Despite leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, there had been some speculation that Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia would endorse Kamala Harris.
He made it clear during a recent interview, however, that there will be no such endorsement, explaining the central reason for his decision.
According to CNN:
Vice President Kamala Harris’ vow to gut the Senate’s filibuster rule to pass a bill codifying abortion rights has cost her an endorsement from a leading Senate moderate: Joe Manchin.
The West Virginia independent, one of the staunchest defenders of the potent delay tactic in the Senate, told CNN on Tuesday that he wouldn’t back her candidacy now — despite signaling earlier this month he was getting ready to do so.
“Shame on her,” Manchin, who is retiring at year’s end, said in the Capitol. “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.”
Now that Harris has vowed to gut the filibuster on this issue, Manchin said he wouldn’t back her for president.
“That ain’t going to happen,” he said. “I think that basically can destroy our country, and my country is more important to me than any one person or any one person’s ideology. … I think it’s the most horrible thing.”
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Manchin isn’t the only prominent ex-Democrat who has expressed a similar sentiment about Harris’ position.
To state the supremely obvious, eliminating the filibuster to codify Roe v Wade also enables a future Congress to ban all abortion nationwide.
What an absolutely terrible, shortsighted idea. https://t.co/ldzTB9BkV7
— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) September 24, 2024
Plenty of other pundits have also weighed in on social media:
Harris is 100% in support of eliminating the fillibuster. That's the glue that keeps Congress in check. If she somehow gets elected, she will make sure that it's gone, & then she will push for a nationwide abortion like never witnessed before. Harris doesn't value human life. pic.twitter.com/V0d2eTj4P3
— WarriorsForPatriotism (@luckynik30) September 24, 2024
NARRATOR: Since the filibuster is a Senate organization matter, totally under the control of the Senate itself, and Harris is not a member of the Senate, this is roughly the same as vowing to change NFL's overtime rule. https://t.co/iH6yQc5aCi
— Dal Jeanis (@DalJeanis) September 24, 2024
I see a lot of pro-Harris accounts cheering her proposal to gut the Senate filibuster to pass a national abortion rights law.
But remember: Gutting the filibuster would also make it a lot easier for Republicans to pass polarizing bills next time they have a Senate majority. https://t.co/2TbVwpPiim
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) September 24, 2024
Of course, Manchin’s opposition to Harris doesn’t mean he is willing to endorse President Donald Trump.
As Fox News reported:
In a statement released on Tuesday, Manchin said, “This threshold stabilizes our democracy, promotes bipartisan cooperation and protects our nation from partisan whiplash and dysfunction. I have always said: ‘if you can’t change your mind, you can’t change anything’ and I am hopeful that the Vice President remains open to doing just that.”
Manchin further specified to Fox News that he wouldn’t be backing former President Trump in the election either. “I’m not endorsing anyone,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENTSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., avoided getting involved during the Democrat leadership press conference, telling reporters, “It’s something our caucus will discuss in the next session of Congress.”
Here’s a clip of Manchin’s remarks on the topic:
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