With the Democrats' federal takeover of elections in jeopardy, one Democrat leader is trying to force Joe Biden's hand on the filibuster. Previously, the President has given mixed signals on whether he supports the procedure which safeguards the influence of the minority party in the Senate. POLITICO reported:
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) told POLITICO Biden “should endorse” the idea of creating a carveout to the legislative filibuster in the Senate for legislation that applies to the Constitution. In effect, the reform would make it possible for Democrats to pass their sweeping elections reform bill and another bill reauthorizing key sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act with just Democratic support.
It’s a sentiment the congressman says he’s shared with White House counselor Steve Ricchetti and Office of Public Engagement Director Cedric Richmond as well. “I've even told that to the vice president,” Clyburn said.
Biden could “pick up the phone and tell [Sen.] Joe Manchin, ‘Hey, we should do a carve out.’” Clyburn said, referring to the centrist West Virginia Democrat who has resisted filibuster reform. “I don't care whether he does it in a microphone or on the telephone — just do it.”
After months of setbacks and gridlock on voting rights, one of President Biden’s top allies in Congress is calling for him to support amending the Senate filibuster https://t.co/OLdsEUQE1K
— POLITICO (@politico) July 10, 2021
As RNLA emphasizes frequently, this is all about power for the Democrats:
If the two voting rights bills before Congress don’t reach Biden’s desk soon, Clyburn said, “Democrats can kiss the majority goodbye.”
🚨 Rep. Jim Clyburn admits that the Corrupt Politicians Act (H.R. 1/S. 1) is a blatant Democrat power grab. https://t.co/BsD1xkBy9Z pic.twitter.com/jmQXJE1JAJ
— NRSC Rapid Response (@NRSC_Rapid) July 10, 2021
As someone who spent "120 years" in the Senate (his words, not ours), President Biden should know how important the filibuster is. After all, Democrats used it 327 times in 2020.