CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — Secretary of State Mac Warner is applauding Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., for standing firm in his opposition to efforts to eliminate the Senate filibuster.
Manchin’s unwillingness to go along with the Democrat-backed plan to eliminate the Senate’s 60-vote threshold all but ensures the demise of a voting reform bill currently before the Senate, Warner said.
“If the filibuster stays in place, they will not be able to get 10 Republicans to agree to this,” he said. “The bill is essentially dead.”
The bill, which Warner views as an attempt by the federal government to dictate how states conduct elections, is opposed by 54 out of the state’s 55 county clerks, Warner said.
“Sen. Manchin was once secretary of state. He worked closely with the county clerks and understands election law,” Warner said. “He knows this isn’t good.”
The bill, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, passed the House on Thursday without any Republican support.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated he would like to see a Senate vote on the bill early next week.
But both Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have recently reiterated their staunch opposition to any measures they see as weakening the filibuster.
While President Joe Biden and other Democrats have attempted to portray the bill as essential to the protection of voter rights, it contains numerous provisions that could undermine the security and sovereignty of West Virginia elections, Warner said.
“One thing after another in this bill is not good for West Virginia, and I hope that goes the way of the others, and that is not passing,” he said.
During a virtual press conference Thursday, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., predicted that efforts to eliminate the filibuster will ultimately be unsuccessful.
“I believe it will fail,” she said. “I think Chuck Schumer’s attempt will fail. He is supposedly going to be doing this all over this coming weekend, so we’ll see shortly what the results are.”
Manchin issued a statement Thursday afternoon reiterating his “long-held commitment to protecting the filibuster and the input of the Senate minority.”
“The filibuster plays an important role in protecting our democracy from the transitory passions of the majority and respecting the input of the minority in the Senate,” Manchin said. “Contrary to what some have said — protecting the role of the minority, Democrat or Republican, has protected us from the volatile political swings we have endured over the last 233 years. The role of the minority is what ensures the policies of our nation have input from all corners of the country. We must never forget that the Senate governs for all 50 states, not just red or blue states.”