Manchin Open To Reducing Filibuster From 60 to 55 Votes in Senate

Two months ago, Manchin vowed not to ‘eliminate or weaken the filibuster.’ Will he break that promise now?
West Virginia senator Joe Manchin has repeatedly vowed over the last nine months that he won’t weaken the Senate rule requiring 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. But in private comments to donors published by The Intercept on Wednesday, Manchin said a proposal to change the 60-vote rule to a 55-vote rule is one of the many “good suggestions” he’s received:

“That’s that’s one of many good, good suggestions I’ve had,” he said of lowering the cloture total from 60 to 55. Manchin went on to discuss the last time the cloture threshold was lowered, in the 1970s.

“I looked back . . . when it went from 67 votes to 60 votes, and also what was happening, what made them think that it needed to change. So I’m open to looking at it, I’m just not open to getting rid of the filibuster, that’s all,” he said.

Manchin acknowledged that publicly he had drawn a line at 60, but said that he was open to other ideas. “Right now, 60 is where I planted my flag, but as long as they know that I’m going to protect this filibuster, we’re looking at good solutions,” he said. “I think, basically, it should be [that] 41 people have to force the issue versus the 60 that we need in the affirmative. So find 41 in the negative. . . .

I think one little change that could be made right now is basically anyone who wants to filibuster ought to be required to go to the floor and basically state your objection and why you’re filibustering and also state what you think needs to change that’d fix it, so you would support it. To me, that’s pretty constructive.”

[link to www.nationalreview.com (secure)]