Joe Manchin pours cold water on a push to gut buccaneer

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Manchin’s point of view is important because Democrats cannot get through rule changes without a unified caucus given that the chamber is split 50 to 50 and all Republicans are likely to oppose de such changes.

Manchin told CNN “yes” he was drawing the line to maintain the 60-vote threshold to defeat a filibuster, even though many in his caucus want to lower that threshold to 51 votes to make it easier to promote legislation on a filibuster. party line. based.

“I’m still at 60,” Manchin said. “This is where I am. I haven’t changed.”

Manchin also rejected calls by supporters of ousting the filibuster rules to demand that 41 senators be present to support a filibuster.

“No, I’m still 60 years old. OK?” Manchin said, noting that these ideas “are all interesting”.

Some Democrats have called for specific exclusions from filibuster rules – such as the right to vote or civil rights legislation – to allow such measures to be brought forward by simple majority in the Senate. But Manchin is not in favor of this either, arguing that minority rights must be upheld.

“It’s kind of like being pregnant – maybe,” he said of such an idea, an apparent reference to the saying “you can’t be half pregnant.”

Manchin has been willing to ask senators to keep their word and not just silently threaten a filibuster, which President Joe Biden endorsed on Tuesday. But it is clear that it will not weaken the power of Republicans to demand a supermajority to advance legislation at the end of this process.

“I think the most encouraging thing has been that the President of the United States understands the importance of maintaining (the power) of the minority in the Senate.”

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