Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) are publicly pushing back against Kamala Harris’ recent support for eliminating the Senate filibuster, a move they warn could have catastrophic consequences for the country. Harris, now the Democratic presidential candidate, endorsed the idea of scrapping the filibuster to pass a national right to abortion with just a simple majority in the Senate.
Manchin, a moderate Democrat, did not mince words in his response. He called Harris’ proposal “the most horrible thing” and suggested it could “destroy our country.” He emphasized that the filibuster is crucial for fostering debate and cooperation in the Senate, warning that removing it would turn the Senate into “the House on steroids.” Manchin made it clear that he would not support Harris’ presidential bid over her stance on the filibuster.
Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, also criticized Harris’ plan. She took to social media to point out that eliminating the filibuster could backfire. “A future Congress could use that same rule change to ban all abortion nationwide,” she said, calling the idea “absolutely terrible” and shortsighted.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) also weighed in, accusing Harris of flip-flopping on the issue. He pointed to a letter Harris signed as a senator pledging to uphold the filibuster, calling her current position an example of political opportunism. “Her word is meaningless. She’ll say anything to get elected,” Cotton said.
While some Democrats have praised Harris’ stance on abortion, her support for eliminating the filibuster has ignited a bipartisan backlash, especially from those who see the rule as essential to preserving the Senate’s deliberative nature.
