West Virginia’s senior senator appeared to be firing a shot across the President’s bow with an editorial released late Wednesday that declared in no uncertain terms that Joe Manchin is either an institutionalist or a politician with a wish list. It was this line that raised eyebrows:
“There is no circumstance in which I will vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster.”
Manchin’s declaration would seem to put Biden’s infrastructure legislation in serious jeopardy. There was already virtually no chance it would garner the necessary 10 Republican votes to override a filibuster given the current toxicity in the 50-50 senate chamber. Earlier this week the Senate Parliamentarian earlier this week ruled that reconciliation could be used again to bypass the filibuster, giving Democrats a pathway for passing the White House’s $2.25 trillion package.
In his op-ed, Manchin seemed to put up a fairly sizable roadblock. He wrote that reconciliation shouldn’t be used to pass essential legislation such as the infrastructure bill — leaving open the possibility he could stand in the way of what is viewed as one of the Biden Administration’s signature bills.
“I simply do not believe budget reconciliation should replace regular order in the Senate. How is that good for the future of this nation?”
It should be noted that Manchin went along with using reconciliation to pass the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in March. That happened after certain concessions were made after he and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema raised concerns about the $15 minimum wage.
Manchin repeated many of the same points he’s made in the past when he’s defended the filibuster as a necessary tool to enact across-the-aisle cooperation. Legislating is hard work, he wrote. He also observed that past generations of lawmakers overcame ideological differences to pass bills. This is all true. It is also true that we are living through one of the most polarized, divisive political eras in our nation’s history. And to some observers, Manchin’s stance is hopelessly naive.
Would he prevent passage of a bill many agree is necessary for the country, simply for the sake of defending an institution of the Senate? With the body evenly split, his vote is arguably the most important in the chamber. But some think he’s abusing that power.
This morning on CNN’s “New Day,” White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield took the diplomatic route when asked about Manchin.
When asked if Biden has plans to sit down with Manchin, the White House rep dodged the question. But it’s clear that for his next big legislative swing to connect, the President is going to have to have a conversation with the senator from West Virginia.
