Manchin says he still supports 60-vote filibuster, says Democrats make ‘no effort’ with GOP

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia clarified on Tuesday that he won’t vote to eliminate the filibuster in the Senate.

“There’s no way that I would vote to prevent the minority from having input into the process in the Senate,” Mr. Manchin said. “That means protecting the filibuster … the minority must have input, and it must be a process to get to that 60-vote threshold.”

On a Sunday talk show, Mr. Manchin suggested that he might be open to a proposal that would enforce a “talking filibuster” to block most legislation, which would require the objecting party to remain on the Senate floor. 

Many Democrats are pushing for their party to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster in favor of a simple 51-vote majority for approving measures. Mr. Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona are the two most prominent Democrats who’ve resisted changes to the 60-vote filibuster rule.

Mr. Manchin said Democratic leaders, including Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, are not trying to work with Republicans in the new Congress.

“I haven’t seen an effort by any of our leadership to go sit down and work with them,” he told Burgess Everett of Politico, a Capitol pool reporter.  “No one’s making any effort at all. They just assume it’s going to be holy warfare … I noticed that Senator Schumer talks to everybody. Just make that effort.”