Compromise? Sen. Manchin Says Filibuster ‘Should Be Painful If You Want To Use It’

Sergie Daez | March 8, 2021
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Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has repeatedly stated that he is against the elimination of the filibuster, a view that doesn't fit with the larger Democratic party’s stance. However, Manchin is now starting to advocate for measures that would make the filibuster more unappealing to use.

According to Fox News, Manchin asserted that anyone who chooses to filibuster, a process that involves delaying or outright blocking a vote on a bill by extending the debate, should have to bear some discomfort in order to use it.

"I'd make it harder to get rid of the filibuster, I'm supporting the filibuster, I'm going to continue to support the filibuster," he told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. "I think it defines who we are as a Senate. I'll make it harder to get rid of it, but it should be painful if you want to use it.” 

Related: Manchin Sends Biden Letter to 'Reconsider...Decision' to Terminate Keystone XL Permit

“The filibuster should be painful,” Manchin said. “It really should be painful and we've made it more comfortable over the years. Not intentionally, maybe it just evolved into that. Maybe it has to be more painful. Maybe you have to stand there.” 

Manchin said he believes that making the filibuster unappealing and more difficult to use would help the GOP and Democrat parties to cooperate.

“You just, you should make sure the place works to where, ‘OK, I want to work with you,’” he explained to Wallace. “How can we do this? How do we move forward? My Republican friends are my friends, they're not my enemies. And my Democrats are my colleagues, they're not my enemies either. That's my caucus. Together we've got to make this place work and it should be hard to invoke pain. It should be painful for us, don't make it painful for the other side."

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