincerely believes that getting rid of the filibuster is wrong, its stupid to announce it. All he needed to say was that he was taking a wait-and-see attitude depending on whether McConnell and Republicans obstruct all Biden appointments and legislation, as McConnell has already promised to do.
We need to work on 2022 Senate races because even if we win Georgia, a 50-50 Senate is too risky for getting real progress.
cayugafalls
(5,652 posts)Rather than bust his chops right now, lets see what happens.
Perhaps, he is playing the rethug game.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)and the Senate, and chose not to do so. They could have done a lot of shit, like implement a Flat Tax, repeal the ACA, shrink Social Security / Medicare, and a lot of other bullshit.
If we nix the filibuster, all of that is on the table in the future, so i'm leaning towards keeping it in place. For 200 years, the Senate as been the self described 'most deliberative body.' I'm not sure I buy into that hype, but I suspect that if we did eliminate the filibuster, we'd have a new Gang of 8 or Gang of 16, or some other bipartisan group come together to embargo one sides or the other passing legislation carte blanche.
Crowman2009
(2,505 posts)I thought Alabama was screwed up, at least we have 13 blue counties. West Virginia's counties are all red!