The Senator from West Virginia dropped a bombshell on Democrats in the Senate who want to use reconciliation to get around the limits of the filibuster with a 50-50 split in the Senate. He wrote this tonight in the Washington Post:
The filibuster is a critical tool to protecting that input and our democratic form of government. That is why I have said it before and will say it again to remove any shred of doubt: There is no circumstance in which I will vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster. The time has come to end these political games, and to usher a new era of bipartisanship where we find common ground on the major policy debates facing our nation.
And on reconciliation…
Unfortunately, our leaders in the Senate fail to realize what goes around comes around. We should all be alarmed at how the budget reconciliation process is being used by both parties to stifle debate around the major issues facing our country today. Legislating was never supposed to be easy. It is hard work to address the needs of both rural and urban communities in a single piece of legislation, but it is the work we were elected to do.
I simply do not believe budget reconciliation should replace regular order in the Senate. How is that good for the future of this nation? Senate Democrats must avoid the temptation to abandon our Republican colleagues on important national issues. Republicans, however, have a responsibility to stop saying no, and participate in finding real compromise with Democrats.
He didn’t come right out and say he’ll oppose the use of reconciliation to pass legislation to get around the use of the filibuster, but I think that was his point. If he holds true on this principle and Republicans don’t budge, then you can kiss goodbye any reconciliation efforts by Schumer to ram Biden’s agenda down our throats.
That remains to be seen of course, but you better believe this op-ed is sending shockwaves through the Democratic party right now. Reconciliation was their only hope and it looks like Manchin is going to torpedo it. And they hate him for it.
For example:
Joe Manchin is a narcissist and an egomaniac. It’s cliche and embarrassing. https://t.co/IkewJ4EZVY
— Fred (@WaywardWinifred) April 8, 2021
Joe Manchin has a choice between the reforming the filibuster and the new Jim Crow. He is choosing Jim Crow.
— David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) April 8, 2021
Joe Manchin is a national disgrace.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) April 8, 2021
Joe Manchin in the Washington Post:
“I will vote to uphold the filibuster—a Jim Crow era tool used by racists to protect white supremacy.” https://t.co/xISboT71Bp
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) April 8, 2021
Remember, Democrats are already sending Al Sharpton to West Virginia to proclaim over and over that Joe Manchin is a racist. This is their only recourse to get him out of their way and you can be sure that Sharpton will be playing the Jim Crow card as much as he can.
.jpg?itok=F5fb_yNp)
