There has been an increasing amount of discussion among Senate Democrats about scrapping the upper-chamber’s 60-vote requirement to advance legislation. West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin made news on Monday when told The Hill that he is “interested in listening to anything” regarding filibuster reform because the Senate “isn’t working.”
But Manchin wrote on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that he opposes repealing the Senate filibuster:
I have never supported a repeal of the filibuster and I don’t support one now. I am willing to consider solutions that promote collaboration so the Senate is able to be a productive body again. But repealing the filibuster would result in even more partisanship.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) June 30, 2020
Does that mean Manchin is absolutely committed to keeping the 60-vote threshold for legislation (outside the budget-reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority but is subject to complex rules)? A spokesman for Manchin tells National Review the answer to that question is “yes.”