Sen. Manchin Indicates He Won’t Support Dem’s Filibuster Workaround

Via TTN:

Moderate Democrat Joe Manchin is giving his Democrat colleagues more bad news as he indicates he still remains steadfastly opposed to changing the filibuster. The news comes as Democrats were hoping to use a filibuster “carve-out” to avoid a fight with Republicans over the country’s debt limit.

The Hill reports:

“I’ve been very very clear where I stand on the filibuster. Nothing changes,” Manchin told a gaggle of reporters outside of his Senate office.

Manchin’s comments come as the idea of a “carve-out” from the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes for most legislation, has gained steam within the Senate Democratic caucus

But changing the legislative filibuster even just for a narrow carve-out on the debt ceiling was a heavy list for Senate Democrats given entrenched opposition to making changes to the 60-vote rule from Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

To invoke the “nuclear option,” Democrats would need total unity from their 50-member caucus and Vice President Harris in the chair to break a tie. A spokesman for Sinema didn’t immediately respond to a question on Wednesday about if she would support creating a carve-out from the filibuster for the debt ceiling.

On Monday, Senator Manchin noted he thinks the filibuster and debt limit should be two separate issues and Democrats should find a different way to achieve their goal.

“The filibuster has nothing to do with debt ceiling. Basically, we have other tools that we can use and if we have to use them we should use them,” Manchin said.