Vice President Kamala Harris has come under fire from two independent U.S. senators for her support of ending the filibuster, a move she believes would aid in reinstating federal abortion protections for women.
Harris voiced her stance during a Tuesday morning interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, expressing her support for eliminating the Senate's 60-vote threshold required to pass most legislation. Her position is driven by her aspiration to restore the abortion rights that the Supreme Court overturned in June 2022.
According to Newsweek, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, an independent, vehemently criticized Harris' comments. Speaking to CNN's Manu Raju, Manchin declared, "Shame on her." He further stated that Harris' endorsement of ending the filibuster has led him to withdraw his support for her in the upcoming November elections, despite indications last week that he was preparing to do so.
"She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy," Manchin, a former moderate Democrat who switched to independent in May and will not be seeking reelection in November, said. "It's the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House [of Representatives] on steroids."
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, another ex-Democrat who registered as an independent in December 2022, also reacted to Harris' comments. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she described the move as "an absolutely terrible, shortsighted idea."
"To state the supremely obvious, eliminating the filibuster to codify also enables a future Congress to ban all abortion nationwide," Sinema added.
Harris' support for ending the filibuster to safeguard reproductive rights is not a new development. She advocated for the abolition of the 60-vote threshold in September 2022 during the Democratic National Committee summer meeting. However, her comments to Wisconsin Public Radio mark the first time she has broached the subject since launching her presidential campaign.
Manchin and Sinema have been staunch supporters of the filibuster, arguing that it compels the Senate to reach a consensus on bills, unlike the House, where a simple majority can pass legislation.
Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania expressed his belief that "it makes sense to change" the filibuster rule on Tuesday, stating that the 60-vote threshold "has been an impediment to progress on a whole host of fronts" that Democrats have championed.
Casey pointed to Democrats' unsuccessful attempt to modify the filibuster rule in January 2022 to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Manchin and Sinema voted against their party, and the proposed changes were not implemented.
President Joe Biden also advocated for the abolition of the filibuster in June 2022. To pass rule changes in the Senate, a simple majority is required, meaning that all 50 Democratic senators would have had to agree to the changes at the time.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, when questioned about Harris' comments on the filibuster, stated that it was "something our caucus will discuss in the next session of Congress."
Former President Donald Trump, Harris' GOP presidential race adversary in November, also called for an end to the filibuster during his time in the White House. He suggested in a 2018 closed-door meeting that Senate Republicans should abolish the rule before Democrats attempt to do so, as reported by Politico.
Prominent GOP lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have staunchly defended the filibuster's preservation. This ongoing debate underscores the deep divisions within the Senate and the broader political landscape, with the filibuster's future hanging in the balance.
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