Joe Manchin, the departing Senator from West Virginia, has once more clashed with Vice President Kamala Harris, this time on the contentious issue of the Senate filibuster. In addition, Manchin has withheld endorsing Harris’ bid for the presidency.
The conflict arose on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 when Manchin took issue with Harris’ advocacy for abolishing the 60-vote filibuster rule to pass federal laws safeguarding abortion rights. Harris, a vocal critic of the filibuster, contends that it hinders crucial legislative progress.
Manchin, who recently switched his party affiliation to Independent, did not mince words when criticizing Harris’ position. “Shame on her,” he declared to the press. “She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It’s the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids.”
The filibuster remains a bone of contention within the Democratic Party, especially after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, leaving abortion rights to the discretion of individual states. Harris contends that scrapping the filibuster would enable Democrats to enact legislation codifying abortion rights at the federal level. In a conversation with Wisconsin Public Radio, she reaffirmed her position, stating, “I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe, to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom.”
While Harris remains steadfast in her opinion, both Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, an independent senator from Arizona, have passionately defended the filibuster. Sinema has critiqued Harris’ proposal, labeling it a bad idea and warning that abolishing the filibuster could have unintended consequences. She underscored that removing the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade could also permit a future Congress to impose a nationwide ban on abortion, a concern she voiced on X.
This internal discord within the Democratic Party has not escaped notice. Former President Donald Trump, during his presidency, called for an end to the filibuster, even though key Republican lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have supported it. Trump recently chimed in on the ongoing debate, lauding Manchin for opposing Harris’ position and referring to her support for scrapping the filibuster as a “DEATH WISH for the Filibuster and the Rule of Law.”
President Joe Biden has endorsed the idea of removing the filibuster to advance protections for abortion and voting rights, especially after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022, which reversed Roe v. Wade. However, despite the endeavors of both Biden and Harris, any forward movement has been difficult due to the lack of consensus within the Democratic Party. Senators Manchin and Sinema have consistently opposed changes to the filibuster, particularly when Democrats tried to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in early 2022.
The ongoing filibuster debate underscores the broader challenges the Democratic Party faces in pushing its legislative agenda. As the 2024 elections loom, the party grapples with internal divisions and the challenging task of maintaining its slim majority in the Senate. If Democrats lose control of the Senate, efforts to codify abortion rights and other key issues would encounter even greater hurdles.
The refusal of Manchin to endorse Harris serves as the latest indication of the deep divide within the party on this issue. The senator from West Virginia has positioned himself as a moderate figure, often opposing the more progressive policies advocated by Harris and other Democratic leaders. As Manchin nears retirement at the end of the year, his defense of the filibuster is likely to be a significant part of his political legacy.
