Chuck Schumer Is About To Show Joe Manchin That The Filibuster Must Die

Last updated on June 9th, 2021 at 04:25 am

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will use a series of votes next week to show Democratic holdouts that the filibuster must go.

The New York Times reported:

Mr. Schumer said he intended to bring the filibuster showdown to a head beginning next week, by forcing votes on a series of measures that Republicans oppose, including one that was blocked by a Republican filibuster in 2014 that seeks to ensure that women and men receive the same pay for equal work. Mr. Schumer hinted that he could also bring forward legislation on gay rights and gun safety. Most immediately, he promised a vote before the end of June on a sweeping voting rights bill that Democrats say is needed to counter new Republican-led voting restrictions being enacted in states around the nation.

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The idea is to show Democrats refusing to change the filibuster rules that Republicans led by Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, are going to stand in the way of legislation that has widespread support, and that the only way to win their adoption is by overturning the rules. The hope is for more of the “conversions” that Mr. Blumenthal noted.

This is the strategy that Harry Reid used in 2013 to get the last set of changes to the filibuster. Sen, Manchin dug in his heels on Sunday and said that he will vote against the For The People Act and that he opposes filibuster reform.

Manchin and Sinema might be sincere in the opposition, or they could be playing politics. The odds are that both of the Democrats want something, and Majority Leader Schumer needs to show them that what they want is never going to happen with the filibuster in place.

The very same strategy worked on Democratic filibuster reform opponents in 2013, so there is hope that it could work again in 2021.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association